House & Garden Pilgrimage Comes to Calvert County

The Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage is an annual tradition that allows visitors to get a glimpse of many private homes and public historic sites throughout our state. This year, Calvert County was one of the featured destinations. I won tickets through the Maryland Office of Tourism, so I picked up a friend and some food for a picnic, and we were on our way.

From Huntingtown to Lusby, the houses featured on this tour had casual elegance and charm in spades. The eleven stops on the tour included Small Reward, The Old Wallville School, Windy Hill Farm at Bowensville, The Port Republic One Room Schoolhouse, The Cage, Tynewydd Farm, Point Farm, Rollins Cove, Breeden Point, Spout Farm, and Middleham Chapel.

At each site, Calvert Garden Club members were available to provide information and offer some historical background about each of the homes. Many of the home owners were also present to speak with visitors. Each location typically had several visitors at once, so we sometimes had to park and walk for a few minutes. Anyone who participates in these tours should wear comfortable shoes.

Participants had the option of ordering a boxed lunch in advance through the Calvert Garden Club, which could be picked up at Jefferson Patterson Park (site of Point Farm). We brought our own food, as did many others, and had perfect weather to spread out a picnic blanket and enjoy our lunch before touring Point Farm and the grounds.

Proceeds from this event will help Jefferson Patterson Park perform restoration work on Point Farm’s triangular garden to return it to its original design from the 1930s. A wonderful time seemed to be had by all, and I hope another House & Garden Pilgrimage is held in Calvert County in the near future.

Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage
http://www.mhgp.org

Calvert Garden Club
http://calvertgardenclub.com

What was your favorite home or site seen on the tour? Share your thoughts in a comment below!