Welcome  To Whitehall

What is Whitehall?

 Built in 1764 before the start of the American Revolution, Whitehall  was home to Horatio Sharpe, the last Provincial Governor of Maryland. Governor Sharpe originally intended to use the home for entertaining. Ultimately, Sharpe didn’t spend much time there; with the Revolutionary War looming, he left Maryland for England, where he died in 1790. The house stands as the finest example of Palladian architecture in the country and was the first National Historic Landmark to be designated in the state of Maryland.

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Whitehall is an outstanding example of a Georgian country house with the special distinction of being one of only two pre-Revolutionary houses in America to display a full temple portico and thus stylistically, a major milestone in American architectural history. Much of the interior woodwork is attributed to William Buckland on the basis of style; the plasterwork is documented as that of John Rawlings. Drawings exist by Joseph Horatio Anderson, one of the few professional architects in the Colonies. Although the extent of his work at Whitehall is still uncertain, [Anderson’s] involvement with the design provides a possible partial explanation for the greater sophistication of the building. The full two-story salon of the central block combines with the giant portico to make Whitehall a unique example of Palladian architecture in its closer relation to the grandeur and magnificence of the country dwellings of the English aristocracy, giving an interesting illustration of the extension of this life style into the Colonies by the royal governor.

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Whitehall was designed and built under Sharpe’s direct supervision, as was the surrounding landscaping of gardens, parks, and semi-octagonal entrance court. Upon his death in London in 1790 he willed Whitehall to his one-time secretary and friend, John Ridout. The Ridouts altered the mansion about 1793, and at this time second stories were added above the side with drawing rooms of the central block. The Ridout family cemetery remains on the property.

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It was purchased in 1946 and lovingly restored to its historical roots by Charles Scarlett. Mr. Scarlett made it his life work to return Whitehall to its historic roots. Painstakingly researching all aspects of the home and the period. He removed the second story addition and Whitehall stands today as it looked in 1764. Mr. Scarlett passed away in 1997. His family's non-profit foundation, The Brandywine Foundation, owns and operates Whitehall today. Restoration efforts on the property are ongoing. They want to share the treasure with others and honor his memory with a commitment to preservation.

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Whitehall remains remarkably preserved with over 115 acres of gardens, fields and park lands. The house is set on a mile and a half of Chesapeake Bay shoreline and is one of the last significant open waterfront spaces in Annapolis.

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