Talbot County
The Talbot County Tour will take place on Saturday, May 9, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., rain or shine. This self-guided special event features access to exclusive properties that are open only on the day of the tour.
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About the Talbot County Tour
Celebrate Maryland’s 250th anniversary and Talbot County’s 365th year by exploring the region’s deep colonial roots and coastal beauty on the Maryland House and Garden Tour of Talbot County. This year’s tour features historic homes, gardens, and landmarks that trace the county’s early settlement along the Chesapeake Bay, from the bustling crossroads of Easton to the scenic waterways of Oxford and St. Michaels. Visitors will step inside the Third Haven Meeting House, the nation’s oldest Quaker house of worship, and the newly restored Neall House at the Talbot Historical Society, while discovering the stories of influential families like the Lloyds, Tilghmans, and Hambletons. Along the route, guests will experience the enduring legacy of Talbot’s Revolutionary-era figures and the timeless charm of its grand estates and waterfront landscapes.
Lunch Arrangements
You may choose to include a delicious box lunch with your Talbot County Pilgrimage Tour, secured by prior reservation only with the Tour’s digital payment system.
Location: The Third Haven Meeting House, 405 S Washington Street, (one of the historic stops on our 2026 Tour).
Luncheon Service Hours: 10:30 am to 1:00 pm, and you are welcome to dine at the Meeting House or take out.
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​Order Deadline and Pick-Up Process: Advance luncheon orders must be made online by May 1st, 2026.
Menu Selections
Choose from the following options at $22 per box lunch:
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Turkey and Cranberry Dressing with Spinach, Mayo and VT Cheddar on Brioche
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Tarragon Chicken Salad with Grapes and Almonds on Brioche
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Vegetarian Portobello & Avocado Sandwich (Gluten-free) with Red Pepper Hummus on GF Roll
Each box lunch includes a side dish, dessert, bottled water, napkin and utensils.
After you place your order, you’ll receive a QR code confirmation via email, which will serve as your lunch ticket. If you selected ‘will call delivery’, a paper ticket will be available for you to pick up at the Third Haven Meeting House lunch check in area.
Featured Sites
To protect the privacy of participating homeowners, site addresses are not available online. Ticket holders will receive a digital copy of the 2026 Tour Book prior to the scheduled tour date.
James Neall House
This three-story brick townhouse, circa 1810, is a fine example of Federal architecture. The house was built by James Neall, a prominent Quaker cabinetmaker and abolitionist. Distinguished by its refined brickwork and elegant interior detailing, the residence reflects the craftsmanship and prosperity of early 19th-century Easton. Original woodwork, staircases, and period architectural elements highlight Neall's skill as an artisan, while the house's history offers insight into the social and political currents of the era. Today, the James Neall House stands as an important architectural and cultural landmark in Easton's historic district. Open 10 am – 3 pm (special hours; all other tour sites open 10 am– 5 pm).
Harleigh (Garden and Grounds)
Since the early 1800s, Harleigh has been a celebration of landscape and legacy. The house was built in the telescope architectural style of its time. The estate's pea-gravel paths wander past early dependencies—a smokehouse, summer kitchen and wash house, farm offices and studio. A lively gathering place sporting two huge fireplaces, today the garage offers visitors an exhibit of aerial images taken by photographer H. Robins Hollyday in the 1920s. Harleigh's current owners modeled their floral and kitchen gardens after Jefferson's at Monticello. Ornamental gates transition from one vista to another, including a whimsical pergola draped in wisteria. A fairy-tale boathouse adorns the Trippe Creek shoreline, while meadows and wildlife habitat extend beyond. The formal garden, brimming with peonies and heritage roses, was designed by Rosalind de la Fontaine. 'Hic Hortus Inclusus Edificatus Est 1922 AD'—' Here is the enclosed garden, built in 1922' is inscribed on its walls.
