The original home that now makes up part of the Governor Calvert House dates back to 1695 – which makes the building one of the oldest structures in Annapolis. The Governor Calvert House was originally home to the Calvert family from 1727 until the Revolution, a period when the Calverts essentially owned Maryland.

The first Calvert to spend significant time in the home, and the only governor to actually live there, was Benedict Leonard Calvert, governor from 1727 to 1731. He lived in the house until 1731, when he was replaced as governor and sailed back to England. He died on the ship and was buried at sea in 1732.  He is credited with making major changes to the house. Most impressive was the hypocaust – an antique form of conveying heat – that he had built of wood and bricks on the south side of the home. The Calvert House hypocaust is likely one of the earliest built in the United States and the remnants of the hypocaust can still be seen today in a glass-floored room near the entry of the building.

Much of the Calvert House was destroyed by fire in 1764, after which Elizabeth and Benedict moved to their Prince George’s County plantation, Mt. Airy. Benedict’s half-sister Caroline and her husband, Governor Robert Eden, arrived in Annapolis in 1769. This was the Golden Age of Annapolis, ripe with parties, horse races, plays, and dances. As George Washington visited Annapolis frequently in the 1770s and had a stepson living in the Calvert House at that time, it is likely he often visited the Governor Calvert House.

Today, the Governor Calvert House is as gracious as ever and is considered a treasured Annapolis landmark. It is home to state legislators several months each year and a respite for travelers seeking the elegance and convenience of this unique 51-room property.