Maryland Facts and Figures

1876 artwork by Henry Mitchell, via Wikipedia Commons

 Maryland ranks sixth among states and provinces with markers in this database. Maryland is a state in the United States of America located in the American Northeast. It is also in the Mid-Atlantic region. Maryland is some 12 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 6 million people. The state is divided into 24 counties and an independent city and all of them have entries in this database. In Maryland we have discovered historical markers in 450 cities and towns lying in 380 different ZIP Codes.

How many historical markers are there in Maryland? There are least 5,191 of them, by our count. We have cataloged 5,186 historical markers and 315 war memorials—each individually presented on 5,480 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. Pages for historical markers from this state make up 4.1% of our total. In addition, we are reasonably certain of another five historical markers in Maryland that we don’t yet have, and instead show on our Want List. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.

The first Maryland marker in the database, Colony Of Maryland, was added November 9, 2005 while the database was being designed and tested (the Historical Marker Database went live January 1, 2006). It was photographed near Aberdeen in Harford County. The last one added was submitted earlier today, and titled Liberty Ship S.S. John W. Brown. It is in Baltimore and had been erected in 1942. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, one of the earliest historical markers we know of in Maryland was erected in 1792. More than one was erected that year. This one of them: Original Federal Boundary Stone, District of Columbia, Northeast 2, and one of our correspondents found it in Takoma Park in Montgomery County on September 11, 2016.

Marylanders don’t want to forget their Civil War history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Maryland about the Civil War—1,130 of them—than about any other historical category. It is followed by Industry and Commerce with 850 markers.

The first marker added to the database with the Civil War category was Rockville, added January 9, 2006. It had been erected in Rockville in Montgomery County. The last one submitted was submitted on February 17, 2020, and titled President Street Station. It had been erected in Baltimore. The earliest marker erected with the Civil War category that we have listed was erected in 1861. It was Capt. Samuel G. Prather, was found near Clear Spring in Washington County on December 5, 2009.

The Maryland county or independent city with the most historical markers listed in this database is Washington County, with 743 of them. It is followed closely by the independent city of Baltimore with 682 markers. The Sharpsburg area of Washington County has the highest number of markers within its limits, 418.

Checking the database for the city or town in Maryland with the most markers we again find Baltimore at the top of the list with 682 markers in or near it. And Sharpsburg also shows up again in next place, with 418 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 21782 at the top of the list with 422 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 21782 is assigned to Sharpsburg MD.) It is followed by ZIP Code 21401 with 151 markers. (21401 is assigned to Annapolis MD including the Cape Saint Claire delivery area.)

Getting back to Washington County, the first marker added to the database from there, One of Lee’s Ammunition Trains, was added June 2, 2006. in Hagerstown. The last one submitted was uploaded on December 29, 2019, and is titled Confederate Invasion, near Sharpsburg. The earliest marker erected in Washington County that we have listed was erected in 1861. It was Capt. Samuel G. Prather, found near Clear Spring on December 5, 2009.

By Michael Herrick, February 19, 2020

Latest Entry from Maryland
“Liberty Ship S.S. John W. Brown”

And finally the first, last, and oldest markers from Baltimore. The first: Orpheus, was added November 22, 2006. The last: Liberty Ship S.S. John W. Brown from earlier today was added . It had been erected in 1942. One of the earliest erected, dating from 1815 (more than one was erected that year): The Battle Monument, added on September 24, 2007.

The Maryland Historical Trust is currently in charge of the familiar Silver shield with black letters official historical markers found all over the state. We have 179 of their markers in the database. Also, a number of counties and an independent city have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some other cities and towns.

By Allen C. Browne, April 22, 2017

A Maryland Historical Trust Historical Marker

Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.

You’ll find that even the smallest, least populated, or most rural areas of Maryland have been marked with history. Check out Wicomico County, Caroline County and Somerset County. We've only found, respectively, 64, 59, and 35 historical markers there. Visiting one or more of these parts of Maryland might make for a pleasant road trip, and maybe you’ll discover more historical markers while you’re there. If you do, perhaps you’ll take the time to photograph them and, when you get home, become an HMdb correspondent by adding them to the database. Happy Hunting!