Country United States County Calvert Area code(s) 410, 443, and 667 Elevation 32 m Local time Friday 4:02 PM | State Maryland Time zone Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) GNIS feature ID 591239 Zip code 20676 | |
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Weather 16°C, Wind SW at 18 km/h, 34% Humidity | ||
Scientists' Cliffs is an unincorporated community in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. Other names used for the community include Annes Aggravation, Flippos Folly, Pathologists Quagmire, and Scientists Cliff. Its altitude is 105 feet (32 m), and it is located at 38°31′3″N 76°30′48″W (38.5176224, -76.5132867).
Map of Scientists Cliffs, 1, Solomons Island, MD 20676, USA
The private community was first established in 1935 as a summer colony for scientists by Flippo and Annie Gravatt. The founders of Scientist's Cliffs' chose this land because the population of American Chestnut trees showed a particular resistance to the blight. Original cabins in the area were built from felled American Chestnut trees that died from the blight. Although established as a seasonal community, the first year round resident moved to the community in 1943.
The community is accessed by Scientists' Cliffs Road and divided into five sub-sections, called "Gates," named Gate A, Gate B, Gate C, Gate D, and Gate E, respectively. The streets in each gate all begin with the corresponding letter of the gate, and are botanically named. For example, Gate A features streets named Aster, Aspen, Azalea, etc., Gate B features streets named Birch, Beech and Bluebell, and so forth.
All five gates have direct access to the Chesapeake Bay via a series of paths and boardwalks. Additionally, Gate A features a community center, a residential swimming pool, tennis courts, horseshoe pit, a baseball field and a private beach referred to as "South Beach".
Another feature of Scientists Cliffs is that a restrictive covenant requires all houses within the community to have a wooden exterior, giving the homes a distinctively rustic look.
The tall cliffs along the edge of the bay contain one of the world's richest fossil deposits from the Miocene period. The cliffs are part of the Calvert Formation. Carcharodon megalodon teeth are found in this area.