Montpelier House Museum

Montpelier Mansion, sometimes known as the Snowden-Long House, New Birmingham, or simply Montpelier, is a five-part, Georgian style plantation house located south of Laurel in Prince George's County, Maryland. It was most likely constructed between 1781 and 1785. Built by Major Thomas Snowden and his wife Anne, the house is now a National Historic Landmark operated as a house museum. The home and 70 acres (28 ha) remain of what was once a slave plantation of about 9,000 acres (3,600 ha). Richard Snowden originally migrated to America in 1658 from Birmingham, England, where his family had settled for many years after originating in Wales. Richard the immigrant had a son, Richard (1719–1753), who had a son, Richard the "iron master" (d. 1763). Richard the iron master acquired much wealth through an iron forge, mining local iron.[10] Richard then had a son, Thomas (1722–1770), who had a son Major Thomas (1751–1803), so called because of his service in the American Revolution. Major Thomas married Anne Ridgely, who was raised at an earlier estate named Montpelier in Fulton, Maryland, and built the Mansion circa 1783. Their son Nicholas Snowden, who had been born at the mansion in 1786, was its next owner, until he died in 1831. (His son Nicholas N. Snowden, also born at the mansion, became a farmer next to Avondale Mill, and died at Manassas while serving in the 1st Maryland Infantry, CSA.) The home then passed to Nicholas' daughter Julianna Maria who married Dr. Theodore Jenkins there in 1835. Dr. Jenkins died in 1866 and upon Mrs. Jenkins' later death, the mansion passed to her children who kept ownership in the family until 1890. The home was later owned by speculative investors W.P. Davis and Martin W. Chollar. In 1895, it was sold to Josephine D. Taylor of New York as a summer home. Its title went to Lewis H. Blakeman of New York in 1900, then to New York writer Edmund H. Pendleton who lived there from 1905 until his death in 1910,[9] having made it his winter home. Pendleton's estate sold the mansion to Otto V. von Schrader in 1911. After a succession of other owners, mansion ownership transferred in 1928 to Breckinridge Long, Undersecretary of State under Franklin D. Roosevelt and United States Ambassador to Italy from 1933 to 1936. Long's daughter Christine L. Willcox, the mansion's last private owner, donated the property to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in 1961. It was shown to the public as part of the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations in 1976. The same year, a barn budgeted to become a public arts center was destroyed by arson. The Mansion was renovated in the 1980s with funds from a state grant. The historic home was opened as a public tourist attraction in 1985, reflecting its ownership by Nicholas Snowden in 1830. The mansion can be rented for conferences and weddings, and the grounds serve as a cultural center, hosting special exhibitions and performances.

Fantastic piece of American history tucked away between Washington DC and Baltimore. The grounds are well kept and preserved. The house is perfectly laid out with an easy to follow self-guided tour. The staff is knowledgeable and very friendly. And the entire experience is only $5USD!

$5 per adult, $2 per child to tour the main house where George Washington stayed. Scavenger hunt booklet was a nice touch for kids but the museum itself didn't hold my or my daughters interest. It definitely would have been nice to hear more details from a tour guide. Art for sale was also on display with an mostly out of place African and Native American theme.

Very beautiful and elegant mansion, lovely decor and atmosphere.

We really enjoyed touring the estate as we love history. It is a self guided tour & each room had a sign giving all the information you needed. The lady in the small gift shop was very knowledgeable & was able to answer our questions.

Beautiful mansion and grounds nestled in PG County, Maryland. There’s also an arts center on the grounds that hosts pottery classes, which is awesome. Would definitely recommend this as a neat to stop by in the area (it’s also free!)!

Beautiful afternoon learning about the history of the site and enjoying the grounds. Would recommend

Lovely house museum which was built around the time america became a country. Has a beautiful outside garden with seashells and the museum guide was really friendly and told us about the Snowdens and history of the house.

This is an art center in PG county where they have periodic art exhibitions and area for artists to create art. We were here for the Twelfth Annual Artists on the Rise: Juried Teen Exhibition. There's a garden and the exhibition was on the first floor and could be accessed using a boardwalk. The gardens look nice for a walk. The facility is very neat and well maintained.

I have driven past the sign for Montpelier Mansion numerous times and finally decided to explore this historical landmark. The grounds are beautiful, with a lovely garden filled with wildflowers. I visited the ironworks exhibit, the carriage house, and the main office/gift shop. The staff are friendly, and there is plenty of parking.

The Montpelier Mansion is a Georgian style mansion in Laurel, Maryland built in the 1780s. It was the home of Thomas and Anne Snowden. Today, it's a house museum and event space. It's also a good spot to go for a walk. The property is spacious with gardens, walking paths, and picnic tables. There's also an arts center near the parking lot as well. One thing to note is that this house was part of a plantation that enslaved people. It's important to know the context as we visit places. May that be a reminder that the system started disadvantaging African-Americans and that we must DEMAND systemic change today.

