Learn about the life and explore the historic home of 18th-century lawyer and signer of the Declaration of Independence, William Paca.
An elegant Georgian mansion and National Historic Landmark, the William Paca House has been carefully restored to look much the same as it would have when it was first built in the 1760s. Learn about the famous owner of the magnificent mansion and find out what life was like for him and his family during the 18th century.
This estate was commissioned by William Paca who had recently married into money. Paca was a lawyer who would go on to sign the Declaration of Independence and become the third governor of Maryland. Over the centuries, the house has hosted many different residents, both owners and renters. Tennis professional William Larned built an extension and converted the property into a hotel. Take a guided tour of the house and gardens to find out more about its many inhabitants.
Admire the elegant redbrick exterior of the house, which is now owned by Historic Annapolis. Marvel at the Colonial-era splendor of the interior. The rooms have been painstakingly restored to mirror how they looked in the 18th century. Survey period furniture and paintings and listen as your guide recounts stories illustrating what daily life was like for the upper class in Annapolis at the time.
Take a stroll around the 2-acre (0.8-hectare) walled gardens, which have also been restored to resemble their 18th-century state with modern additions. Spot roses and perennials, both typical of the Colonial period, and view the edible goods such as apples, salad greens and peas growing in the Kitchen Garden. Come in spring to see the gardens in colorful bloom.
The William Paca House and Garden is open daily, from late March through December, with reduced opening hours on Sundays. There is an admission fee. The house is located in central Annapolis, just a 3-minute walk from the similarly grand and historic Hammond-Harwood House.
