If you read my series on the best-preserved historical districts in US cities, then you might have raised your eyebrows.
I didn’t mention Annapolis, Maryland, or any of its three historic inns—all of which date back to the late 1700s. For history buffs, it was likely a notable omission.
Not only is downtown Annapolis well-preserved, but there are three hotels that have kept their doors open for centuries. These are the Maryland Inn, Governor Calvert House, and Robert Johnson House.
The three properties are clumped together as the Historic Inns of Annapolis. Not only are they part of the US’s Historic Hotels of America, but they’re actually the site of a major moment in US history.
Back on January 14, 1784, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay gathered in the Maryland Inn to formally end the Revolutionary War by signing the Paris Peace Treaty with British representatives.
That happened in the Treaty of Paris restaurant—which is still open to visitors today. Caught your intrigue? Let’s explore the 3 Historic Inns of Annapolis, including how to stay at each.
Governor Calvert House (est. 1720s)
This small home once belonged to a governor, Charles Calvert. But Calvert didn’t spend long in Annapolis, leaving town in the 1760s. Around this time, a fire destroyed much of the original property.
Following the fire, the house fell into the hands of the State of Maryland. The government added a section to the back so that the house could be used as barracks.
For decades in the late 1700s and early 1800s, the house changed hands. Eventually, it was signed over to the mayor of Annapolis in 1854. The mayor added Victorian features to the once-Georgian home.
Over time, the Governor Calvert House was slowly converted into an inn. This required extensive renovations in the early 1900s, which uncovered a few once-hidden features that dated back to the home’s construction in the 1720s.
The most interesting is a subterranean heating system used for Governor Calvert’s tropical garden, which you can still learn about today.
Maryland Inn (est. 1772)
The Maryland Inn is the largest of the three historic inns in downtown Annapolis.
If you remember seeing a narrow, three-story brick building when passing through the city, that was the Maryland Inn. It was originally constructed as a residence designed for high-society entertainment, but also functioned as a tavern and inn.
Throughout the 1800s, the Maryland Inn served as an important hotel for visitors—including political and military big-wigs. As Annapolis’s military focus grew, the Inn attracted dozens of respected figures.
But the inn slowly fell into disrepair. By the end of the WWI era, it was uninhabitable.
Starting in the 1900s, the Maryland Inn swapped hands, serving as an apartment building and private residence.
In 2007, Remington Hotels took over, replacing the King of France Tavern with a Starbucks. While the move angered many history lovers in the area, Remington Hotels (and previous owners) have gone to painstaking lengths to preserve the building’s historical design—while also updating it with modern amenities.
Robert Johnson House (est. 1773)
Shortly after the Maryland Inn opened its doors, a local barber purchased a plot of land nearby to build a brick home.
Unlike the other locations on this list, the Robert Johnson House (named after the barber who built the house) passed down from generation to generation. It didn’t excite any historical whimsy until the mid-1800s.
By then, sections of the home had been sold off. One even became the subject of an extraterrestrial encounter when its owner, a woman named Elizabeth Thompson, swore she was abducted from the home in 1812.
By the early 1900s, tales of alien abductions had died down. When the original Robert Johnson House fell into the hands of another local woman, she purchased the original sections of the house that had been sold off.
These were renovated as apartments but were later converted into a lux hotel when Paul Pearson bought the property in the 1970s.
Staying at the Historic Inns today
If you enjoy history—or even just quaint historical architecture—then I highly suggest you plan a visit to the Historic Inns.
You’ll have an astounding 124 guestrooms to choose from, all of which include a lovely balance of historical furnishings and modern amenities.
But each of the venues above offers a slightly different experience.
The Maryland Inn is the site of Revolutionary-era guestrooms, making it ideal for those who like history.
The Governor Calvert House, by contrast, has an atrium that’s designed for group gatherings—whether a business conference or a wedding party.
Lastly, the Robert Johnson House offers a slightly more lux experience, from its draperies to its 19th-century antiques.