The land on which the Friary now stands has a vivid and curious history traceable from 1660, when it was originally patented and later sold to the prominent Hammon family of Annapolis. Evidence of extensive tunnel systems point towards the Friary being a major stopover for the underground railway. The Georgian mansion itself, the “core” of the present property as it now stands, was built in 1922 by an arms dealer. The house still boasts the many marks of its vibrant history, like the secret basement passageway purportedly used to hide illegal weapons. Its original architects included William Molting, the “Dean of Baltimore Architects,” and James Wyatt, whose firm’s iconic Baltimore designs include the Baltimore Court House, Fifth Regiment Armory, Keyser Office Building, and part of Johns Hopkins University. The estate was purchased in 1950 by the Catholic Church and converted to the St. Conrad Friary, whose Capuchin Fransican Friars maintained it for 34 years. The beautiful house then sat in wait until 2002, when the current owners revisited the then-27-bedroom behemoth and breathed fresh life into what is now a functional, comfortable home for living and entertaining.