The Origin of the Parole Community

The Origin of the Parole Community. . , The Civil War , The Civil War had a major impact on the people of Anne Arundel County. As a border state, Maryland was home to both Confederate and Union sympathizers. Like Baltimore, Annapolis was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War to secure Maryland for the Union cause and protect Washington, D.C. By 1863, Annapolis had become the most important depot for prisoners paroled on the coast. As a result, a larger facility named Camp Parole was built just outside Annapolis adjacent to the railroad connecting it with Washington and Baltimore. At these facilities, Union prisoners paroled from Confederate prisons could get a bath, a shave, fresh clothing, and in some cases, badly needed medical attention., The Parole Community , The soldiers remained at Camp Parole until they could be either sent home or rejoin their regiments. When the Camp was disbanded in October, 1865, these grounds were still called Camp parole. African-American individuals and families had come from far and wide to work at the Camp and in Annapolis. After the war, they established a community and took advantage of the opportunities on nearby farms and in Annapolis. Today many of those families who settled in Parole have descendents still living here.