Four Rivers - Things to Do: Heritage Sites and Services

One of the original parishes established in 1692; present building is faithful 1940s reconstruction of original 1710 church with 1727 bell in modern tower.

The Banneker-Douglass Museum, named for Benjamin Banneker and Frederick Douglass, is dedicated to preserving Maryland's African American heritage and serves as the state's official repository of African American material culture. The museum was dedicated on February 24, 1984. The original museum was housed within the former Mount Moriah African Methodist Episcopal Church in the heart of historic Annapolis. The Victorian-Gothic structure was included in the Annapolis Historic District in 1971 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The recently completed BDM addition is a four-story addition which uses the nineteenth-century brick of the church's north fa?ade as its interior lobby wall. The Banneker-Douglass Museum celebrated its 25th Anniversary on Tuesday, February 24, 2009.

National Register site, a restored waterman's home that introduces visitors to the life of Chesapeake Bay watermen in the 1860s, together with later history of the site and the community.

Home of Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737-1832), the only Catholic to sign the declaration of Independence and one of the wealthiest men in colonial America. Newly-restored historic house, 18th-century terraced gardens overlooking Spa Creek.

The Coretta Scott King Memorial Garden is a a tribute to the late Civil Rights Activist and located on the campus of Sojourner-Douglass College in Edgewater. The small garden park is open to the public during daylight hours.

The Deale Area Historical Society is located in the historic Nutwell Schoolhouse, originally built in 1885. The Society collects and exhibits artifacts and information related to the history of Deale and its residents. The DAHS also houses a library and a collection related to African American heritage in Deale, both accessible to the public by appointment.

The Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center is housed in "Twin Oaks," the summer cottage built by the son of Frederick Douglass, a former slave who achieved international acclaim as an abolitionist, orator, civil rights advocate, writer, publisher, and statesman.

The Galesville Heritage Society operates this vibrant local museum in the historic Carrie Weedon House, with exhibits depicting 350 years of this traditional watermen's village and surrounding communities. Artifacts of local agricultural and maritime heritage are on display, as well as videotaped oral histories, memorabilia, and photographs. The town is well worth a visit, with waterfront views, a marina filled with boats and local restaurants serving fresh seafood.

The Methodist Order of Galilean Fisherman, a fraternal order established in Baltimore for the "moral and educational betterment of colored persons," acquired this building in 1868. At a time when the state did not provide public education for Annapolis blacks, the Order established a school for African American children that operated until about 1900. The building now serves as an apartment complex.

Located near the bustling City Dock, the Historic Annapolis Museum offers information on Annapolis history and tickets and reservations for tours, excursions, venues, and other events. Exhibits include a 6-foot-by-6-foot model of Annapolis in the 18th century, and life-size cutouts of famous visitors to Annapolis, including George Washington, Marquis de La Fayette, Mark Twain and Abraham Lincoln. Visitors are encouraged to pick up a rack card or a $5 audio tour and explore the town by following the footsteps of these famous visitors.

This outstanding historic site on the South River has been owned by Anne Arundel County since 1828. The site includes the archaeological remains of buildings that comprise the colonial-era "lost" town of London; a National Historic Landmark, the William Brown House, dating to circa 1760; an 8-acred woodland garden; a state-of-the-art archaeology laboratory; interpretation of the African American history of the site including an interactive website; and a new Visitor Center, which opened to the public in late 2007. The pavilion is available for rentals for celebrations and special events.

The Foundation's primary activities focus on maintaining a lasting memorial in honor of Kunta Kinte and his descendant Alex Haley, supporting educational and research projects, and preserving African-American history, art, culture, and genealogy. Programs include: community history days; oral history and source documents; education and tours; genealogy research/inquiries and lost loved ones; genealogy research center; historical research; genealogy workshops; publications/articles; summer Genealogy Roots Camp; genealogy discussion groups; volunteer programs. Researchers using foundation computers can utilize online database subscriptions including access to over 20,000 pages of slave narrative interviews with more than 3,500 former slaves, index to Freedmans Bank Records, all available U.S. Census records from 1790 to 1930, the 1850 and 1860 U.S. Slave Schedules, WWI draft registration.

The area surrounding city dock has been a focus of activity for over three hundred years. During the colonial period, ships docking here included those bringing captive Africans for sale as slaves. Perhaps the best known slave brought to America was Kunta Kinte, whose story was told by his descendant, Alex Haley, in the book "Roots". The life-size bronze statue of Alex Haley was designed by nationally acclaimed African American sculptor Ed Dwight. More than one million people annually visit this site.

The beautiful Maryland State House is the oldest state capitol still in continuous legislative use and is the only state house to have ever served as the nation's capitol. The Continental Congress met in the Old Senate Chamber from November 26, 1783, to August 13, 1784. During that time, George Washington came before Congress to resign his commission as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army and the Treaty of Paris was ratified, marking the official end of the Revolutionary War. The State House is where the Maryland General Assembly convenes for three months each year, and the elected leadership of the state — the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the House of Delegates and president of the Senate — all have their offices there.

Plaque in State House Rotunda honors Matthew Henson, the African American who explored the North Pole with Admiral Peary in 1909.

The Maynard-Burgess House is a unique example of a property associated with two free African American families over a period of 150 years. It is the only known surviving home of a pre-Civil War free black family in the Historic District of Annapolis. John Maynard was born a free black in Maryland in about 1811. He had already bought his wife, her daughter and her mother out of slavery before he purchased the house on Duke of Gloucester Street for $400 in 1847. During the next 13 years the property tripled in value as he enlarged and improved the dwelling. Maynard worked as a waiter, probably at the nearby City Hotel, and his wife worked as a washerwoman. They provided a stable, comfortable family life as they raised four children and took care of extended family members. After his death in 1875 the house remained in the ownership of his descendents until 1914, when it was sold to Willis Burgess. The house remained in the Burgess family until 1990 when it was bought by Port of Annapolis, Inc. The house is now owned by the City of Annapolis, protected by perpetual historic preservation easements administered by Historic Annapolis Inc and the Maryland Historic Trust.

This 786-acre park on the Chesapeake Bay offers a variety of recreational activities including swimming, fishing, crabbing, boating, windsurfing and birdwatching. The park's beaches and picnic areas provide unparalleled views of the Bay amd the Bay Bridge. A trails sign at the historic Sandy Point Farm in the park tells the story of more than 100 area slaves who joined the United States Colored Troops.

Located on the 18th-century Java Plantation, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center is a scientific and education center. Numerous public programs are designed for individuals and families as well as for school and organized groups. A self-guided Java History Trail tour is available on site or online, and a new Canoe/Kayak Trail Guide is also available. Start at the Reed Education Center; pick up a self-registration form, with a day pass. Directions for filling out the form will be with the form itself. After completing the form the visitor must date the hang tag, which is valid for one day only. The pass must be displayed on the dashboard at all times while on campus.

St. John's College traces its origins back to King William's School, founded in 1696. Site of Revolutionary and Civil War encampments. Continues a long tradition of liberal arts education with the present "Great Books" curriculum. For a self-guided tour of the campus, pick up a copy of the brochure, "A Walking Tour of St John's College" at area Visitor Centers. First college on the Bay's western shore; prominent Americans who attended include nephews of George Washington and Francis Scott Key, author of "The Star-Spangled Banner." During the Civil War, St. John's suspended its program, and the campus became the site of General Hospital #2 and College Green barracks. Annapolis camps cared for thousands of paroled Union prisoners of war and wounded soldiers.

Built in 1898 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 1898, Wiley H. Bates, an African American alderman from the fourth ward, introduced a resolution to the Annapolis Legislature, appealing for the establishment of a school for African American children in Annapolis; the school opened in 1900 for 309 students.

This segregated school for African American children served the community of Eastport for 50 years at the turn of the 20th century. In the 1960s the school permanently closed when public schools were integrated due to civil rights legislation. The building was used as a library processing center until 1966. In 1967, a local group bought it and created the Seafarers Yacht Club which still operates today as a primarily African American private club.

The memorial honors Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American member of the U.S. Supreme Court (1967-1991). The central figure depicts Marshall as a young lawyer. Seated opposite him on one bench is the figure of Donald Gaines Murray. Marshalls first major victory in the battle for school integration won Murrays admission to the University of Maryland Law School. The other bench holds two schoolchildren to symbolize Marshalls most significant legal victory: the decision in Brown v. The Board of Education of Topeka et al. declaring segregated public education unconstitutional.

The United State Naval Academy was established in Annapolis in 1845 and since that time has trained many of the Navys most renowned Naval officers. Occupying 10 acres, this National Historic Landmark historic district is open to the public upon presentation of valid identification. The Academy's Visitor Center is located on King George Street inside Gate 1. Over a million visitors a year come to the academy, which is a National Historic Site. Popular spots include the Naval Academy Museum in Preble hall, the Navy Chapel, and the public areas of Bancroft Hall. Memorial Hall contains several rolls of honor, including lists of academy grads who were killed in action or who won the Medal of Honor. The Brigade of Midshipmen holds a lunchtime formation about 12:10 p.m. weekdays, weather permitting, in Tecumseh Court in front of Bancroft Hall.

The U.S. Naval Academy Museum welcomes more than 100,000 visitors annually from all over the world. Located in Preble Hall on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy, the Museum offers two floors of exhibits about the history of seapower, the development of the U.S. Navy, and the role of the U.S. Naval Academy in producing officers capable of leading America's sailors and marines. Our displays combine historical artifacts with video and audio technology to bring to life the stories of the men and women who have served their country at sea. Whether you are a casual visitor, a student of naval history, or a member of the Brigade of Midshipmen, the Museum stands ready to make your visit a memorable one. The museum has remarkable collections related to American naval history, most notably its ship models. More information is available on the museum's website.

The Wiley H. Bates Legacy Center, Inc. honors and gives substance to the contributions of the founder, faculty, staff, and students of the former Wiley H. Bates High School, which operated as the sole high school for African Americans in Anne Arundel County from the early 1930s until 1966. The Legacy Center is housed in the rehabilitated school and holds artifacts, historical documents, and memorabilia related to African American history in Anne Arundel County, offers permanent and traveling exhibits, tours, conducts oral history interviews, and promotes research opportunities to the general public using its extensive resource holdings.

Constructed between 1763-1765, the five-part Georgian residence was built as a town home for William Paca, a wealthy young planter who was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It is furnished with a fine collection of antique furniture, silver, and decorative arts. Changing exhibits highlight different aspects of everyday life in the 1760s and 1770s for William Paca, his wife, Mary, and other members of their household. In 1901, the Annapolis Hotel Corporation purchased the property to build Carvel Hall Hotel. The 200-room hotel covered the entire site for more than half a century. In 1965, Historic Annapolis Foundation saved this landmark, guiding the rebuilding of the garden through extensive archaeological research, and returning the house to its 18th-century appearance. Today, tours will guide you through the history of the property, including the interpretation of slave and African American history of the site, as well as the opulent Paca garden.