Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage Celebrates Historic 2026 Tour Season

MHGP Staff
3 hours ago
3 min read

Over 4,400 tickets sold and $183,922 distributed to preservation projects across Maryland

Photo Caption: Members of the MHGP Central Committee and tour chairs gather during the season-end distribution of grant funds. Pictured, from left: bottom row: Laura Zimmermann, Beth Bonifant, Beth Gura, Colleen DeCampo, Lee Vosters, Wendy Chapin Albert and Maureen Lewis; second row: Mary Pat Berry, Caroline Benson, Linda Schwab and Anne King-Lee; third row: Kate DeWitt, Paige Tilghman, Cory A. Van Horn and Meredith Boren; top row: Carrie Storer, Elizabeth Shatto, Frederica Struse, Peg Keller, Eleanor Radford Denegre and Paige Howard. — ***Photo Caption:*** *Members of the MHGP Central Committee and tour chairs gather during the season-end distribution of grant funds. Pictured, from left:* ***bottom row:*** *Laura Zimmermann, Beth Bonifant, Beth Gura, Colleen DeCampo, Lee Vosters, Wendy Chapin Albert and Maureen Lewis;* ***second row:*** *Mary Pat Berry, Caroline Benson, Linda Schwab and Anne King-Lee;* ***third row:*** *Kate DeWitt, Paige Tilghman, Cory A. Van Horn and Meredith Boren;* ***top row:*** *Carrie Storer, Elizabeth Shatto, Frederica Struse, Peg Keller, Eleanor Radford Denegre and Paige Howard.*

The Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage (MHGP) celebrates a historic and highly successful 2026 tour season, welcoming over 4,400 ticketed visitors to seven self-guided house and garden tours across the state and distributing $183,922 to special preservation projects in the communities that hosted tours.

The 2026 season featured tours in Mount Vernon Baltimore; Talbot County; Charles County; Cecil County; Mount Clare & Southwest Baltimore; Town of Kensington; and Frederick County. Each tour invited “Pilgrims” to explore distinctive homes, gardens, and historic places while discovering the people, landscapes, and stories that make Maryland exceptional.

“This season was a wonderful celebration of Maryland’s remarkable historic places and the dedicated volunteers who make these tours possible,” said Paige Tilghman, Chair of the MHGP Central Committee. “We are deeply grateful to every homeowner, tour chair, volunteer, sponsor, and Pilgrim whose participation helped raise significant funds for the restoration or renovation of important historic sites in communities throughout the state.”

2026 Preservation Project Recipients

Proceeds from each tour support preservation work in its host community. This year, MHGP distributed $183,922 to the following special projects:

UNITE Mount Vernon (Mount Vernon Baltimore Tour): Restoration and activation of Mount Vernon Place Church.
James Neall House (Talbot County Tour): Brick repointing and restoration.
Historical Society of Charles County (Charles County Tour): Construction of a “ghost structure” memorial at Historic Rich Hill.
Mount Harmon Plantation (Cecil County Tour): Painting restoration of historic outbuildings.
Church of the Good Shepherd (Cecil County Tour): Portico repair and restoration.
Mount Clare Museum (Mount Clare & Southwest Baltimore Tour): Renovation of the Mount Clare Stable.
Noyes Children’s Library (Town of Kensington Tour): Preservation and renovation.
Heart of the Civil War Heritage Area (Frederick County Tour): Preservation programming at the historic Newcomer House.

“Every ticket sold has a lasting impact beyond the tour day,” Tilghman said. “These grants help preserve historic homes, community landmarks, museums, places of worship, and landscapes so they can continue to serve and inspire Marylanders for generations to come.”

A highlight of the season was the publication of a 172-page commemorative tour book, the most extensive in MHGP history. The book served as an essential guide for visitors traveling each tour and will stand as a lasting record of the season’s featured properties and stories. Tour books dating to the organization’s founding in 1937 are archived at the Maryland Center for History and Culture in Baltimore.

“This was an especially meaningful year to celebrate the places that tell Maryland’s story,” Tilghman added. “As we mark America 250 and Maryland 250, the Pilgrimage offered residents and visitors a personal way to experience our shared history while directly investing in its future.”

MHGP Central Committee member Caroline Benson displays commemorative America 250 scarves in blue and white. Benson led the initiative, with proceeds supporting future preservation projects. — *MHGP Central Committee member Caroline Benson* *displays commemorative America 250 scarves in blue and white. Benson led the initiative, with proceeds supporting future preservation projects.*

MHGP also offered a commemorative America 250 scarf, with proceeds supporting future preservation initiatives.

The organization will mark an important milestone in 2027 with its 90th anniversary. In recognition of this landmark year, MHGP will host an anniversary celebration of fundraising events. Event details and dates will be announced in fall 2026. The MHGP tours will resume in 2028 with six tours to be offered.

“While 2027 will look a little different, it will be a meaningful opportunity to honor nine decades of preservation, education, volunteerism, and Pilgrimage tradition,” Tilghman said. “We look forward to celebrating the people and places that have shaped MHGP’s legacy and to build excitement for its future.”

Founded as a committee of the Federated Garden Clubs of Maryland following its first tour in 1930, the Maryland House & Garden Pilgrimage was formally incorporated in 1937. Today, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit is governed by a statewide Central Committee of volunteers representing communities across Maryland. Through its annual spring tours, MHGP raises funds for the restoration and renovation of historically significant properties and landscapes while building public awareness of Maryland’s cultural heritage.

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