Liriodendron
502 West Gordon St.
Bel Air, MD 21014
(410) 838-3942 • 879-4424
www.liriodendron.com/

This beautiful mansion offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy for a moment a rare level of beauty and elegance. Liriodendron, named after the tulip poplar, was the summer home of Dr. Howard Atwood Kelly and his wife Laetitia, whom he married in Danzig, Germany in 1889. Kelly himself was born in Camden, NJ in 1858.

Dr. Kelly was a prominent surgeon. He pioneered the radium treatment of cancer, developed anti-toxins, and established his own clinic for women in Baltimore. He was instrumental in establishing Johns Hopkins Medical College. He also spent a brief time as a cowboy in the wild west during his college days.

Kelly was also a businessman, though some untrustworthy employees apparently lost a great deal of money for him. One of the fireplaces in his mansion is constructed of sandstone from Aquia Creek Quarry, one of Dr. Kelly's concerns. The same quarry supplied the stone for the Capitol Building in Washington, as well as several other government buildings.

In 1897 Dr. and Mrs. Kelly paid $12,000 for the 200 acres of land (now 100) and retained the architectural firm of Wyatt and Nolting to design the house. The same firm designed the Baltimore City Court House and other large, well-known structures.

The house is stunning, with its main entrance framed by four large columns. Upon entering, the visitor will find himself standing in a twenty-six foot wide hallway and facing a magnificent stair case which extends to seven bedroom suites on the second floor and servants' quarters on the third. To the left of the hall is the drawing room and to the right, the dining room.

As well as enjoying the beautiful house and its furnishings, visitors can attend a number of special events at Liriodendron throughout the operating season. Art exhibitions, crafts shows, and other activities find an appropriate home here. Group tours can include a snack of tea and cookies.