Severna Park in Anne Arundel County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Lynching in America ⎯⎯⎯ Lynching in Anne Arundel County
Community Remembrance Project
Photographed by Pete Skillman, June 13, 2023
1. Lynching in Anne Arundel County side of marker.
Inscription.
Lynching in America, also, Lynching in Anne Arundel County. .
Lynching in America. Thousands of black people were the victims of racial terror lynching in the United States between 1877 and 1950. The lynching of African Americans during this era was a form of racial terrorism intended to intimidate black people and enforce racial hierarchy and segregation. After the Civil War, violent resistance to equal rights for African Americans and an ideology of white supremacy led to fatal violence against black women, men, and children. Many African Americans were lynched following accusations of violating social customs, engaging in interracial relationships, or committing crimes, even when there was no evidence tying the accused to any offense. It was not uncommon for lynch mobs to seize their victims from jails, prisons, courtrooms, or out of police hands, often without fear of any legal repercussions. Though armed and legally required to protect the men and women in their custody, police rarely used force to resist white mobs intent on killing black people and sometimes even participated in lynchings. Racial terror lynchings often included burnings and mutilation, sometimes in front of crowds numbering in the thousands. Many names of those whose lives were claimed by these acts of racially motivated violence were not recorded and will never be known, but at least 29 racial terror lynchings have been documented in Maryland. ,
Lynching in Anne Arundel County. Between 1875 and 1911, racial terror lynchings of African Americans by white mobs created a legacy of violence, intimidation, and injustice that has not previously been acknowledged. At least five racial terror lynchings took place in Anne Arundel County, traumatizing the black community. These lawless acts of violence targeted African Americans accused of misconduct or crimes, all of whom were killed without a trial , many under false accusation. In 1875, a white mob lynched John Simms at Simms Crossing after seizing him from the county jail, which stood here on Calvert Street. In 1884, George Briscoe was being transported to the jail when a white mob abducted and lynched him by the Magothy River Bridge. In 1898, Wright Smith was taken from the county jail by a white mob intent on lynching him. He attempted to escape but the mob shot him in the back of the head as he fled. Henry Davis was seized from the jail in 1906, dragged by a mob through the nearby Clay Street black community, and hanged by College Creek. He was shot over 100 times. Five years later, a white mob abducted King Johnson from the Brooklyn Station House. The mob beat Mr. Johnson, dragged him through the streets, and shot him to death. Although the perpetrators of this violence were often known to law enforcement, no one was ever convicted of crimes for these acts of racial terror. Memorializing these victims reminds us to remain persistent in the pursuit of justice for all.,
Connecting the dots.
Lynching in America
Thousands of black people were the victims of racial terror lynching in the United States between 1877 and 1950. The lynching of African Americans during this era was a form of racial terrorism intended to intimidate black people and enforce racial hierarchy and segregation. After the Civil War, violent resistance to equal rights for African Americans and an ideology of white supremacy led to fatal violence against black women, men, and children. Many African Americans were lynched following accusations of violating social customs, engaging in interracial relationships, or committing crimes, even when there was no evidence tying the accused to any offense. It was not uncommon for lynch mobs to seize their victims from jails, prisons, courtrooms, or out of police hands, often without fear of any legal repercussions. Though armed and legally required to protect the men and women in their custody, police rarely used force to resist white mobs intent on killing black people and sometimes even participated in lynchings. Racial terror lynchings often included burnings and mutilation, sometimes in front of crowds numbering in the thousands. Many names of those whose lives were claimed by these acts of racially motivated violence were not recorded and will never be known, but at least 29 racial
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terror lynchings have been documented in Maryland.
Lynching in Anne Arundel County
Between 1875 and 1911, racial terror lynchings of African Americans by white mobs created a legacy of violence, intimidation, and injustice that has not previously been acknowledged. At least five racial terror lynchings took place in Anne Arundel County, traumatizing the black community. These lawless acts of violence targeted African Americans accused of misconduct or crimes, all of whom were killed without a trial many under false accusation. In 1875, a white mob lynched John Simms at Simms Crossing after seizing him from the county jail, which stood here on Calvert Street. In 1884, George Briscoe was being transported to the jail when a white mob abducted and lynched him by the Magothy River Bridge. In 1898, Wright Smith was taken from the county jail by a white mob intent on lynching him. He attempted to escape but the mob shot him in the back of the head as he fled. Henry Davis was seized from the jail in 1906, dragged by a mob through the nearby Clay Street black community, and hanged by College Creek. He was shot over 100 times. Five years later, a white mob abducted King Johnson from the Brooklyn Station House. The mob beat Mr. Johnson, dragged him through the streets, and shot him to death. Although the perpetrators of this violence were often
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 9, 2019
2. Lynching in America side of marker at its former location.
known to law enforcement, no one was ever convicted of crimes for these acts of racial terror. Memorializing these victims reminds us to remain persistent in the pursuit of justice for all.
Location. 39° 4.378′ N, 76° 32.689′ W. Marker is in Severna Park, Maryland, in Anne Arundel County. It is on West McKinsey Road 0.1 miles east of Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard (Maryland Route 648), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 45 W McKinsey Rd, Severna Park MD 21146, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Maryland’s Baltimore Metro Region. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Another marker is no longer nearby. Historic Annapolis (was approx. 1.6 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Additional commentary. 1. Marker moved to Severna Park. In mid 2020 this marker, originally installed in Annapolis on Calvert Street near Clay Street, was hit by a bus and removed. On June 15th, 2021, it was moved to the Anne Arundel County, Severna Park Library to prevent further damages to the marker.
— Submitted June 30, 2021, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
2. Placement of marker at the Severna Park Library. Apparently the visible Lynching in Anne Arundel County side, sitting on a wooden frame, is the way they decided to install this marker. The other side, Lynching in America, will not be visible. The librarian at the information desk says they have documentation inside the library that would allow you to read the no-longer-visible
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 9, 2019
4. Lynching in Anne Arundel County side of marker at former location.
side of the marker. Kind of defeats the ability to read that side when the library is closed. However, there is always this website!
— Submitted June 16, 2023, by Mark Hilton of Montgomery, Alabama.
Additional keywords. Jim Crow
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 9, 2019
5. Former location of the Lynching in Anne Arundel County / Lynching in America Marker
Photographed by Brandon D Cross
6. Lynching in Anne Arundel County Marker
A Replica marker of one side is located at the Equal Justice Initiatives' National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama. The Equal Justice Initiative supports efforts to locally memorialize documented victims of racial violence and to educate communities about the history of racial injustice. Mark Hilton
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 9, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 1,376 times since then and 45 times this year. Last updated on June 13, 2023, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware. Photos:1. submitted on June 13, 2023, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware. 2. submitted on November 9, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on June 13, 2023, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware. 4, 5. submitted on November 9, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 6. submitted on October 27, 2024, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
