Highland Beach in Anne Arundel County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Twin Oaks
Frederick Douglass Summer Home
Photographed by Christopher Busta-Peck, March 13, 2008
1. Twin Oaks Marker
Designed by Frederick Douglass so that "As a free man I could look back across the bay to the land where I was born a slave". Built by Charles Remond Douglass.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1895.
Location. 38° 55.816′ N, 76° 27.846′ W. Marker is in Highland Beach, Maryland, in Anne Arundel County. It is on Wayman Avenue, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 3200 Wayman Avenue, Annapolis MD 21403, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Maryland. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. 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.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Highland Beach Maryland (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Twin Oaks (a few steps from this marker); Dr. Millard R. "Buddy" Dean (within shouting distance of this marker); Dr. Mary Church Terrell (within shouting distance of this marker); Major Charles and Laura Douglass Town Hall at Highland Beach (approx. Ό mile away); Highland Beach (approx. Ό mile away); Venice Beach (approx. Ό mile away); Arundel-on-the-Bay (approx. one mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Highland Beach.
Also see . . .
1. Twin Oaks, the summer cottage built for Frederick Douglass
this page online
2. Douglass Summer House. Maryland Historic Trust website entry:
Links to National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (Submitted on February 6, 2026, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
3. Douglass Summer House - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form.
The significance of the Douglass Summer House is derived from its relationship to the African-American resort community of Highland Beach. Located along the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay, Highland Beach was established in 1893 by Major Charles Douglass, a Civil War veteran and a son of Frederick Douglass, the famed African-American humanitarian, orator and writer. Highland Beach became a summer gathering place for prominent African-Americans, particularly from Washington, D.C. Included among the early residents are Paul Lawrence Dunbar, the poet; and Robert Terrell, the first African-American municipal judge in Washington, D.C. and his wife, Mary Church Terrell, educator and civil libertarian.(Submitted on April 28, 2026, by Pete Skillman of Townsend, Delaware.)
Photographed by Christopher Busta-Peck, March 13, 2008
2. National Register of Historic Places marker
Photographed by Christopher Busta-Peck, March 13, 2008
3. Marker, as seen from the street
Photographed by Christopher Busta-Peck, March 13, 2008
4. Twin Oaks
Photographed by Christopher Busta-Peck, March 13, 2008
5. View across the bay from Twin Oaks
Historic American Buildings Survey, creator (courtesy of Library of Congress)
6. Perspective view from east.
Frederick Douglass Summer House, 3200 Wayman Avenue, Highland Beach, Anne Arundel County, MD Photos from Survey HABS MD-1272
Click for more information.
Click for more information.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 28, 2026. It was originally submitted on March 13, 2008, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,568 times since then and 56 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on March 13, 2008, by Christopher Busta-Peck of Shaker Heights, Ohio. 6. submitted on November 16, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
