Christ Church, King and Queen Parish Christ Church, King and Queen Parish in Chaptico has served the ministry of Christ’s work in the world for more than 300 years. King and Queen Parish is one of two original colonial parishes in St. Mary’s County.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal ChurchFounded in 1744, the present church was built in 1767, designed by William Boulton who crafted the woodwork at nearby Sotterley Plantation. It is an outstanding example of colonial architecture
St Francis Xavier Church & Newtowne ManorSt. Francis Xavier Parish was founded in 1662 making it the oldest Catholic Parish in the Thirteen Original Colonies. The current church was built in 1731 and has been in continuous use as a Church. The Newtowne Manor House, which adjoins the Church, served as the focal point for Jesuit Missionaries in St Mary’s County.
St. George’s Episcopal Church The first wooden church was built in Valley Lee between 1638 and 1642. The current church built in 1799, is home to the oldest Episcopal Parish in Maryland.
St. Peter Claver Church St. Peter Claver Church of Ridge was not in existence when the Black Catholics attended Mass at various churches in the county. St. Peter emerged and blossomed from what was for nearly twenty years as part of St. Michael’s Church in Ridge, Maryland. The Church is nearby to the Cardinal Gibbons Institute.
Charles Memorial Gardens Cemetery Located in Leonardtown, MD Charles Memorial Gardens provides a truly beautiful and dignified setting in the wooded, rolling hills of southern Maryland. The staff of this family-owned cemetery is dedicated to ensuring your loved one is provided a dignified resting place that honors and respects their memory.
Patuxent River Naval Air Museum This museum is dedicated to naval aviation research, development, testing and evaluation. The museum has an outdoor aircraft park as well as indoor exhibits.
Piney Point Lighthouse Museum and Historic Park The Piney Point Lighthouse Museum is a white two-story structure on the north campus of the park and houses museum exhibits, the Lighthouse Lens Museum Store and offers restrooms and visitor information. Guests are encouraged to begin their visitor experience at the museum where you can sign in, pay admission, and obtain a tour guide who will then provide escort to the Potomac River Maritime Exhibit on the north campus and the lighthouse and keeper’s quarters on the south campus. Those who desire to climb to the top of the lighthouse must be accompanied by a staff person or volunteer. For more information on the Museum and Historic Park click on the name above.
Point Lookout State Park and Museum Point Lookout is a peninsula formed by the confluence of the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. It attracted attention from the outset of English colonization in America. Captain John Smith explored the Point in 1612. In 1632 it was included in King Charles I’s grant to George Calvert, Lord Baltimore. Calvert’s younger son, Leonard, Maryland’s first governor, claimed the Point for his personal manor in 1634. A Civil War museum is located inside the park and displays the history of use during that time. For more information click on the name above.
St. Clements Island Museum This museum features information on the landing of Maryland colonists in 1634 and the first Roman Catholic Mass in the English speaking colonies. It traces the history of the area and life along the Potomac River through archaeological exhibits and cultural events. St. Clements Island can be clearly seen from the museum grounds. The annual Blessing of the Fleet occurs here on the first full weekend in October. The museum also hosts the annual Christmas Doll & Train Exhibit. Visit their store run by the Friends of St. Clements Island called Crab Claw Museum Store, Rosa Hance, Manager.
Historic St. Mary’s City Historic St. Mary’s City is a large public access area with four public museums and is a re-creation of the original colonial capitol of Maryland and also the original settlers village. It has several Living History Museums staffed by traditionally dressed period actors and archaeologists, reconstructed colonial buildings,including ongoing year-round outdoor historical re-enactments, a working colonial farm and the fully working replica of The Dove sailing ship which was one of the two original settlers ships that established the first Maryland colony, (Maryland’s’ historical equivalent of the Mayflower)
Sotterly Plantation Sotterley is the sole surviving Tidewater plantation in Maryland that is fully accessible to the public. This architecturally unique residence features fine period woodwork. A slave cabin and more than 25 out-buildings show the Plantation’s 300-year evolution.
Summerseat Farm With a history dating back to the late 17th century, Summerseat is a 120-acre working farm with a Queen-Anne style house, outbuildings, and more.
