Recognizing its cultural and historical significance, the Cloverfields Preservation Foundation decided to restore the historic Cloverfields estate to its peak of development in 1784. After multiple additions, changes, and some neglect, the +300 years old Georgian home required complete restoration. Working with a team of collaborating experts including archaeologists, historians, landscape architects, dendrochronologists, botanists, craftsmen, and others, the primary task of the project’s architects was to faithfully restore the home while also providing for its long-term endurability.

When originally built in 1705, Cloverfields was one of the largest homes on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It is now one of the oldest buildings in Maryland and a rare example of the state’s colonial architecture. Before the American Civil War, 85 enslaved persons and additional indentured servants worked the fields of the 1,500-acre farm, the house, 27 outbuildings, an icehouse, and a mill. The current estate is 44 acres. Renovation of the home and gardens began in 2018 and was completed in 2022. Restoration of the out-buildings is ongoing. 

The four-year, multi-million dollar project saw the illustrious home restored to its 18th-century grandeur in a masterful interplay of colonial and contemporary design. The project is the result of countless hours of research, analysis, expert workmanship, and teamwork. Original materials and period construction methods were used wherever possible to preserve the home’s original character. By integrating contemporary materials and construction methods and installing state-of-the-art mechanical systems, the home’s structures were strengthened and its environmental impact decreased, all without disturbing the home’s appearance. 

The home’s classical cornice, a novelty at the time, was redesigned and restored. The main staircase, constructed in 1705 and the oldest surviving staircase south of the Mason-Dixon Line, was completely refurbished. With the help of archeologists and an architectural historian, our team also produced floor plans and the other construction documents necessary to recreate the original back kitchen that had been destroyed in the 20th century. As part of the project, scores of finely detailed field drawings with corresponding photographs were submitted to the Library of Congress Historic American Building Survey (HABS) and Historic American Landscapes Survey (HALS). 

To complement the home, our firm’s team of landscape architects recreated the estate’s original parterre gardens using ground-penetrating radar and archeological research. It is made up of nearly 700 boxwoods, over 6,000 perennials, and 85,000 bulbs, along with topiary fruit trees and medicinal flowers and herbs. The cemetery of enslaved persons on the property was preserved and protected with great care. 

Cloverfields now operates as a private museum offering an unparalleled experience of colonial history while respecting its troubled past as a southern plantation. Within an hour of Washington and Baltimore, the estate hosts events for industry professionals, academics, students, and local residents. Having completed the project, our team now possesses a rich sense of timelessness that transfers to our work today.