Date: February 26, 2026
Annapolis is simply breathtaking in the snow. While it’s been a colder winter than I’d like, there’s something about a beautiful blanket of snow that makes up for it. During both storms, I found myself thinking about Marion Warren’s iconic mid-20th century photographs of snowy downtown Annapolis and the timeless quality he so beautifully captured.
Excerpt from the Maryland State Archives collection, Eye of the Beholder: Sleepytime Annapolis (1947-1960):
“I took several pictures on Church Circle that day while it was still snowing, but this has always been my favorite. I was leaning out of the window on the second floor of the post office for this one. I made a 3×4 foot mural and put it over the fireplace at home. A couple of weeks later we had the floors refinished and the fellow who did the work admired the print so much that he took it in payment for the job.” — Marion Warren
Image credit: Maryland State Archives, MSA SC 1890-02-248A.
And so, my good-natured husband and dog (Chris and Charlie Brown) and I attempted to recreate this Warren image from 1954. I knew all along that we could never match Mr. Warren’s extraordinary talent, but I was inspired knowing that the setting remained largely unchanged, 72 years later. Taken from ground level, with an iPhone, and probably a little too late as the snow was melting, I appreciate that the feeling, the setting, the mood and the stage are relatively the same. And I think that Historic Annapolis had something to do with that.
Image credit: Chris Brown, February 2026
For decades, HA has served as champion for maintaining Annapolis’ historic character. Our work evolved from saving individual buildings to advocating for streetscapes and neighborhoods, as well as engaging in policy decisions and legislative initiatives that promote historic preservation. Our work is not static, nor is it passive. It is constant and an accumulation of tireless advocacy efforts with the goal of maintaining the feeling, the mood, the setting, and the stage of yesterday to today and tomorrow.
As I continued to venture down a Marion Warren ‘rabbit hole,’ I uncovered these two images of inner West Street, viewing St. Anne’s spire from a different vantage point. The ‘before’ image was taken also by Mr. Warren, about a decade after the snowy photo. The c. 1977 ‘after’ image showcases the city and state’s investment of underground wiring along major corridors in our landmark district.
March 7, 1965: “Historic Annapolis asked me to make a photograph that would dramatize the signs and wires on West Street. They wanted to use it to show the legislature that one of the primary approaches to the city had become an ugly hodgepodge. I used a longer than normal lens to foreshorten the streetscape and emphasize the signs. I like to think that the picture helped, because we got a law passed to get rid of the signs, and this was the first street where the wires were put underground.” — Marion Warren
Image credit: MSA SC 1890-02-1693 (Annapolis in Blossom, 1960-1988)
We are pleased to learn that the city administration continues to advocate for expanding underground wiring elsewhere in the district. Additionally, the HA team is actively engaged in a number of preservation initiatives, from the James Brice house restoration to upcoming Maryland Day festivities, including planting a liberty tree offspring at the William Paca house on March 25th.
We are also hosting a conversation with David Rubenstein and Andrea Mitchell in April and engaging with legislators as they convene in session. Far from “Sleepytime Annapolis!” Together as a community, we can protect what makes Annapolis special and ensure it remains vibrant, livable, and beautiful for generations to come.
How lucky we are to have had Marion Warren and his family!
Warm regards,
