the mansion's last private owner, donated the property to the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in 1961. It was shown to the public as part of the U.S. Bicentennial celebrations in 1976. The same year, a barn budgeted to become a public arts center was destroyed by arson. The Mansion was renovated in the 1980s with funds from a state grant. The historic home was opened as a public tourist attraction in 1985, reflecting its ownership by Nicholas Snowden in 1830. The mansion can be rented for conferences and weddings and the grounds serve as a cultural center, hosting special exhibitions and performances. Famous visitors Abigail Adams Franklin D. Roosevelt George Washington, at least twice (May and September 1787) on his way to and from Philadelphia as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention Martha Washington, on the way to her husband's first presidential inauguration in 1789 Woodrow Wilson Description Montpelier is a five-part Georgian country house with a central block and flanking end pavilions connected to the main block by hyphens. The two-story central block has a five-bay elevation, with a projecting three-bay pavilion topped by a pediment. The hipped roof features large projecting chimneys emerging about halfway up the roofline. The front and rear doors are similar in character, with flanking pilasters and an open pediment The interior features carved woodwork. The paneling in the drawing room conceals a secret doorway leading to a set of stairs. In 1970, the house was set in formal gardens. Three terraces were outlined in boxwood hedges and arranged as an allée. A boxwood maze near the south wing was stated to be more than 200 years old. Most of the boxwood hedges have since been removed. A hexagonal eighteenth century summerhouse is located at the end of the allée. Gallery See also List of National Historic Landmarks in Maryland National Register of Historic Places listings in Prince George's County, Maryland References External links , including undated photo, at Maryland Historical Trust Houses completed in 1785 Georgian architecture in Maryland Houses in Prince George's County, Maryland Buildings and structures in Laurel, Maryland National Historic Landmarks in Maryland Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Maryland Historic house museums in Maryland Plantation houses in Maryland Museums in Prince George's County, Maryland Welsh-American culture in Maryland Historic American Buildings Survey in Maryland National Register of Historic Places in Prince George's County, Maryland