Built between 1763 and 1765 by William Paca — three-term Maryland governor and signer of the Declaration of Independence — this is one of the finest Georgian houses surviving in the United States. The five-part composition (central block flanked by hyphens and wings), the carved interior woodwork, and the two-acre pleasure garden out the back all reflect the wealth of late-colonial Annapolis tobacco aristocracy.
The terraced garden, with its formal parterres, fish-shaped pond, Chinese-trellis bridge, and summerhouse, was reconstructed in the 1970s from a 1772 portrait of Paca that included it in the background. It is the most carefully researched colonial garden restoration in the country. Combined house-and-garden tickets are available; the garden alone is worth the price.