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BALTIMORE – (March 4, 2009) This year is the 375th anniversary of the founding of Maryland. In the fall of 1633, English adventurers aboard two small ships, the Ark and the Dove, began a risky journey across the Atlantic. The ships eventually sailed up the Chesapeake Bay to an island in the Potomac River, which they named St. Clement’s Island. They arrived on March 25, 1634 – Maryland Day. Having established Maryland as a colony, the settlers created St. Mary’s City as the capital.
In the spirit of Maryland’s special birthday and capital-style celebrations, the Maryland Tourism Office wants you to know about a variety of ongoing attractions and destinations at “capitals” all across Maryland – places that you can discover yourself. And, they’re easily accessible: Every location in the state is within a three-hour drive from Baltimore. Many are a short distance from Washington, D.C.
Start with Annapolis, the capital of Maryland (since 1694 when it was called Anne Arundel Town), and for seven months (1783-1784), the capital of the United States. Annapolis has the nation’s largest concentration of 18th-century buildings still in use. This Colonial seaport town is also known as the sailing capital of the world. Appropriately, the U.S. Naval Academy, founded in 1845, is located here.
Annapolis was established in 1708 by virtue of a charter granted in the name of England’s Queen Anne. It’s where George Washington resigned from the Continental Army and where the Treaty of Paris – which ended the American Revolutionary War – was ratified. Take a stroll down the hill from the State House to City Dock, along brick-paved sidewalks. You’ll find pubs, restaurants, specialty shops and galleries in a town that’s brimming with maritime flavor.
If you were to sail northeast from Annapolis, nearly all the way up the Chesapeake Bay, you’d get to Havre de Grace in Harford County – the decoy capital of the world. Situated on the banks of the Susquehanna River, downtown Havre de Grace was recently designated as a Maryland arts and entertainment (A&E) district. You’ll discover a trove of museums and art galleries, historical attractions, antiques shops and local eateries featuring fresh seafood.
The Havre de Grace Decoy Museum has an expansive collection of waterfowl art created by master carvers and craftsmen from the Upper Chesapeake Bay region. And, the Havre de Grace Maritime Museum and Concord Point Lighthouse are easily accessible from a boardwalk-style promenade on the waterfront.
Return south to Baltimore – birthplace of the National Anthem – where you’ll find one end of the Star-Spangled Banner Trail, the 100-mile route that starts in the Southern Maryland town of Solomons. The trail depicts the path of British forces during the War of 1812 and the defensive stands in which American troops engaged the invaders. Fort McHenry in Baltimore is where the Americans withstood heavy British bombardments, witnessed by Francis Scott Key who was inspired to write the poem that became the National Anthem.
Baltimore is also the NAACP’s capital – its headquarters. As befits the distinction of hosting the nation’s largest and oldest civil-rights organization, Maryland is home to many African-American heritage sites. In Baltimore, they include: The National Great Blacks in Wax Museum, the Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African-American History and Culture and the Eubie Blake National Jazz Institute and Cultural Center.
Surrounding Baltimore is Baltimore County. The northern section of the county is a haven for Thoroughbred horse farms – Maryland’s Thoroughbred-horse capital. You’ll see Thorougbreds running at Pimlico in Baltimore City during the spring, but you’ll see horses in Baltimore County all-year round.
Drive west to Howard County. Ellicott City is where you’ll find the oldest surviving railroad station in the nation. Here, in 1830, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad installed the first 13 miles of commercial track in the U.S. The station is now a museum that supports the town’s distinction as one of the state’s railroading capitals.
Continue going west and you’ll get to New Market, Maryland’s antiques capital. During the late 1700s, New Market was a significant hub of commerce on the Historic National Road – the “Gateway to the West” – which went through Cumberland and the Allegheny Mountains.
Just minutes from New Market is Frederick. You’ve now arrived to a region immersed in the history of the Civil War. If there were a capital for Civil War heritage, this would be it. Frederick County was the location of the Battle of South Mountain and the Battle of Monocacy. The confrontation at Monocacy also became known as “The Battle That Saved Washington.”
Both Union and Confederate troops occupied Frederick’s towns during the days leading up to devastating battles at nearby Antietam and Gettysburg. Follow the driving tours along the Maryland Civil War Trails to become more familiar with this pivotal era in American history.
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