Tulip Hill

Tulip Hill is a plantation house located about one mile from Galesville in Anne Arundel County in the Province of Maryland.

Built between 1755 and 1756, it is a particularly fine example of an early Georgian mansion, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970 for its architecture.

A well defined cornice and a small white pedimented porch with four columns shading the front door add dignity to the facade.

Two unusual fireplaces brick chimneys, with multiple flues, project through either end of the central portion of the house and tower over the one story wings.

The second floor is similarly arranged, except that a small chamber occupies the end of the hall opposite the stairs.

Located at the edge of a high plateau, with the land falling rapidly away on three sides, Tulip Hill is a five-part composition with a full stone basement under the entire structure.

The two brick connecting hyphens or curtains, each 19 x 19 feet, are of one story with very low attic space and are covered with gable roofs that have small dormers.

Over this unit rises two high, arched and vaulted chimneys, somewhat reminiscent of the more massive stacks at Stafford, Virginia (1725–1730).

The north or land façade of Tulip Hill is particularly interesting because of its somewhat experimental approach to late Georgian formality.

A round window with unusual flanking decorative panels adorns the pediment, and the main cornice is modillion in front only.

Over the rear center door is an interesting cantilevered hood carried on boldly projecting carved consoles, plastered inside its arched head and adorned by curious crockets on its raking cornices.

In this rear hall is an exceptionally fine carved walnut staircase, with scrolled step ends and handrail, winding around an offset newel post in the bottom.

Paneling on the wall echoes the contour of its gracefully curved banister and fluted end posts.

A visual separation between front and rear hall is achieved by an unusual double arch without a supporting post in the middle.

These two rooms are connected by a small passage from which, against the interior chimney, arises an extremely narrow service stair, as at Stenton.

On the left side of the center hall ase two large and fully paneled drawing rooms, each about 20 by 17 feet in size.

This includes both the original river approach from the house and terraced gardens to the West River and the original land approach through a gateway on the old Muddy Creek Road, now State Route 468 and part of a system of roads established around 1695 as Annapolis developed.

The Murrays lived in Tulip Hill for thirty years before selling it to A. du Pont Parker, of Denver, Colorado.

Tulip Hill in 2010