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If you're in the Mid-Atlantic region this next month there is an upcoming tour of Annapolis that you may be interested in checking out. Hosted by the Mid-Atlantic chapter of the ICAA , this private tour will feature 3 notable structures with excellent guides and will also include lunch; all together a nice day 'out' in beautiful Annapolis! The tour will start with a private showing of the newly restored Old Senate Chamber in the Maryland Capitol building dating to 1772. The rooms have been restored to their appearance in 1783 when it was the meeting place of the national congress. Afterwards stroll down the street to the Hammond  Harwood House , known as the ' Jewel of Annapolis ', for a private tour. The house is one of the most important houses from the Colonial period dating to 1773 and designed by William Buckland .  It is the earliest American house still standing in the Palladian style -copied almost directly from Palladio 's ' I quattro libri dell...

A few weeks ago I planned an ICAA tour of Trumbauer's Perry Belmont mansion - owned and operated by the Order of the Eastern Star .  I say Trumbauer as he is the architect most associated with the house but in fact he only followed through and detailed the designs of French architect Ernest Sanson . Perry Belmont hired Sanson to design this impressive mansion meant solely as a party house; this is not a family home! Due to a huge scandal when he married his wife (long story which I'll skip here but is easily found on wikipedia) the Belmonts left NYC and construction began in 1906. By 1909 the Belmonts were hosting numerous parties a week, some lasting into the late morning the next day! In 1935 the Belmont's sold the house and contents to the Eastern Star whom have been excellent stewards of the mansion. The most interesting aspect of this house is the plan. Washington, DC is a grid of streets with diagonals cut through which leave a lot of odd shaped parcels. The entire b...