William Paca House and Garden, Annapolis (must see)

William Paca House and Garden is a historic home built in the early 1760s for William Paca, a lawyer and political leader who later signed the Declaration of Independence. He was active in the colonial government of Maryland and served as governor from 1782 to 1785. In the twentieth century the house and garden were restored so visitors could see how a wealthy colonial household once lived.

The mansion is built of brick in the Georgian style, which was popular in the eighteenth century. Its design is balanced, with a central section connected to smaller wings by curved passageways. Inside, the rooms were arranged for both daily life and formal gatherings. Today visitors can walk through several restored rooms with period furniture, fireplaces, wood paneling, and decorative plaster ceilings that show how an upper-class household lived before the American Revolution.

Behind the house is a two-acre garden designed in a formal, symmetrical layout. By the mid-twentieth century the original garden had disappeared, but archaeologists studied the site in the 1960s and helped recreate its historic design. Brick paths divide the garden into terraces, with flower beds, small lawns, and shaded areas. A long reflecting pond runs through the center and leads the eye toward a small summerhouse at the far end.

The garden was not only decorative but also practical. Fruit trees, herbs, and vegetables were grown here for the household kitchen. The layout reflected popular garden design of the eighteenth century. From the upper terraces, visitors can look back at the house and see how the building and garden were planned as one space.