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Whitehall Rapid Transportation Assistance Group Study - Anne Arundel County, MD

Image of the front view of the Estate House located at the Whitehall site on a clear, sunny day.

U.S. DOT Volpe Center

Total Project Budget: $47,000 (~270 Volpe staff hours between four employees plus travel for one (1) site visit)
Project Timeline: August 2022 – July 2023
Project Partners Involved: National Park Service Chesapeake Gateways, U.S. DOT Volpe Center, The Brandywine Foundation
Project Deliverables: Rapid Transportation Assistance Group (TAG) Study Report (pdf iconPDF)

Project Request and Purpose

National Park Service (NPS) Chesapeake Gateways (CHBA) partnered with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Volpe Center (Volpe) to conduct a TAG Study to evaluate water-based and land-based access by the public to Whitehall, a historic home and farm owned by The Brandywine Foundation Inc. Volpe documented the results of the TAG Study in a report summarizing challenges and opportunities related to establishing public access to the Whitehall site via water and land.

Project Purpose: To assess the feasibility of public access via both water-based and land-based transportation to Whitehall, and to identify improvements and recommendations towards public access that The Brandywine Foundation can use to prioritize opportunities to secure additional resources to restore and maintain the property.

Image of Whitehall Road, a single, narrow, one-mile scenic and historic dirt road that runs down the center of the peninsula and is bisected by a handful of residential roads and drives.

U.S. DOT Volpe Center

Project Background

The Whitehall site, a historic coastal property located in Anne Arundel County, near Annapolis, Maryland, comprises approximately 115 acres on a peninsula along the banks of Meredith Creek, Whitehall Creek, and Whitehall Bay. The property is currently developed with an Estate House, constructed in 1764 by Governor Sharpe, the next to last British governor of Maryland, now registered as a National Historic Landmark. It is the first property in the State of Maryland to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to the Estate House, there are several out-buildings, barns, fields, and a trail system used for horse boarding and riding. The property is under an easement with the National Trust of Historic Preservation, limiting the development of the property. The historic home and grounds on the property are currently used as an entertainment venue, catering to weddings and events. A home on the property is accessible as a vacation rental. The rest of the property is currently open to the public by appointment only.

Other than the horse boarding and events, there is no programming or interpretation provided of the Estate House, outbuildings, or property.

Access to the Whitehall site is currently limited to Whitehall Road, a single, narrow, one-mile scenic and historic road that runs down the center of the peninsula and is bisected by a handful of residential roads and drives. Whitehall Road is accessed by US Route 50, an often heavily congested interstate highway that extends to Washington, D.C., about 30 miles to the west, and to the coast via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which is about two miles to the east.

Image of an existing dock located at the Whitehall site.

U.S. DOT Volpe Center

Project Activities

A rapid Transportation Assistance Group (TAG) study was conducted, that included:

  • Review of previous and concurrent studies and planning documents (i.e., previous traffic studies and the Whitehall Facility Assessment Trip Report).
  • Field investigations of the Whitehall site to identify public access challenges.
  • Discussions with public and private stakeholders, including each organization’s experiences and insights with the site.
  • Documentation of observations and considerations.

The following key challenges to public access, both water-based and land-based access, were identified at the site:

Water-Based Access Challenges

  • Need for coastline stabilization
  • Lack of dock infrastructure for ferry service
  • Lack of water access opportunities for kayaks and other non-motorized watercraft
  • Lack of accessible trail access from the shoreline to key locations on-site

Land-Based Access Challenges

  • Traffic congestion on Route 50
  • Narrow entrance road and driveway shared with neighborhood homes not connected to the site.
  • Limited parking on the property
  • Lack of signage and wayfinding on the existing network of trails

Project Outcomes

A high-level strategic plan to expand public access was developed. Next steps and recommendations identified in the strategic plan include:
  • Archeological survey, in partnership with Anne Arundel County, to identify and define any archeological resources on the property.
  • Coastline stabilization to stop the effects of erosion on the property shoreline.
  • Local community and public engagement to provide the opportunity for meaningful communication between the Brandywine Foundation and the community, and to allow for the community’s input into decisions that ultimately affect them.
  • Provide water-based public access to the site. Providing water-based public access to the site from Annapolis as the primary form of access could be a unique visitor experience opportunity that aligns with the historic access and use of the site, as many of Governor Sharpe’s visitors arrived by boat. Primarily using water-based public access would also minimize any impact to traffic on Whitehall Road.
  • Provide improvements to land-based access to the site. Improvements for limited access to the site via land can accommodate larger groups or visitors with accessibility needs. This includes limited parking, traffic management, and trail network improvements and connections.

Tags

Chesapeake Bay

Last updated: July 23, 2025