The Queen Anne’s County Garden Club will host an exciting tour of nine homes and historic sites when the 2009 Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage kicks off its tour season on Saturday, April 25. The tour features a variety of architecturally and historically significant homes and gardens located in the Centreville area, a designated National Historic District.
The Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage (MHGP), now in its 72nd year, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and restoration of architecturally significant properties in the State of Maryland. Each year, the MHGP plans a multi-county spring tour program that gives visitors an inside look at extraordinary historic and contemporary sites, and at the same time, a fun way to support a worthy cause. The 2009 tours will be held throughout Maryland during four consecutive spring weekends: Queen Anne’s County (April 25), St. Mary’s County (May 2), Harford County (May 3), Baltimore City (May 9), Anne Arundel County (May 16), and Baltimore County (May 17).
Queen Anne’s County Tour
The tour begins at the lovely brick Victorian “Jackson-Collins House,” at 201 South Commerce St. Centreville, MD. 21617. This 19th century home is considered to be one of the finest examples of Victorian residential architecture in the County.
The Queen Anne’s County Pilgrimage will also feature “Fairview Farm,” home of Mr. & Mrs. Calvin Gray, Jr. The main residence, completed in 2004 by the owners, is a turn-of-the-century style farmhouse rooted in the past by its location on an old estate on the Corsica River and by its charming use of antique architectural elements. The home was recently featured on HGTV’s Amazing Waterfront Homes.
Open to the public for the first time in many years is “The Hermitage,” the 350-year old Tilghman family estate located on Tilghman Creek. The Hermitage is one of America’s oldest continuously working farms and is still held by direct descendants of the original settler. Its many buildings are typical of colonial Eastern Shore plantations. For information about other sites on the Queen Anne’s County Pilgrimage, see www.mhgp.org.
All sites are open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Look for green and white “Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage” signs for directions off of MD Routes 301 and 213.
Queen Anne’s County tour proceeds will be used by the Kennard Alumni Association to continue the historic renovation of Kennard High School, the first African American high school in the County. Upon completion of the renovation, the building will reopen to the public and, in addition to historical tours, will be used for a variety of ongoing educational, cultural, and recreational programs for the youth and adults of Queen Anne’s County.
TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets for each day’s tour are $30.00 if purchased in advance and $35.00 if purchased on the day of the tour. (A portion of the ticket price is tax deductible.) Tickets may be purchased at the door of all homes. Each tour-goer will receive a Pilgrimage tour book, which provides detailed information on routes, background on properties, and overall event facts.
For more information, contact Kelly Phipps at 410-708-5496 or Nancy Layfield at 410-827-5505 or the Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage office, 410-821-6933 in Towson, MD or visit www.mhgp.org.
Advance tickets can be ordered through the Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage. Contact the Pilgrimage Office by phone (410) 821-6933, fax (410) 821-7620, or email mhgp@aol.com. Tickets can also be purchased on-line through the Pilgrimage website www.mhgp.org.
Day of tour tickets will be sold at each of the tour sites.
For information on the day of the Queen Anne’s County tour, contact Kelly Phipps 410-708-5496 or Lea Brooks 410-490-1901.
Tour books may be purchased in advance by sending your name, address and $5.00 to Pilgrimage Headquarters at 1105-A Providence Road, Towson, MD 21286-1790. If you prefer to pick up your tour book in person, they are available at Pilgrimage Headquarters on March 10, 2009, and the cost is $1.00.
Lunch: See “Suggested Lunch Spots” insert in QAC Tour Book.
About the Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage
The Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage (MHGP), based in Towson, Maryland, was founded in 1937. The mission of this non-profit organization is to assist in the preservation and restoration of historic structures, gardens and landmarks in the State of Maryland. The annual Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage Tour is the centerpiece of the organization’s fundraising and educational initiatives. For more information on the Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage, please visit www.mhgp.org.