St. Mary's County, Maryland

Updated on Dec 26, 2023

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Seat Leonardtown Congressional district 5th Founded 1637 Population 109,633 (2013)		Largest community California Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4 Area 1,979 km²

Named for Mary the mother of Jesus Website www.co.saint-marys.md.us Colleges and Universities St. Mary's College of Maryland, Blades School of Hair Design Rivers Potomac River, Wicomico River, Smoots Pond Run Points of interest Sotterley, Patuxent River Naval Air, Piney Point Light, Greenwell State Park, Myrtle Point Park Destinations Chesapeake Bay, Point Lookout, St Mary's River State Park, Hollywood, Leonardtown

Virtual tour of st mary s county maryland

Saint Mary's County (often abbreviated as St. Mary's County), established in 1637, is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2010 census, the population was 105,151. Its county seat is Leonardtown. The name is in honor of the Catholic saint Mary, the mother of Jesus as told in the Bible.

Map of St Mary's County, MD, USA

St. Mary's County comprises the California-Lexington Park, MD Metropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the Washington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA Combined Statistical Area. It is part of the Southern Maryland region. The county was the home to the first Maryland Colony, and the first capitol of the Colony of Maryland. Settled by English Catholics, it is considered to be the birthplace of religious freedom in North America, at a time when the British colonies were settled primarily by Protestants.

It is also home to the Patuxent River Naval Air Station and also St. Mary's College of Maryland.

St. Mary's County has been traditionally known for its unique and historic culture of Chesapeake Bay tidewater farming, fishing and crabbing communities. But with the advent of the military bases, growth of an extensive defense contractor presence and the growth of St. Mary's College of Maryland, as well as increasing numbers of long-distance Washington D.C. commuters, it has been undergoing a decades-long transformation which has seen the county's population doubled since 1970.

Settlement

The settlement of Lord Baltimore's Maryland began with the arrival of passengers from England at St. Clement's Island in the Potomac River in what is now southwestern St. Mary's County on March 25, 1634 (the anniversary of this landing being annually celebrated as Maryland Day). The passengers arrived in two vessels, the Ark and the Dove, which had set sail from the Isle of Wight on November 22, 1633. The county is also home to the first Catholic Mass celebrated in one of the original thirteen colonies -after they'd become English colonies (masses were said in 1526-7 at San Miguel de Gualdape).

Due to the small size of the Island, and its lack of resources, the intention was never to make a permanent settlement there. Instead it was used as a base for the settlers while scouting for a more suitable site. This was how a bluff overlooking the nearby St. Marys River was chosen for numerous reasons, and became the site of the first permanent settlement. It would soon be named "St. Marys City".

St. Mary's City, Maryland is the site of the first Maryland Capitol and remained so for over 50 years until 1695, when the capitol was moved to Annapolis.

Today Historic St. Mary's City is a major attraction in Maryland with four museums, a reconstructed colonial village and the reconstructed Maryland Dove settlers ship. It is also now one of the top archeological research sites in North America.

St. Mary's County was the first county established in Maryland, in 1637, probably by an order of the Governor.

In 1649, Lord Baltimore, with the Maryland General Assembly, passed the Maryland Toleration Act, which provided religious freedom for any (Christian) sect, and which was the first law of its kind in the New World. There is a statue in St. Mary's City commemorating this event, along with extensive museums, a reconstructed Colonial town, living history actors, and a replica of the Maryland Dove.

War of 1812

St. Mary's County is where Francis Scott Key, the author of a poem which became The Star Spangled Banner, and professional wrestler Scott Hall grew up. St. Mary's County was the birthplace of Dashiell Hammett, and Orlando "Tubby" Smith, head basketball coach at Texas Tech. The largest employer is Patuxent River Naval Air Station and its related aerospace contract firms. There are both Amish and Mennonite communities who follow traditional ways. Tobacco, once dominant crop, has declined in recent years. The Maryland International Raceway (Budd's Creek) attracts many auto racing enthusiasts.

Historic buildings

St. Marys County has some of the oldest still-standing buildings in English North America. Many of these of properties are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These buildings range through many historical periods, starting from the 1600s and running through the 1700s, 1800s and also notable buildings of the early 20th century.

Memorial

The United States Colored Troops Memorial Statue is a memorial to the more than 700 African-American soldiers and sailors from St. Mary's County who served in the Union forces during the American Civil War. It includes an educational display. Special celebrations are also held there each year.

Law and government

St. Mary's County is governed by county commissioners, the traditional form of county government in Maryland.

County executive

The county commissioners exercise such executive powers as exist in the government of the county.

Circuit Court judges

Hon. David Densford,

Hon. Karen H. Abrams, Administrative judge

Hon. Michael J. Stamm

Law enforcement

St. Mary's County has the oldest documented sheriff's office in Maryland and one of the oldest in the United States. In 1637 James Baldridge was appointed sheriff. Since 1776, sheriffs in St. Mary's County have been determined by election. Tim Cameron is the current sheriff.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 764 square miles (1,980 km²), of which 357 square miles (920 km²) is land and 407 square miles (1,050 km²) (%) is water. It is the second-largest county in Maryland by total area.

