Montpelier Mansion

A fine example of Georgian architecture, popular in Maryland in the late 1700's, Montpelier Mansion sits on approximately 70 acres of beautiful parkland. Architectural and building construction details, as well as historical research, suggest that the house was constructed between 1781 and 1785. Major Thomas Snowden and his wife Anne, original owners of Montpelier Mansion, welcomed many distinguished guests into their home, including George Washington and Abigail Adams.

Montpelier Mansion, a National Historic Landmark, is operated as a house museum and rental facility. Select rooms have been researched and furnished as they would have appeared from the end of the 18th century until 1830. A boxwood-lined pathway runs through the garden to the original 18th century summer house.

In conjunction with the Friends of Montpelier volunteer organization, staff offer tours, concerts, festivals, reenactments, exhibits, lectures, and seminars. In addition, teas are offered periodically. Montpelier Mansion is available for weddings, receptions, luncheons, and meetings.

• Calendar of Events
• Featured Events
• Visitor Information
• Doing Research at Montpelier
• Rental Information
Girl Scout Programs
• Directions
• Photo Tour
• Between Fences
• Volunteer at Montpelier!

History

Ann Ridgely and "Major" Thomas Snowden, each a member of prominent Maryland families, married in 1774. In 1781, the couple commissioned the building of Montpelier, a five-part Georgian home near present-day Laurel in Prince George's County, Maryland. Situated upon a high knoll above the Patuxent River, the site commanded an unequaled view. Two firebacks in the house are inscribed "TSA 1783" indicating the owners and probable completion year of the mansion.

Seventy acres and the house remain of what was once a 9,000-acre plantation containing an array of outbuildings, including tobacco barns, stables, and slave quarters. Although limited documentation is available about the daily operations, enslaved Africans and indentured servants provided the labor as field hands and skilled craftsmen at the plantation and the nearby Patuxent Ironworks.

The Snowdens' reputation for genteel hospitality and the proximity of their home to the main road to northern cities, such as Philadelphia and New York, made Montpelier host to many influential people. George Washington visited several times, most notably on his way to and from the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Abigail Adams also stayed at Montpelier and described the estate as a "Large, Handsome, Elegant House, where I was received with what we might term true English Hospitality."

Montpelier remained in the Snowden family until 1890. Throughout the years following 1890, the estate changed ownership several times and new facilities were constructed. In the early 1900's, the kitchen and servants' quarter's extension off the south wing were added, as was the seven-stall garage, known as the carriage house. The house was restored in the 1980s to reflect the occupation of Nicholas Snowden who inherited the house from his father and owned it until his death in 1831.

Montpelier Mansion, a National Historic Landmark, is one of the finest examples of 18th century Georgian architecture in the state. Large trees and boxwood grace the landscape which features a rare surviving 18th century summer house.

Visitor Information

Montpelier Mansion is open to the public for tours and shopping opportunities. Montpelier Mansion is available for weddings, receptions, luncheons, and meetings.

Mansion Tours

Admission for Mansion Tours:

Office Hours

The Montpelier Mansion Gift Shop Hours

Group Tour Information

We offer tours for all different age groups, from preschool to senior citizens. Some tours include a variety of hands-on activities, from old-fashioned crafts to 18th century social dances. The price per person depends on the type of tour. For more information, call 301-377-7817.

Featured Events

Friday, May 28-monday, september 6

Blue Star Museum program
We are pleased to announce our participation in the Blue Star Museums program, which offers free admission to all active military and their families, from May 28 through to Labor Day, September 6, 2010, to show their appreciation for those who are serving this nation. If you are active duty military personnel and/or an immediate family member - spouse or child - to gain free access, please show either a Geneva Conventions CAC ID or a DD Form 1173 ID card at the museum admissions desk. Guided tours of Montpelier are available on Sundays at noon, 1, 2 and 3 pm, and self-guided tours are available Mondays-Thursdays, any time between 11 am and 3 pm. Please note that afternoon teas and our annual Needleart exhibit are not included in the free admission, but we will offer discounted tickets to military personnel and their families. For more information on the Blue Star Museum project, visit http://www.arts.gov/national/bluestarmuseums/index.php .

Blue Star Museums is made possible through a partnership among Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more than 600 museums.

Montpelier Mansion Awarded Smithsonian Traveling Exhibit

Do “good fences make good neighbors?” Why? Montpelier Mansion, in cooperation with Maryland Humanities Council , and the Laurel Museum and Historical Society , will explore this and other aspects of the cultural history of fences and land use as it hosts the local showing of Between Fences, a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition. Between Fences will be on view beginning September 19 and continuing through November 7. All hosts of the Between Fences traveling exhibition are charged with creating a companion exhibit – as well as supporting programs such as lectures, performances, school programs, and more – based on their own community’s history with boundaries. Montpelier Mansion has chosen to base their companion exhibit and supporting programs on the metaphorical boundaries faced by immigrants throughout history . Starting with the arrival of Richard Snowden, an indentured servant who’s great, great grandson built Montpelier Mansion, Laurel has always been a destination for those seeking opportunity in a new land. We will explore the challenges and successes of newcomers – both forced migrants like Africans brought here to be enslaved, and voluntary immigrants coming here to find opportunities – to this area from the 1600s to the present, striving to find common ground between the early European settlers and more recent immigrants from Latin America, Asia and Africa.

Doing Historical Research at Montpelier Mansion

Archives Content Summary

Research Questions and Access Procedures

Published Finding Aids

Montpelier Building and Grounds Drawings Collection
Acc. No. 2009.004.001
Click here to download the Finding Aid.

Rental Information

Montpelier Mansion sits on approximately 70 acres of beautiful parkland. Select rooms of the mansion have been researched and furnished as they would have appeared in the early 1800s. The mansion features two wings lit by chandeliers with high ceilings and crown molding. The house is surrounded by several varieties of evergreens and 200-year-old boxwoods.

Availability

Capacity (indoor or outdoor)

Rates

Girl Scout Programs

Brownie Try-It Programs

Volunteer!

Location/Directions

Located in Laurel, Maryland, near the Baltimore-Washington Parkway.

From the D.C. or Baltimore area, take the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (Route 295) to Route 197 (Laurel-Bowie Road). Turn west onto Route 197. Turn left onto Muirkirk Road. Turn right into Montpelier grounds.

From Route 29, turn East onto Route 198. Cross I-95 & Route 1, turn right at the next intersection onto Route 197 (Laurel-Bowie Road). Proceed to Muirkirk Road and turn right. Turn right into the Montpelier Mansion grounds.

Need a Ride?