Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Aloha to the Hammond Harwood House - the Jewel of Annapolis (part 1)

File:Hammond-Harwood House (Md. Ave. Facade).jpg
Hammond Harwood House
Image by Chuckatuck (link)

On New Year's Eve Day, we visited the Hammond Harwood House - the Jewel of Annapolis.  From its website (link),

The Hammond-Harwood House is a five part Anglo-Palladian (derived from 16th Italian architect Andrea Palladio) mansion that features some of the best woodcarving and plasterwork in America.

The house located at 19 Maryland Avenue was begun in 1774 by the gentleman planter Matthias Hammond. Ardently favoring the cause for freedom, Hammond was elected to the Maryland government in 1773. At the same time, he had begun working with renowned architect William Buckland on plans for a new, elegant townhouse in the most fashionable area of Annapolis.


The house was decorated for the holidays by several garden clubs.


Here's a gingerbread replica of the main house flanked by "hyphens" (connecting halls) to the outerwings. 


The first level bedroom, overlooking Maryland Street, was decorated ala WWII, saluting the Navy ....


... as Annapolis is home to the US Naval Academy.   


Across the hall, an office was decorated ala 1783 when General Washington arrived in Annapolis (the first national capital) to resign his commission before accepting the presidency. Perhaps he stopped by the Hammond Harwood House for a refreshment from the wassail bowl before preceeding to the Capital Building.


Washington's portrait was painted by Charles Wilson Peale, a notalbe Marylander who painted many leaders of the American Revolution.


The dining room was bright and beautiful ...


... with sweet treats for Christmas dinner!


Holiday cheer under the Christmas tree ...


... and cookies for Santa on the antique desk.


Do you have ginger bread, paper chains, or wassail bowl in your home?  One randomly selected commenter from this week's blogs wins a book choice from my convention stash.  Comments are open through Saturday, January 3, 10 pm in Baltimore.  I'll post the winner on Sunday, January 4, at SOS Aloha.

Mahalo,

Kim in Baltimore
Aloha Spirit in Charm City

Across the street is the Chase Lloyd House,
also built by William Buckland.

8 comments:

  1. Don't currently have any of the above, but I do remember making paper chains in school.

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  2. Interesting place to visit. And a good time of year to go see it decorated for the holidays. No, I don't have any of the above at our house.

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  3. I tried making a ginger bread house but failed. So now I have one made of crochet

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  4. I had some ginger cookies (but they are all gone now).

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  5. I don't have any of those items.

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  6. I use to have some of the chains when my children were younger.

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  7. We do like molasses cookies for Christmas, I love the pictures especially the gingerbread house.

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