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[[Leonard Calvert]] and a group of adventurers left Cowes, Isle of Wight in England on November 22, 1633 in two ships, the [[Ark]] (a large ship of 400 tons) and the [[Dove]] (weighing 40 tons.) A replica of the Dove is at Historic St. Mary's County was City. On March 25, 1634, they landed at [[St. Clements Island]] and religious ceremonies were held to give thanks for a safe voyage to the first county established in Marylandnew land. On March 27th they arrived at the Indian Village of [[Yeocomico]], and purchased it from the Indians for blankets, cloth, knives, trinkets, in 1637axes, probably by an order of hoes and other tools. They renamed the Governorvillage St. Mary's.

By 1642, the town had at least ten houses, a forge, mill and Catholic Chapel. The county seat and state capital was [[colonists built homes made of wooden slabs, with roofs made of shingles. In 1664, the Assembly at St. Mary's Citypassed a law that could be called the first Maryland building code. The law ordered that all houses built in the town should be at least twenty feet square, two and a half stories high and built with chimneys made of brick. Originally, Maryland|Stthe chimneys had been made of logs. lined with clay. Mary's City]]As they aged, they became fire hazards.

In 1676, the famous State House was built. It was torn down in 1829, and the bricks used to build Trinity Church. To celebrate the 300th birthday of Maryland, a replica of the State House was built.  The priceless heritage of St. Mary's City was Religious Toleration. The Calverts made it a cornerstone of their new settlement. The [[Religious Toleration Act]] was passed in 1649, giving everyone the right to worship freely.  An Act passed in 1695, established the bounds of St. Mary's County. "St. Mary's County shall begin at [[Point Lookout]] and extend up the [[Potomac River]] (and Wicomico) to the lower side of Budd's Creek, and so over by a straight line drawn from the head of the main branch of [[Budd's Creek]] to the head of Indian Creek in the [[Patuxent River]], including all that land lying between the Patuxent and Potomac Rivers, from the lower side of said two creeks and Point Lookout." In 1695 the capital of Maryland was moved from St. Mary's City to Annapolis and St. Mary's City gradually reverted to a completely rural community.  In 1943 the [[Naval Air Station Patuxent River]] was built on approximately 6500 acres in what is now [[Lexington Park, Maryland|Lexington Park]], the largest community in the county. The Naval Air Station is the home of the [[Naval Air Warfare Center-Aircraft Division]], [[U.S. Navy Test Pilot School]] and the [[Naval Air Test and Evaluation Museum]]. 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.