Tucked away behind hedgerows and high trees, old Potomac flourishes in the five homes that were selected for the Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage 2002.
The tour generates funds for the preservation of historically significant sites in Maryland and the Montgomery County day will benefit the Great Falls Tavern.
This is an opportunity to stroll around private gardens and wander into the charming interiors of some of the area’s oldest homes, all built before the turn of the century.
Holding their own in corners of the community where they are least expected, these lovely old homes have been eased gently into their own form of modernity by the efforts of their owners. Some are elegantly restored, others are a work in progress, but all have had the good luck to be passed from generation to generation by those who honored their heritage.
“THIS ISN’T REALLY our house,” said Andrea Willey of her and her husband’s Seneca Quarry Farm and its 1850 Seneca Sandstone house. “We are curators, in a sense, for now and for the future.”
In addition to providing a glimpse into old Potomac homes, the Pilgrimage covers public history as well. Buildings of historic interest that represent the area’s lively past, but still remain a part of its present, are also included, such as Poole’s General Store, which can be an experience as much as a destination. Tour-goers who have never been there will enjoy a poke through the nooks and crannies of a store that has its shelves filled with nostalgia and every imaginable implement for every imaginable task.
ALTHOUGH THE Maryland House and Garden Pilgrimage is in its 65th year, this will be the first time in 10 years that it has featured Montgomery County.
This year’s tour began April 27 in Kent County and will meander across the Maryland countryside, touching down each weekend on pockets of historical and architectural beauty in the counties, concluding May 19 in Potomac.
Funds raised from the tour will be used to repair and restore the Great Falls Tavern, a familiar landmark for those who frequent Great Falls Park.
For more information on the tour and tickets, call 301-983-1537.