Wye House
Wye House is one of Maryland's most historic homes and is one of the few privately held National Historic Landmarks in the country. It is located along the Wye River on land acquired by Edward Lloyd in 1659. His descendants served as a Delegate to the Continental Congress, a Governor, a U.S. Senator, and a U.S Congressman. The current house was constructed between 1784 and 1790 by Edward Lloyd IV and is currently occupied by the 12th generation of the Lloyd family to live on the property. The house is in the Palladian style and is often referred to as the finest example of late 18th-century Palladian architecture in the United States. Many of the original furnishings and other objects remain in the house. The 18th-century Orangery (greenhouse) predates the house and is the most complete surviving structure of its kind in the United States. The property also contains numerous early 19th-century outbuildings, including a stable, smoke house, dairy, carriage house, ice house, and overseer's house. The Lloyd family cemetery is located behind the Orangery, with its earliest grave dated 1684.
Third Haven Meeting House
The Third Haven Meeting House, built between 1682 and 1684, is the oldest Quaker Meeting House in continuous use in the country and the earliest documented building in Maryland. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1971, it has been a landmark on the early and influential Quaker settlement on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The Meeting House, of national significance, has been in an extraordinary state of preservation. Third Haven symbolizes religious freedom and Quaker traditions.
Plimhimmon
Plimhimmon's original 600-acre parcel was granted in 1659. The mid-18th-century house was bought by Matthew Tilghman, Delegate to the Continental Congress, for his daughter Anna Maria. Following the death of her husband, Revolutionary War hero and George Washington's aide-de-camp Colonel Tench Tilghman, she lived at Plimhimmon for fifty years and hosted the Marquis de Lafayette here in 1824. The historic central portion of the house features a polished walnut staircase, elegant arched doorways, and extraordinary decorative moldings. Renovations (2008-2015) enhanced period details with charcoal-gray baseboards, custom wallpaper hand-painted with Chesapeake flora and fauna, and modern amenities including geothermal HVAC and an elevator. Outbuildings include a carriage house, lofted garage, and historic smokehouse, set amid 200 acres of farmland, fields, and woodlands. The landscape is anchored by specimen trees—copper beech, ginkgo, magnolia, walnut, pecan, and a willow weeping over Town Creek—affirming Plimhimmon as one of Talbot County's Georgian masterpieces.
Emerson Point
Emerson Point, a 220-acre retreat on the Miles River, blends timeless beauty with thoughtful preservation. Built in the 1930s in Georgian style upon the site of an earlier farmhouse, the estate once belonged to the Hambleton and Dawson families, rooted here since the 1700s. Recent renovations upgraded essential infrastructure and restored exquisite elements such as library paneling, mahogany doors, and original shutters. Terraces and windows yield to scenic wetlands, sandy beach, and magnificent trees. Lined with cedars and cryptomeria, the drive reveals lustrous magnolias, Japanese zelkova, and an American beech allée. A row of oaks, grown from seedlings of the legendary Wye Oak, leads to the boathouse. Midway between house and water stands the 'Wedding Tree', whose boughs have sheltered couples plighting their troth. A family cemetery and lore of Frederick Douglass's visits infuse the estate with reverence, uniting architectural grace and a lyrical landscape with our enduring human story.
The Talbot County Tour features a series of curated drive-by experiences that expand your visit beyond the featured homes. Pilgrimage guests will have the opportunity to explore select sites in Oxford and St. Michaels, including the Oxford Cemetery, the John W. Blades House, and other notable landmarks. A QR code in the Tour Book provides access to an audio docent guide that offers historical context and storytelling as you travel between stops.
While in Oxford, consider experiencing the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry, the oldest privately operated ferry in the United States. This short ride across the Tred Avon River offers a distinctive perspective of the region. If time allows, Pilgrimage volunteers will be available to assist with logistics. Ferry rates are $20 per vehicle, including the driver, and $4 for each additional passenger.
Drive By Tours
All drive-by sites are marked with a Betsy Ross Flag.
Scan to listen to Oxford audio tour.
Scan to listen to St. Michaels audio tour.