SOUTHERN MARYLAND TOUR ITINERARIES
CHARLES COUNTY:
The Civil War: “Charles County... a Southern Divide” (Day Trip)
Start the day with a visit to the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Home Museum. Dr. Mudd set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth after shooting President Abraham Lincoln on Good Friday, April 14, 1865. Booth and David Herold arrived at Dr. Mudd’s home at 4:00 am the following morning. Dr. Mudd, not knowing the real identities of his visitors nor that the president had been assassinated, examined Booth’s leg, made a splint and had both men retire to an upstairs bedroom. Booth and Herold left by 2:00 pm that same afternoon continuing their escape – passing through Bryantown, Pope’s Creek, and eventually into Virginia. Dr. Mudd was tried and convicted by a Military Court for helping Booth. The house is a two-story, two-part early Victorian frame farmhouse. The central structure was built around 1754. It is furnished with family pieces and original pieces from the time period.
Drive past stops along the escape route including the old Bryantown Tavern, St. Mary’s Catholic Church (where Dr. Mudd is buried), and Huckleberry Cottage on your way to Captain Billy’s Crab House in Popes Creek. Stop for lunch here and enjoy a waterfront view of the Potomac River.
Pope’s Creek has a long and varied history. John Wilkes Booth crossed the Potomac River in this area during his escape into Virginia. A railroad line and a power plant were once in operation. Back in the days of mail boats and locomotives, when electricity was new to Pope’s Creek and work was just beginning on the Potomac River Bridge, nine-year-old Billy Robertson sold his first crabs on this very shore. Today, the crab houses along the shores of Pope’s Creek are still the most popular in the region.
After lunch travel to Port Tobacco Courthouse. On the way, drive past St. Ignatius Catholic Church, the nation’s oldest active parish with a continual pastorate, founded in 1641 by Reverend Andrew White, S.J. who accompanied Catholic settlers to Maryland in 1634. The Church and St. Thomas Manor House, a residence for priests for more than 300 years, was one of several locations where Union troops were stationed during the Civil War.
Port Tobacco, which was one of the oldest communities on the East Coast, first existed as the Indian settlement Potopaco and was colonized by the English as early as 1634. It was the second largest seaport in Maryland during the late 1600s and was the original county government seat.
During the Civil War, when Charles County was primarily pro-Confederacy despite its proximity to Washington, DC, Port Tobacco was home to Confederate sympathizers and an important link in the Confederate underground because of its location near the Potomac River.
In addition to being a hot spot for Confederate conspiracy, Port Tobacco suffered from local conflict as well. In 1892, the center part of the courthouse was burned in a mysterious fire (after the records were thrown out the window) and the county seat was moved to LaPlata.
Before leaving the Port Tobacco area, drive by the One-Room School and the Thomas Stone National Historic Site, the plantation home of one of Maryland’s four signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Agricultural / Maritime Heritage: “One if by Land, Two if by Sea...” (Day Trip)
Begin with a visit to the Smallwood Retreat House located in Smallwood State Park. Built around 1760, this site was the plantation home of General William Smallwood until his death in 1792. General Smallwood was heavily involved in the American Revolution. After serving in the war, he was appointed Governor of Maryland and served three one-year terms in office. This site also offers a newly constructed barn that houses a tobacco exhibit including farming tools and examples of tobacco at its different stages in the planting, growing, and harvesting processes.
Stop for lunch at Captain Billy’s Crab House and enjoy a waterfront view of the Potomac River in Popes Creek, an area known for its long and varied history.
John Wilkes Booth crossed the Potomac River in this area during his escape into Virginia. A railroad line and a power plant were once in operation. Back in the days of mail boats and locomotives, when electricity was new to Pope’s Creek and work was just beginning on the Potomac River Bridge, nine-year-old Billy Robertson sold his first crabs on this very shore. Today, the crab houses along the shores of Pope’s Creek are still the most popular in the region.
Following lunch, travel to the Thomas Stone National Historic Site, the home of Thomas Stone, who was a well-respected lawyer and politician throughout Maryland. He was one of four Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence and contributed in the creation of the United States while serving as both a Continental Congressman and as a framer of the Articles of Confederation. Stone and his wife, Margaret Brown, were from two of the most influential families in Charles County and in Maryland. They built their country home, Haberdeventure, in the early 1770's. This site, which is maintained by the National Park Service, reflects a Southern Maryland tobacco plantation with a unique five-part colonial mansion and also contains 19th Century farm buildings.
Religious Heritage Tour: “Let Us Pray” (Day Trip)
Start with a visit to St. Ignatius Catholic Church & St. Thomas Manor House (1641). The nation’s oldest active parish with a continual pastorate, St. Ignatius was founded in 1641 by the Reverend Andrew White, S.J. who accompanied Catholic settlers to Maryland in 1634. The church and manor house, a residence for priests at Chapel Point for more than 300 years, are located on a 120-foot bluff overlooking the mouth of the Port Tobacco River where it joins the Potomac. See over 40 handmade needlepoint kneeler panels made especially for the church’s anniversary that reflect Maryland’s historical, cultural and natural resources.
Travel to LaPlata for a visit to Christ Church, Port Tobacco Parish (1692). Port Tobacco Parish was among the 30 Church of England parishes established in 1692 by the Provincial Assembly. In its first two centuries, Port Tobacco Parish had a succession of buildings for worship. In 1904, the church was dismantled and moved to its present site by oxcart which carried the numbered stones to LaPlata. The church was reconstructed next to the court house in the same position as it had stood in Port Tobacco before the seat of the county government was moved to LaPlata in 1896. Don’t miss the stained glass window designs which range from Tiffany-style to contemporary; from pictorial to symbolical and abstract.
For lunch, walk down Charles Street and enjoy your midday meal at The Crossing at Casey Jones. Before heading back to your vehicle, make a stop across the street at Sycamore Accents & Gifts. Here you can find a number of gift ideas, including items made by local artisans.
Next travel to the Mount Carmel Monastery (1790). Founded by four Carmelite nuns in 1790, the Mount Carmel Monastery was the first convent for religious women in Colonial America. Three of the four founding nuns and their chaplain were natives of Charles County. Two of the original convent buildings have been restored and are open to visitors.
“All Natural Fun” (Day Trip)
Start your trip with a kayaking adventure at Mallow’s Bay...paddle your way through a maze of submerged warships dating back to the 18th century. Next, go even further back in time as you search for 55 million year old fossils at Purse State Park. Walk along the shore to collect shark’s teeth and bones. Then it’s on to Friendship Farm Park where flashes of color pass through the trees from resident and migrating songbirds and bald eagles fly overhead. Make sure to bring your binoculars or camera to capture nature’s beauty. End your day with a paddleboat or aqua bike excursion on Gilbert Run Lake.
CHARLES AND ST. MARY’S COUNTIES
“What’s in Name?”
DAY ONE:
Start your trip with a stop at Port Tobacco (or Potopaco), this original county seat lost to the growing town of La Plata in a controversial “fire fight” in 1895. The reconstructed Courthouse houses exhibits on local history and archeological artifacts. Travel through “Welcome” to reach Nanjemoy, a rural landscape with an abundance of natural beauty. Enjoy Friendship Farm Park’s hiking or kayaking trails. Pope’s Creek is next to enjoy some of the finest seafood in the area at local crabhouses. (The first weekend in June may bring you to Cobb Island to enjoy their annual “Cobb Island Days” festival). Head over to St. Mary’s County with a visit to the town of Leonardtown. Stroll the downtown shops, the Old Jail Museum, tour Tudor Hall or enjoy a seasonal festival. Then it’s on to Scotland! Tour Point Lookout Lighthouse and experience Civil War history at Fort Lincoln. Enjoy local accommodations and dining.
DAY TWO:
Enjoy breakfast either at your hotel or on your own the it’s time to head off to California and a visit the Naval Air Museum. This is the nation’s only museum dedicated to naval aviation research, development, testing and evaluation. Once in California, Hollywood is right next door! Visit Sotterley Plantation, circa 1717. This historic site features beautiful gardens and breaktaking vistas. Enjoy a boxed lunch or one of the area’s restaurants. Back to Charles County and the town of Hughesville, enjoy shopping for local and Amish goods at the Hughesville Bargain Barns. Then it’s off to Benedict, visit where the War of 1812's march on Washington first hit shore. Two soldiers who died on the march are buried at Old Field’s Chapel.
CHARLES, ST. MARY’S AND CALVERT COUNTIES
“A TRIP THROUGH 3 CENTURIES IN 3 DAYS THROUGH 3 COUNTIES” (Three Days)
DAY ONE:
Known today as the gateway to Historic Southern Maryland, Charles County welcomes visitors to explore our past and experience our heritage.
The first stop is at the Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Home Museum. This early Victorian farmhouse was once home of Dr. Mudd, the physician who treated the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth, the assassin of President Abraham Lincoln. This site is included on the newest Maryland Civil War Trails project entitled, “John Wilkes Booth: Escape of an Assassin . While on the way to LaPlata for lunch, you will travel some of the escape route, passing by the old Bryantown Tavern where Booth and other Confederate sympathizers met to discuss their plans and St. Mary’s Catholic Church, where Dr. Mudd is buried.
Lunch at The Crossing at Casey Jones Restaurant in LaPlata. Then travel west to the Historic District of Port Tobacco in Charles County, the location of Maryland’s second largest seaport which was listed on early World Maps. Originally the site of the Indian Village of Potopaco., Port Tobacco was the first county seat until it was moved to LaPlata in 1895. At the Port Tobacco Courthouse, costumed docents tell the story of this historic area from 1620 to the present. The Port Tobacco area was also home to several Confederate sympathizers during the Civil War.
Then it’s on to the Thomas Stone National Historic Site and visit Harberdeventure, the plantation home of Thomas Stone, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Both Stone and his wife are buried here. This historic site is managed by the National Park Service and includes a Visitors Center that features exhibits and a gift shop.
Not far from the Port Tobacco area is Popes Creek. During the Civil War, this was a favorite spot for crossing the Potomac River to Virginia. Stories of spies and smugglers abound as the Southern partisans conducted signal corps operations, ran the Federal Blockade to deliver supplies and mail to and from the Confederacy and engaged in espionage. Today this area is renowned for the crab houses along the shore, some of the most popular in our region.
Stop for an early dinner at one of these three locations: Captain Billy’s Crab House, Robertson’s Crab House or Gilligan’s Pier Seafood and Steakhouse. Enjoy a waterfront view while feasting on hot steamed crabs and shrimp, local oysters on the half shell or the fresh catch of the day!
Following dinner, check in at the hotel for the evening.
DAY TWO:
Following breakfast, travel south to Historic St. Mary’s City in St. Mary’s County, the first permanent settlement in Maryland and the first capital of the colony. Tour this historic landmark to see Godiah Spray Plantation, the reconstructed State House of 1676, and a replica of the Dove, the early vessel that carried the first colonist from England.
Enjoy lunch at the Brome-Howard Inn, a circa 1840 farmhouse. On your way to Sotterley, stop by Cecil’s Old Mill, one of Maryland’s first industrial districts and home to more than 50 local artisans and craftsmen!
Arrive at the historic Sotterley Plantation, a Tidewater Tobacco Plantation overlooking the majestic Patuxent River. The 18th century warehouse, smokehouse, 19th century slave quarters & plantation school, reflect Sotterley’s activity as a thriving colonial port of entry, tobacco plantation, & busy steamboat landing.
After ending the day with a waterfront Maryland Crab Feast at Clark’s Landing Restaurant, check into your hotel.
DAY THREE:
Begin the day with a quick drive over the Thomas Johnson Bridge and escape to Solomons Island in Calvert County. Visit the Calvert Marine Museum, which traces the rich maritime history of life found in the Chesapeake Bay. Climb up through the hatch of the Drum Point Lighthouse, constructed in 1883. Beautifully restored, complete with furnishings of the era, it has become the waterfront’s main attraction.
Tour the Joseph C. Lore & Sons Oyster House, a restored seafood-packing house that flourished during the boom & decline of the region’s commercial seafood industries.Take a short cruise around the harbor on the historic “bugeye” boat, the Wm. B. Tennison & build up an appetite for lunch at any number of waterside restaurants that cater to groups.
Following lunch travel to Chesapeake Railway Museum to experience life in the early 1900s & the Chesapeake Beach Railway Co. & Amusement Park history detailed in photos and artifacts in the Railway’s only remaing station. Travel south to see the northernmost natural range of bald cypress trees in the United States at Battle Creek Cypress Swamp Sanctuary.
Before hitting the road for home, have an early dinner at Stoney’s Restaurant overlooking Island Creek on Broomes Island.