Located on the St. Mary's Peninsula, St. Mary's County is largely bordered by water: the Patuxent River (northeast), the Chesapeake Bay (east), the Potomac River (southwest), and the Wicomico River (west). Its coastline also has many coves, tidal creeks, bays and inlets. Many coastal areas are made up of mixed clay-and-sand cliffs and bluffs, which protect many parts of the county from storm surges, however there are also low-lying coastal areas with coarse sand or gravel beaches or tidal marshlands.

The interior of much of the county is hilly to varying degrees, with forests and agricultural fields. There are also coastal plain areas, much of which are also under agriculture or under new development. Residential development has been steadily increasing for decades.

The county's very extensive waters are mostly brackish, ranging from significant degrees of saltwater in tidal areas that are on or near the Chesapeake Bay, to a greater predominance of freshwater and lower salt concentrations in its interior tidal waterways and also further up its bordering rivers.

Adjacent counties

Calvert County (northeast)

Charles County (northwest)

Westmoreland County, Virginia (southwest)

St. Mary's County borders Virginia across the Potomac River, St. Mary's County waters are also bordered by Virginia's territorial waters in Potomac tributary mouths on the Virginia side, tidal interface zones and the Chesapeake Bay (water rights in all of these areas are still sometimes disputed).

2000 census

As of 2010, there were 105,000 people in St. Marys County, up from 84,000 in the year 2000. families residing in the county. The population density was 238 people per square mile (92/km²). There were 34,081 housing units at an average density of 36 persons/km² (94 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the county was 81.57% White, 13.92% African American, 0.34% Native American, 1.80% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.61% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.00% of the population. 14.8% were of American, 13.9% German, 13.3% English and 12.1% Irish ancestry.

There were 30,642 households out of which 25.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.10% were married couples living together, 15.10% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 34.90% were non-families. 29.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the county, the population was spread out with 27.90% under the age of 18, 15.70% from 18 to 24, 29.50% from 25 to 44, 22.20% from 45 to 64, and 9.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 101.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 119.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $54,706, and the median income for a family was $61,397. Males had a median income of $27,496 versus $23,035 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,662. 7.20% of the population and 5.20% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 28.40% are under the age of 18 and 19.10% are 65 or older.

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 105,151 people, 37,604 households, and 27,084 families residing in the county. The population density was 294.4 inhabitants per square mile (113.7/km²). There were 41,282 housing units at an average density of 115.6 per square mile (44.6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 78.6% white, 14.3% black or African American, 2.5% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 1.0% from other races, and 3.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.8% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 17.4% were Irish, 17.3% were German, 16.0% were English, 8.8% were American, and 5.2% were Italian.

Of the 37,604 households, 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.5% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 28.0% were non-families, and 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.18. The median age was 36.0 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $80,053 and the median income for a family was $89,385. Males had a median income of $61,971 versus $46,487 for females. The per capita income for the county was $34,000. About 4.7% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.1% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Education

St. Mary's College of Maryland is in St. Mary's City, Maryland, and has been ranked "6th in the nation" under the category " Public Liberal Arts Colleges" by the U.S. News and World Report 2014 University and College Rankings report.

The College of Southern Maryland, in Leonardtown, Maryland.

Southern Maryland Higher Education Center in California, Maryland.

Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education is a Merchant Marine school in Piney Point, Maryland.

Military bases

The county has three military bases:

"Pax River" is the largest and is officially called the Naval Air Station Patuxent River. It is in Lexington Park, Maryland, and includes the headquarters of the Naval Air Systems Command and the Naval Test Pilot School, both of which play a significant role in the local economy.

"Webster Field" is a smaller naval annex and secondary airfield and is located in Saint Inigoes. It used for avionics engineering testing and development.

Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes (also in St. Inigoes) is technically two bases because it comprises two separate areas. But it is all under the same command.

Transportation

Limited local buses are provided through St. Mary's Transit [1], and commuter bus service to Washington, D.C. is provided by MTA [2].

The nearest commercial airlines are Reagan National Airport in Arlington County, VA and Baltimore Washington International Airport (BWI) in suburban Baltimore.

St. Mary's County is also served by a general aviation airport called Captain Walter Duke Regional Airport near Leonardtown, Maryland

Towns

Leonardtown (county seat)

Census-designated places

The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county:

Notable sites

Point Lookout State Park nationally recognized natural area and historic site; former Civil War prison camp, beaches, fishing, camping

St. Mary's City site of first settlement in the Maryland colony, four museums and reconstructed colonial town and living history center

United States Colored Troops Memorial Statue, in Lexington Park, honors & tells story of 700 African-American soldiers and sailors from St. Mary's County who served in the Union forces during the American Civil War.

Patuxent River Naval Air Museum Naval aviation history, including history of test pilots and naval aviation development at PAX River NAS, many aircraft on display

Solomons Island Naval recreation facility in nearby Solomons Island Maryland (reachable by bridge). Use by military and DOD personnel and families only. Guarded facility, ID required.