I was really glad my friend invited me to come see this place. She lives in Laurel and said she has driven past the sign for years - but had never made it here. The displays are engaging and there is plenty of information in the map/self-guiding tour pamphlet. So many items I could never have imagined that were used for everyday from the late 1700's on. It's wonderful, too, that the Snowden Family donated so many original things to be used in the mansion. The gift shop has some lovely items, and the docent was a very nice man, quite accommodating and informative. One thing he told us was to be sure to mark our calendars for the spring festival, which takes place the last weekend in April. One thing to note: the upstairs is pretty warm, so it's a good idea to get there right when they open! We were in the house about 45 minutes, and were both sweating quite a bit when we left. Due to that, and how hot and humid it is outside, we decided to postpone our stroll around the lovely grounds! I originally thought I'd bring my grandkids (9 and 6 years of age) to check out the dinosaur room, but it's minimal and they'd be bored within 5 minutes. So this house is not for them. ;)

This former home once belonging to Major Thomas Snowden is a classic example of 18th century Georgian architecture. It remained in his family until 1890 and had several private owners thereafter. It is now listed as a National Historic Landmark. Seventy acres remain of what was once a tobacco plantation. However, a volunteer here informed me that most of Snowden's wealth came from mining. Normally there is a $3 admission fee ($2 for seniors), but today's self guided tours were free to coincide with their Festival of Herbs, Tea and the Arts. Along with live music and a tour of the mansion, my friend and I indulged in a midday tea of finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream and two sweet treats. It was $12.50, which I hope isn't the same tea that they regularly charge $25 because it would not be worth that price. Serving tea on Dixie paper plates with plastic utensils is not the way to go. We enjoyed it anyway. Also on the Mansion grounds is the Montpelier Arts Center. It has art exhibits and artists in residence. I believe you can take classes too.

No, not the famous Montpelier that was owned by James Madison...Laurel has one of its own. I've driven by the sign for Montpelier on the B/W Parkway for years, and stopped in at last after a trip to the Crystal Fox (see other review). I didn't know what to expect, but I was utterly charmed by this place. It is stately but also welcoming, not at all pompous or flashy. Compared with a number of historic homes/gardens that try to wow visitors with lots of Fancy Stuff, Montpelier is modest. It has fewer elements inside and out, but all are well chosen and well placed. First I walked around the grounds, seeing the house from all angles and enjoying the trees and walkways. I went inside not really expecting to stay, but the guy at the desk was friendly and told me about the annual needle-art show that was going on. The tour is self-guided and only cost $6, so I went for it, and I'm so glad I did. The layout of the home is quite simple - basically quadrants around a center foyer, and two larger halls as "wings". I am not an architect, so I judge a place by how it makes me *feel*, and I enjoyed the feel of Montpelier very much. I liked the size and scale of the rooms, and the way all the parts of the house functioned and flowed together. The needle-art exhibit was really very captivating, with historic pieces, reproductions, and very modern pieces that bordered on photorealism. Some stunning needlepoint, and charming cross-stitch. A small museum store is set up in one of the wings, and I chatted for quite awhile with one of the artisans who was selling her jewelry and other wares there. I'll look forward to visiting Montpelier again for one of the monthly teas or for its Herb & Tea festival in the spring. Or maybe for the holiday candlelight tour if I can't wait that long!

A very modest historic home. Not many rooms or displays open. I was curious to know more about the plantation itself. But some rooms, specifically the library/office were very beautiful.

For one interested in photography, it is very well indeed a marvelous location. Has an exquisite garden located near the front of the mansion, perfect for macro photography.

Montpelier Mansion is a beautiful historic mansion that's a great place to spend an afternoon. One Friday a month all tours are free, so try to time your trip accordingly. The instructions are pretty helpful and there are plenty of rooms to wander through. If possible, try to go when there are guides to help you along (and explain what that chamber pot was intended for). The gift shop is small but full of cool books on Maryland, postcards, and a huge assortment of teas and brewing accessories. The festival is another great time to visit. A nice little historical gem!

I had my wedding here several years ago. There were not a lot of rules then regarding having caterers etc. it was a lovely setting and the grounds caretaker was so helpful. I love the annual herb and tea festival here, wish it were bigger. I did take a "beginners" pottery lesson here. I was put in a class with people way more advanced at pottery than me. The teacher was extremely impatient with me. At the same time a mentally challenged individual also started , I observed the teacher being impatient and quite cruel to this student. It actually bothered me so much....I paid my money, started, and quit after a few lessons. I've never quit anything in my life. I never went back to pick up my finished pieces. The teacher never called to see why I never returned. So I would not recommend the pottery class as the teacher has been there for years.

I make a trip up here at least once a year for their annual spring festival, where I purchase plants (mainly herbs) for my garden.

We were so looking forward to their holiday tea but left very disappointed. One would assume a festive atmosphere with holiday music and a fire crackling in the fireplace. Instead, all we heard were the sounds of cackling women in a room that was less than festive and uncomfortably chilly. The best part was the tea itself which warmed us up a bit. Other than that it was definitely not worth the $29.00. We've enjoyed better teas elsewhere.