News Release

Baltimore's Historic Houses Celebrate the Holidays

Sold out last year, this millennium event includes continuous bus service provided by Harbor City Tours stopping at the Mount Clare Museum House, Star-Spangled Banner Flag House, Homewood House Museum, Evergreen House, and new this year, the Garrett-Jacobs Mansion, home of the Engineers Club. Each house will offer a variety of sweets and savories, generously provided by prominent local restaurants and caterers. Guests will enjoy period music and entertainment. Holiday shopping is a delight in the museums' specialty shops, featuring gift items reflecting their magnificent collections.

A registered National Historic Landmark, Mount Clare Museum House, a 1760s Georgian mansion, is the only remaining pre-Revolutionary mansion in the city and was the first historic house museum in Maryland. Its collections include rare 18th and 19th century objects that belonged to Charles Carroll, Barrister, Mount Clare's builder.

Visitors to the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House and 1812 Museum will experience the history, patriotism and charm of Mary Pickersgill and her home. It is here that the seamstress created the 30 foot by 40 foot star-spangled banner which, flying over Fort McHenry, inspired Francis Scott Key to write the words that became the United State's national anthem.

At Homewood House Museum, come face to face with one of the finest restoration efforts in America that exemplifies Federal restraint and classical inspiration. A National Historic Landmark, Homewood was the residence of Charles Carroll, Jr., son of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, who built the house in 1801 with the finest materials and workmanship available.

Evergreen House is a magnificent 1850s Italianate mansion that was home to two generations of the Garrett family, T. Harrison Garrett and John Work Garrett. Highlights of the 48 room mansion include collections of post-Impressionist paintings, rare books, Tiffany glass, Japanese netsuke and inro, and Baltimore's only private theater.

The Garrett-Jacobs Mansion is the largest and most expensive townhouse ever built in Baltimore. Designed by architects Stanford White and John Russell Pope in the late 1880s and early 1900s, the mansion was home to Robert Garrett, president of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and brother of T. Harrison Garrett of the Evergreen House. The mansion has been part of the social scene in Baltimore for over 100 years.

Tickets are $12 for members of participating museums, $15 for non-members, and $8 for children under 12. Free parking is available at Mount Clare Museum and the Evergreen House. For more information about this holiday celebration or to purchase tickets, call the Evergreen House at 410-516-0341 or contact them at bnowell@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu.

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