Government House, Annapolis

Government House, Annapolis

Adjacent to the Maryland State House complex, the official residence of Maryland's Governor, the Government House, also known as the Governor's Mansion, was built in 1870 to the design of Baltimore architect R. Snowden Andrews (1830–1903). Originally designed in the fashion of the Victorian time, with a mansard roof and Italianate arched windows, the mansion was converted to its present Georgian-style country house appearance in 1935–36. More renovations, including cleaning, painting, and roof repairs were done in 1947, followed by a new skylight installed by Maryland craftsmen in 1987, and a fountain, featuring Maryland symbols, placed in the garden in 1990.

The building features seven public rooms: the Entrance Hall, Federal Reception Room, Victorian Library, Empire Parlor, Conservatory, State Dining Room and the Drawing Room. In the Entrance Hall there are portraits of Queen Henrietta Maria, after whom Maryland was named, painted in 1901 by Florence MacKubin, and of Charles Calvert, the Fifth Lord Baltimore. A portrait of Frederick Douglass, commissioned in 2014 and painted by Simmie Knox, is on display in the Drawing Room, along the portrait of George Washington painted during the Revolutionary War by Charles Willson’s Peale, one of America's foremost portrait painters.

The State Dining Room features the portrait of the Sharpe Family, painted in 1753 and attributed to Arthur Devis. A portrait bust of Harriet Tubman, displayed on a wooden pedestal made from wood of Maryland’s historic Wye Oak, is displayed in the Conservatory. Among other treasures attesting to Maryland's rich and glorious past found here are the furnishings by Potthast, the eminent Baltimore furniture makers of the 19th century. The Victorian library now recalls the original ambiance of Government House, and panels and roundels from those doors can be seen here as well.

Visitors to the house used to enter through magnificent walnut doors, carved with the Maryland coat of arms and symbols of Maryland industry and agriculture. The list of important guests to the state, received in this house since the founding of the colony in 1634, includes some illustrious individuals, like Mark Twain, Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, and Sugar Ray Leonard.
Sight description based on Wikipedia.

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Government House on Map

Sight Name: Government House
Sight Location: Annapolis, USA (See walking tours in Annapolis)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Annapolis, Maryland

Create Your Own Walk in Annapolis

Create Your Own Walk in Annapolis

Creating your own self-guided walk in Annapolis is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Annapolis Introduction Walking Tour

Annapolis Introduction Walking Tour

Nestled along the banks of the Severn River flowing into the Chesapeake Bay on the East Coast of the United States is the capital of the US state of Maryland, Annapolis. Dubbed “America’s Sailing Capital”, Annapolis thrives on its nautical roots and colonial history, boasting more 18th-century buildings still in use than any other city in the country.

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Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
Best Pubs and Taverns in Annapolis

Best Pubs and Taverns in Annapolis

America’s Sailing Capital, Annapolis, has no shortage of exciting places where locals and visitors alike can enjoy great beer and seafood till late at night. For extra fun, on top of regular treats, the majority of local pubs, saloons, and bars host live music shows on a regular basis, as well as different contests.

Galway Bay Irish Pub, nestled in the heart of downtown, offers an authentic...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.2 Km or 0.7 Miles
Naval Academy Campus Walking Tour

Naval Academy Campus Walking Tour

Established in 1845 under George Bancroft, the US Naval Academy in Annapolis is the city's most prominent complex. Situated right at the confluence of Severn River and Chesapeake Bay, this prestigious institution, where future naval officers receive their education and training, has on its campus some truly magnificent structures.

At the heart of it stands Bancroft Hall, the largest...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.7 Km or 1.1 Miles
Annapolis Historical Houses Tour

Annapolis Historical Houses Tour

One of the first planned cities in colonial America, first the capital of the Colony and then of the State of Maryland, Annapolis is rich in history, predating the Revolutionary War by decades. Although many structures from its early days are either gone, destroyed by neglect, or completely renovated, several magnificent 18th-century homes are still in place and retain their original beauty.

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Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles