1. Bugeye Wm. B. Tennison

While it’s not exactly a ‘place’, the Bugeye Wm. B. Tennison is a historic boat at the Calvert Marine Museum available for Patuxent River cruises. Tennison was built in 1899 by Frank Laird at Crabb Island (near Oriole), Maryland. On your one-hour cruise, you will sail the busy Solomons inner harbor, see Solomons Island and the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, pass underneath the Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge and turn back at Pt. Patience and the Naval Recreation Center. Learn more →

2. Smallwood’s Retreat & State Park 

Smallwood State Park takes its name from General William Smallwood, a native born Charles Countian. He was the highest ranked Marylander who served in the American Revolutionary War. His house, called Smallwood’s Retreat, has been restored and is open to visitors seasonally. The 628 acre park offers a marina, boat launching ramps, a picnic area, camping area, pavilions, a recycled tire playground and nature trails. On occasion, there are craft demonstrations, military exhibitions and other special events.

3. Historic Leonardtown

The Arts & Entertainment District around the town square boasts small shops, galleries and restaurants. Nearby are historic Tudor Hall, the Old Jail Museum, & a waterside park. The town also features the Port of Leonardtown Winery—one of the nation’s only cooperative wineries, and McIntosh Run water trail which winds through woodland and out into the open waters of Breton Bay.

4. Old Wallville School

The Old Wallville School building was utilized as a school for African American students from the late 1800s-1934. The one-room school was a cramped 18’x18’. The younger students would have been seated three to a desk, while older students would sit two to a desk. On overflow days, wood logs served as extra desks on students’ laps as they sat in the middle aisle of the classroom.

After the school was closed, the building sat empty and in disrepair until portions of the building were salvaged and brought to the grounds of Calvert Elementary School in 2006. The school was restored as a monument to the value African Americans placed on educating their children in the face of numerous challenges. The school now serves as a center for learning for students and the community.

5. McConchie One-Room School House

The Historic McConchie One-Room School is the only known school still in existence that exclusively served African American students in Charles County during racial segregation and the Jim Crow era. In 1992 the Charles County Fair Board bought and moved the school from its original location along Route 6 to the fairgrounds. The building now serves as a living museum. 

The school is truly a time capsule allowing guests to experience student life 100 years ago. It is open to the public for special programs. Private tours are available.

6. Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland

Although the Commemorative itself is newly built, the campus at St. Mary’s College in Southern Maryland is steeped in history. In 2016 while conducting an archaeological investigation prior to construction of the Jamie L. Roberts Stadium, the archaeological team uncovered artifacts consistent with mid-18th and early 19th-century slave quarters. The Commemorative to Enslaved Peoples of Southern Maryland provides visitors with the space to acknowledge and learn from the lives of those who once toiled here, while providing a place for reflection and introspection about the nature of slavery and its connections to modern society.

7. Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum

Nearly 70 archaeological sites on the property reflect more than 8,000 years of human occupation. Included are a visitor center, exhibit barn, gift shop, hiking trails, a re-created Indian Village and canoe/kayak launch. Also on the grounds is the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory. Call about scheduling a tour of the facility.

8. Maxwell Hall

Built by merchant and tobacco farmer George Maxwell, Maxwell Hall features massive twin chimneys and foundation stones of English chert.  Local tradition holds that in the War of 1812, the British invasion force took possession of Maxwell Hall during their march on Washington in August 1814.

Sitting on a knoll overlooking Swanson Creek and the Patuxent River, Maxwell Hall is one of Southern Maryland’s best surviving examples of a typical 18th century four-over-four room house. This property, originally known as “Maxwell’s Seat”, offers visitors a unique connection to Southern Maryland heritage and a glimpse into Charles County’s role in the War of 1812.

9. Historic Sotterley

An historic plantation circa 1703, Sotterley has built itself into a premier location for exploring the complicated past of the region.  This unique historic setting has transformed its mission into one of inclusion and exploration. Sotterley Mission Statement: “To preserve our historic structures and natural environment and use the powerful stories of our land, lives, and labor to bring American history to life while serving as an educational and cultural resource.”