Annapolis in Anne Arundel County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Coastal Evolution
Market House
— The Shoreline of Annapolis —
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 10, 2018
In the 1700s, the shore of Annapolis followed approximately along the line of buildings that now front Dock Street, Market Space, and part of Compromise Street—everything closer to the water is built upon fill. Through the next three centuries, natural silting and then deliberate filling and bulkheading around the edge of City Dock reduced the waterway to the narrow inlet you see today. The additional land allowed for construction of buildings and businesses that served of benefitted from the working waterfront.
A city Market House has stood near City Dock since 1784—the current one was built just before Civil War and was first restored in the early 1970s. Veterans' Memorial Circle at the foot of Main Street was once a Victorian park. Parking spaces and Susan Campbell Park now occupy an area between Dock Street and City Dock that once held oyster packing houses and four large oil tanks.
Most of the working-class community called Hell Point (originally Hill's Point), visible in the bottom left of the 1939 photo, was bought in 1941 by the Navy, which razed the houses and commercial buildings. The Naval Academy's Halsey Field House, recognizable by its blue-green copper roof in the modern photo, was built on the cleared site in 1957. Numerous land reclamation projects going back to the 1850s have added acreage to the Academy's grounds and significantly changed its shoreline.
Erected by Maryland Heritage Areas Authority.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles • Waterways & Vessels.
Location. 38° 58.662′ N, 76° 29.244′ W. Marker is in Annapolis, Maryland, in Anne Arundel County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street and Compromise Street, on the right when traveling south on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 104 Main Street, Annapolis MD 21401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Memorial Circle & Market House Plaza (here, next to this marker); A Story of Preservation (here, next to this marker); History Stone (a few steps from this marker); Kunte Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial (a few steps from this marker); The Market House (a few steps from this marker); Alfred A. Hopkins Plaza (a few steps from this marker); Roger W. Moyer (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Kunte Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Annapolis.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 10, 2018
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), March 10, 2018
Credits. This page was last revised on September 18, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 10, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 178 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 10, 2018, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.