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ACTON HALL

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1772–1775; 1910 wing. 1 N. Acton Pl.
  • (Lisa Pfueller Davidson and Catherine C. Lavoie)

Built for John Hammond, Acton Hall differs from other gentry houses in Annapolis to embrace an uncommon three-part composition. Two-bay sections surmounted by pediments adorned with elliptical windows flank a single-bay entrance section with a classical frontispiece covered by a portico. Behind the pediments can be seen a low-hipped roof with massive forward-facing interior slab chimneys that tower above. The rear facade faces Spa Creek and features a full-height demi-octagonal salon. The unusual octagonal configuration was also used by brother Matthias at the Hammond-Harwood House. The plan comprises a center passage that terminates against the elaborately ornamented salon and flanking transverse halls.

Located on Acton Cove, the site of the original city docks, the house was part of an extensive working farm. The property was subdivided in the 1880s by owner James Murray as the Murray Hill neighborhood comprised of stylish Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Shingle, and other period houses.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Lisa Pfueller Davidson and Catherine C. Lavoie
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Data

Timeline

  • 1772

    Built

  • 1910

    Addition

What's Nearby

BANNEKER-DOUGLASS MUSEUM (MOUNT MORIAH CHURCH)
JONAS GREEN HOUSE
ADAMS-KILTY HOUSE
ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY COURTHOUSE
REYNOLDS TAVERN

Citation

Lisa Pfueller Davidson and Catherine C. Lavoie, "ACTON HALL", [Annapolis, Maryland], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/MD-01-WS66.

Print Source

Buildings of Maryland, Lisa Pfueller Davidson and Catherine C. Lavoie. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2022, 68-69.

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