Crown & Crab Drummer’s Lot Pub Peggy Stewart Sarah Ball Anne Arundel Treaty of Paris Restaurant Abram Claude Governor Calvert Ballroom Duke of Gloucester Rebecca Gerard

Annapolis Maryland Hotel Conference Facilities

Learn interesting stories of Annapolis, Maryland through the names of meeting and event space at Historic Inns of Annapolis hotels.

Historic Inns of Annapolis Meeting Room Names

Jonas Green.

Jonas Green was known throughout the colonies as the public printer of Maryland from 1738 until his passing in 1767. During that time he printed the “Maryland Gazette” as well as poetry, essays and sermons of Maryland’s most distinguished men of letters including the Rev. Thomas Bacon and Alexander Hamilton, among others.

Crown & Crab.

More than one-third of the nation’s catch of blue crab comes from the bountiful waters of the beautiful Chesapeake Bay. Blue crabs have the highest value of any commercial fishery and generate over $55 million in revenues each year for the state of Maryland. Enjoyed by many, the blue crab is the most productive commercial and recreational crown jewel of the Chesapeake Bay.  [Top]

Drummer’s Lot Pub.

If you listen to the beat, you will hear the echo of William Butterfield’s drum. In the 1750s on Lot #49 (now the Drummer’s Lot Pub), William was Annapolis’ version of a Town Crier. William’s difference, however, was a series of complex drumbeats he used to disseminate important public information including the time of day and the start of a legislative session.  [Top]

Peggy Stewart.

A resident of Annapolis, Maryland, Anthony Stewart owned a ship known as the Peggy Stewart, named for his daughter. The ship arrived at Annapolis harbor loaded with 2,000 pounds of tea. Anthony paid tax on the tea and quietly moved it ashore. Soon afterwards, a group of citizens went to his house, angry that he paid an “English” tax. They gave him a choice - burn the ship or be hanged at his front door! On October 19, 1774, Anthony ran his ship aground and applied the torch himself.  [Top]

Sarah Ball.

John Ball operated two upscale inns in Annapolis in the late 1700s. He passed away in 1784 heavily in debt. His widow, Sarah, bore the burden of running the inns and trying to overcome their financial woes. Maryland inheritance laws at the time awarded Sarah only one-third of her husband’s assets. She tried to compensate for this by opening the King of France Tavern (now Starbucks located at Maryland Inn). By 1786, Sarah declared bankruptcy and sold the property.
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Anne Arundel.

Anne Arundel was a Royal Princess and the wife of a “Calvert.” In 1695, then Governor Francis Nicholson changed the name of our town from Anne Arundel Town to Annapolis (“Anne’s City”). Two churches were built in Anne’s honor. The main church, St. Anne’s, is located in the middle of Church Circle.  [Top]

Treaty of Paris Restaurant.

The beginning of our history goes hand-in-hand with the construction of the Maryland Inn, in which the Treaty of Paris restaurant still sits today. In 1772, Thomas Hyde, a respected merchant, acquired a lease and built the façade of the Maryland Inn. He then advertised the building for sale with an ad that included the following: “an elegant brick house adjoining Church Circle…one of the first houses in the state for a house of entertainment.” The entertainment Mr. Hyde was referring to was dining at the then “Ordinance Room,” which is now the Treaty of Paris restaurant. The Treaty of Paris restaurant was an active gathering spot for many years along with its adjoining pub, the Drummer’s Lot.

On September 3, 1783, the actual Treaty of Paris (also known as the Paris Peace Treaty) was signed in Paris, France and then ratified by George Washington at the State House in Annapolis, MD, which at that time was the Capital of the new colonies. This document was signed by three notable American figures: John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and John Jay. Records indicate that these men celebrated together at the Treaty of Paris Restaurant after signing the ratification! Needless to say, the restaurant was named after this important document that ended the American Revolutionary War. [Top]

Abram Claude.

Dr. Abram Claude was the mayor of Annapolis from 1849-1851 and very influential within the state and the local community. In 1854, Abram Claude bought the then defunct Calvert House and enlarged the building and endowed it with Victorian features. The current Governor Calvert House still incorporates this Victorian feel today.  [Top]

Governor Calvert Ballroom.

Located at 58 State Circle, the Governor Calvert House is the former home of Charles Calvert, the second provincial governor of Maryland from 1720 - 1727. The lobby of this historic inn was the actual home of Governor Calvert and his wife Rebecca Gerard, tastefully restored and furnished. [Top]

Duke of Gloucester.

The Duke of Gloucester was born in 1689 and was the only son of Queen Anne and George (Prince of Denmark) to survive infancy. Tragically, Duke William only survived to the age of 11. The title of “Duke of Gloucester” was often conferred upon one of the sons of the reigning monarch. A street named after William and bearing his title is located behind the Maryland Inn.  [Top]

Rebecca Gerard.

In 1720, Charles Calvert (then a captain in the Grenadier Guards) bought the now Governor Calvert House. Shortly afterwards, he was appointed the Governor of Maryland by his cousin, the Fifth Lord Baltimore. Two years after his appointment as Governor, Charles married the 16-year old Rebecca Gerard, the daughter of a prominent Prince George county merchant and planter.

Contact us for meetings and group events. Aine Mckee - ainemckee@historicinnsofannapolis.com - 410-216-6322

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