Sotterley Plantation reconstructed plantation, pre-Civil War history museum

USS Tulip monument and federal grave site for Civil War sailors who died in the explosion of a Union gunship in area waters in 1864

Point Lookout Light House

Piney Point Lighthouse and Museum

Cecils Old Mill museum, art gallery and artists co-op in nearby Great Mills, Maryland

National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Mary's County, Maryland many buildings in the county listed. Dating back to the 1600s, 1700s and 1800s.

Tudor Hall, St. Marys County Historical Society (limited hours)

Notable residents

Steny Hoyer: Former State Senator and Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives. He is currently the House Minority Whip.

Tubby Smith: College basketball coach. Grew up in Scotland, Maryland.

Dashiell Hammett: American author of hardboiled detective novels and short stories. Born in St. Mary's County.

Alfred Gough: Screenwriter, author of scripts for numerous Hollywood films. Born and raised in Leonardtown.

John Dorsey: Also known as Johnny Dorsey. General manager of the Kansas City Chiefs professional football team, NCAA College Football winner and professional football player. His pro football career was cut short due to injuries. Born in Leonardtown

J. Frank Raley: State Senator and state representative, trustee of St. Marys College of Maryland. Credited for helping to establish St. Mary's College as a four-year institution and playing key roles in its development into a nationally top-ranked public college. Born and raised in St. Mary's County.

Mary Chapin Carpenter: Grammy winning folk, country and rock singer and songwriter. Wrote a song about St. Mary's County and has lived in St. Mary's County at various times.

Ted Koppel: Journalist and former host of the news show Nightline. Lives in Southern St. Mary's County.

Louise Daniel Hutchinson: noted historian of African American history. Was born in Ridge, Maryland.

Michael Glaser: Poet, educator, literary editor. Was the Poet Laureate of the State of Maryland from 2004 through 2009. Awarded the Andrew White Medal for contributions to intellectual and artistic life in Maryland. Taught at St. Mary's College. Lives in St. Mary's County.

Sylvester Stallone: Award-winning actor and director. Attended Charlotte Hall Military Academy and boarding school in St. Mary's County as a teenager.

Norton Dodge: Economist, collector of dissident Soviet era art. Smuggled thousands of Soviet dissident paintings, prints & sculptures out of communist Russia over a series of visits and at great risk to his own life. Amassed one of the largest collections of Soviet-era art outside the Soviet Union. Taught at St. Mary's College in St. Mary's City.

Norwood Sothoron Athlete, soldier, commandant of Charlotte Hall Military Academy. Inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1972. Born and raised in Charlotte Hall, Maryland.

Betty Currie: Personal secretary to the President of the United States (Bill Clinton). Was also personal secretary to the Director of the Peace Corps.

Scott Hall: Former professional wrestling star and professional wrestling entrepreneur. Born and raised in St. Mary's County, Maryland.

Robert E. Hogaboom: Four-star Marine Corps General, Chair of the Historic St. Mary's City Commission and advocate for decades for the reconstruction and development of Historic St. Mary's City.

Francis Scott Key: Writer of the Star Spangled Banner. Grew up in St. Mary's County.

James H. Harris: Medal of Honor recipient, for heroism in the Battle of Chaffin's farm during the Civil War. Harris was an African American Union soldier. Grew up as a free Black tenant farmer in Great Mills.

William H. Barnes: Medal of Honor recipient, for valor in the Battle of Chaffin's Farm, while serving in the Union Army during the Civil War. Was a free African American farmer from St. Mary's County.

Richard Henry Alvey: Chief Justice of the Maryland Supreme Court and also a Federal Judge in the 1870s and 1880s. Born and raised in St. Marys County.

Benedict Joseph Fenwick: Catholic Bishop of Boston from 1825 until his death in 1846. Born in Leonardtown.

William C. Somerville: Author, historian, diplomat and War of 1812 soldier. Born and raised in St. Mary's County.

Margaret Brent: English immigrant to the first Colony of Maryland. Lived in St. Mary's City. Early (indirect) advocate for women's rights by asserting her own right to run an estate and vote. Was the first woman in the English North American colonies to appear before a court of the Common Law.

William and Dinah Nuthead: Established the first printing house in the Southern Colonies in St. Mary's City, Maryland.

Father Andrew White: Jesuit priest and settler on first voyage to establish the new Maryland colony. Also one of the founders of first Catholic Mission and Parish in North America. Instrumental in negotiating peace and territory deals with the Piscataway Indian tribes in St. Marys County. Lived in St. Marys City, Maryland.

Leonard Calvert: Leader of the first English settlers in Maryland and first Governor of the Maryland Colony. He lived in St. Mary's City.

Charles Calvert: 3rd Baron Baltimore (1637–1715). Second long-term Governor of the Maryland Colony (his Uncle Philip Calvert also ruled before him, but only very briefly). Lived in St. Mary's City.

In popular culture

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter wrote a song about St. Mary's County, called "Down in Mary's Land", in 1989. She is known for having great affection for St. Mary's County.

References

St. Mary's County, Maryland Wikipedia

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