I’ve lived in Maryland my entire life but didn’t know or appreciate much of the Old Line State’s history — until I toured St. Mary’s City. And this year, the 375th anniversary of Maryland’s founding, is a great time to visit the southern part of the state.

As I drove to St. Mary’s County, with the Chesapeake Bay to my east and the Patuxent River to my west, I was immediately taken with the beauty of the county — a rural landscape wrapped in waterways. 

Where is the city?

My first question was: Where is the city? 

Well, there really isn’t a “city” like we know it. Rather, St. Mary’s City is a living museum commemorating the fourth permanent English settlement in North America and Maryland’s first capital.

In 1634, 140 English settlers led by Governor Leonard Calvert sailed across the Atlantic on the Ark and the Dove in search of religious freedom and a chance for a better life. On the edge of the New World, they planted a colony and the seeds of new government. The town they called St. Mary’s City was the capital of Maryland for 60 years. When the seat of government moved to Annapolis in 1695, St. Mary’s City quickly disappeared.

Early in the 20th century, interest in the old capital revived. Historical research and archeological excavations began to uncover the 17th-century settlement. Because the old city had remained relatively undisturbed over the years, the area is one of the finest 17th-century colonial archaeology sites in the nation.

Touring St. Mary’s City

Today, Historic St. Mary’s City is one of Southern Maryland’s leading tourism attractions. Grab your walking shoes and comfortable clothing and discover Maryland’s beginnings.

The place to begin your tour is the Welcome Center, on the edge of the St. Mary’s College campus, off Route 5.

At Historic St. Mary’s City, colorful costumed interpreters in re-created 17th-century settings tell the stories of Maryland’s first years, when St. Mary’s was the colony’s capital. At the Woodland Indian Hamlet, visitors discover how Maryland’s native population interacted with English colonists. 

As you walk through Town Center, notice the building frames. These structures, called ghost frames, designate where archaeologists have discovered 17th-century buildings. In some cases, the identity and history of these buildings are known, but others remain a mystery. 

Town Center at Historic St. Mary’s City includes Smith’s Ordinary, a re-creation of an ordinary or inn typical of Maryland in the last quarter of the 17th century, Cordea’s Hope, a storehouse and the State House, a re-creation of the original built in 1676. You will also get to tour the Dove, a replica square-rigged ship. You will also tour the Godiah Spray Tobacco Plantation and a working colonial farm. 

A highlight of the tour is the Print House, where an interpreter gives a demonstration of how to make a 17th-century print document. 

Be sure to visit www.stmaryscity.org/ Colonial_kids.html before you come with children. You will find some great interactive resources that will help your kids appreciate this time in history.

St. John’s Site Museum

Make sure to visit the St. John’s Site Museum, which is really an archaeology center preserving the foundation of the home, built in 1638, for Maryland’s first provincial secretary. It was where colonial legislators met to hammer out policies supporting the Proprietor’s mandate to separate church and state—150 years before the U.S. Constitution guaranteed religious freedom. Of the English colonies, this was the place where a woman first asked for the right to vote and where the first individual of African descent participated in a general assembly.

Some of the remarkable artifacts that have been found at the site are on display.  Exhibits dramatize the events that shaped Maryland and the nation’s first freedoms.  

Sotterley  Plantation

The Sotterley Plantation is the sole surviving Tidewater plantation in Maryland that is open to the public. Construction of this now rare “earthfast,” or “post in ground” dwelling began in the early 1700s. The house grew over time into a rambling residence featuring fine period woodwork. Over 20 outbuildings are part of the site’s 300+ year revolution, including a customs warehouse, smoke house and an original slave cabin. Sotterley offers a variety of special season events. It sits on 95 acres of rolling fields and beautiful gardens overlooking the beautiful Patuxent River. Historians have unearthed interesting information on its owners and renovations over three centuries. For information, visit www.sotterley.org.

Great places to eat

Two fine restaurants that are not to be missed are Clarke’s Landing in nearby California, Md., and Café des Artistes in Leonardtown. Clarke’s Landing offers waterfront fine dining. Its signature crab dip and crab cakes are not to be missed. You can enjoy beautiful waterfront dining for lunch or dinner. For information, visit www.clrestaurant.com.

Café des Artistes, in historic Leonardtown, offers fine French dining and a casual, relaxing atmosphere. The food is exquisite and the atmosphere is delightful. This chef owned and operated restaurant offers a rich variety of foods, from beef Wellington to lobster thermidor. Be sure to make a reservation. This hidden gem is well known to the locals! For information, visit www.cafedesartistes.ws.

Oh, and while you are visiting Leonardtown, make sure to eat breakfast at the Do Dah Deli & Diner, a fun, whimsical place where everyone knows your name. Servers wear tye dye T-shirts. For information, visit www.dodahdeli.com.

For more information on St. Mary’s County, visit www.stmaryscity.org. For information on Maryland’s Celebrate 375 events, visit www.maryland375.com.