This Palladian masterpiece, on the campus of Johns Hopkins University, was the home of Charles Carroll, Jr., the son of Charles Carroll, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Built in 1801, the house is 85-percent original, with intricate carved wood and plaster moldings, fine wood and parquet floors, and a handful of family objects. The portico facing Charles Street gleams with its cream-colored columns. Highlights include the Carroll's bedchamber with its 15-foot cover ceiling, the withdrawing room, and the acid-yellow hall connecting the five sections of the house. Tours, offered on the half hour, last 45 minutes. Exhibits in the main hall change regularly, usually focusing on a design aspect of the house. Take a trip to the restrooms in the cellar and get a peek at the wine cellar—scholars are still puzzling over how the rest of the bottom floor was used. Historical house aficionados should visit both Homewood and Evergreen (see separate review) on the same day. Only a mile apart, they are a century apart in style and history.