St. Mary's County, Maryland
Contents
History
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.
St. Mary's County was the first county established in Maryland, in 1637, probably by an order of the Governor.
The county seat and state capital was St. Mary's City.
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 Samuel Hammett.
Geography
The county has a total area of 1,582 km2 (611 mi2). 847 km2 (327 mi2) of it is land and 734 km2 (284 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 46.43% water.
The county is largely bordered by water: the Patuxent River, the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River, and the Wicomico River.
Adjacent Counties
- Calvert County (north)
- Charles County (northwest)
Cities and towns
Saint Mary's County includes one municipality, classified as a town under Maryland law: Leonardtown, the county seat (incorporated 1858).
Unincorporated areas are also considered as towns by many people and listed in many collections of towns, but they lack local government. Various organizations, such as the United States Census Bureau, the United States Postal Service, and local chambers of commerce, define the communities they wish to recognize differently, and since they are not incorporated, their boundaries have no official status outside the organizations in question. The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county:
Local Government
St. Mary's County is governed by a board of 5 elected commissioners.
The county is within legislative district 29 and subdivided into three sub-districts: 29A, 29B, and 29C. District 29 is also share by small portions of Charles and Calvert counties.
The State Senator for District 29 is Roy P. Dyson.
The three delegates are:
- District 29A: John F. Wood, Jr. (D)
- District 29B: John L. Bohanan, Jr. (D)
- District 29C: Anthony J. O'Donnell (R)
Schools
High School
Middle School
Elementary School
Colleges and universities
- St. Mary's College of Maryland, located in St. Mary's City.
- College of Southern Maryland, Leonardtown Campus
- Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, located by the Airport in California, Md. SMHEC serves as host to several colleges and universities which offer programs geared towards the logistics, engineering, and technology community which serves the Naval Air Station Patuxent River and her tenant commands.
Police, Fire, & Emergency
Churches
For a list of all churches, see http://somd.com/worship/.
Museums
Historic Sites & Churches
Military Bases
The county houses the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, which plays a significant role in the local economy. The Naval Air Station also has an annex at Webster Field in St. Inigoes.
