Charles County Is Gateway to Historic Capital Region
Charles County’s storied past includes fleeing felons and foreign invasions, tobacco and turmoil, bitter wars and heroic stands for freedom.
Founded in 1658, the community has served as a backdrop for some of the nation’s most memorable events. As the county celebrates its 350th anniversary, its colorful history lives on through the buildings, tales and artifacts passed down by generations past.
“Charles County’s geographical position as a warm, tobacco society had a significant influence on its future,” says Patricia McGarry, coordinator for the Southern Maryland Studies Center at the College of Southern Maryland. Art, tools and weapons used by the county’s first residents can be found at The American Indian Cultural Center/Piscataway Indian Museum in Waldorf.
In La Plata, the African-American Heritage Society Museum houses 17th-century artifacts and slavery era documentation.
The county’s native heritage can be traced to Port Tobacco, original home of the Indian Village of Potopaco. Settled in 1634, the once-thriving seaport and county seat now offers tours of a one-room schoolhouse and reconstructed courthouse. Port Tobacco also was home to Thomas Stone, a lawyer and politician who signed the Declaration of Independence. Stone’s sprawling home site includes a tobacco plantation, colonial mansion and 19th-century farm buildings.
Founded as a colony for religious freedom, Maryland is home to some of the nation’s oldest churches, including the site of the first Roman Catholic Mass celebrated in English-speaking America. Today, these historic buildings can be seen on a self-guided driving tour along The Religious Freedom Byway.
And as the only spot in the United States where foreign troops invaded American shores, the small town of Benedict serves as yet another reminder of America’s struggle for independence. During the War of 1812, British troops landed in Benedict, marched to Washington, D.C., and burned the city.
Perhaps the best known story among locals is that of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd, who inadvertently became a celebrity when he mended the leg of John Wilkes Booth one day after the assassination of President Lincoln. The country physician was sentenced to life in prison but was pardoned by President Andrew Johnson in 1869. The Dr. Samuel A. Mudd House Museum is open for tours.
Barbara Baldus, chairperson of the county’s 350th anniversary celebration, says the events that took place here long ago molded the community into what it is today.
“We’re a community that has really grown and come together,” she says.
To mark the historic anniversary, monthly events featuring art, lectures, music, education and entertainment will take place across the county in 2008, with a May 10 gala to celebrate the county’s charter day.
