"[Fish were] lying so thicke with their heads above water, (that) for want of nets, we attempted to catch them with a frying pan"
-Captain John Smith, 1608
The Potomac River has long been a fine place to "go . . . — — Map (db m127728) HM
Two amusement parks developed on the Maryland side of the Potomac in the 1890s: one for blacks, and one for whites. Notley Hall was owned and operated by African-Americans. Black residents from Washington, D.C., visited the park called by one . . . — — Map (db m127705) HM
The nature of agriculture along the Potomac changed thanks to the techniques Dr. John H. Bayne used to produce fresh fruit and vegetables for the nation’s capital. Bayne ceased fighting for Maryland slaveholders to be compensated for emancipation, . . . — — Map (db m75448) HM
You’re now standing in the cove protected by Rosalie Island, the point of first landfall for the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in Maryland. Rosalie Island is actually not an island at all–it is a peninsula. Indeed it is not even a natural landform. The . . . — — Map (db m19859) HM
"From this we went to Piscataway, where all flew to arms. About five hundred men, equipped with bows, stood on the shore with their chieftain. Signs of peace given them, the chief, laying aside his apprehensions, came on board the . . . — — Map (db m202692) HM
By the mid-1700s, Prince George's County had the largest population of slaves in the state — nearly half of its residents were enslaved Africans, most working on local tobacco plantations. The Civil War drastically changed this equation. During . . . — — Map (db m202697) HM
The Potomac River was a current that ran through George Washington's life and through the early history of this country. Born downstream at Pope's Creek Plantation, Washington lived most of his life along the Potomac's banks. As a young man, he . . . — — Map (db m127727) HM
At first, Maryland's early settlers had little to trade with England in return for tools, clothing, coffee, tea, sugar, rum, and other necessities and luxuries of life. Tobacco, which was in great demand in Europe, proved to be the key to . . . — — Map (db m202693) HM
Well after the Civil War and the abolition of slavery, tobacco remained Prince George's County's most important crop. Upper Marlboro, formed in 1706, and established as county seat in 1721, continued to be an important center for tobacco cultivation . . . — — Map (db m187406) HM
In the mid-1960s, the water quality of the Potomac River was unhealthy. In 1965, President Lyndon Johnson called the river a "national disgrace." Development and public neglect had allowed the river to become polluted with sediment, sewage, and . . . — — Map (db m127729) HM
The Broad Creek Historic District was established by the Prince George's County Council on July 30, 1985. The area surrounding Broad Creek, an estuary of the Potomac River, is considered a special place because of its historical significance, its . . . — — Map (db m4617) HM
Friendly’s first football coach 1971-1991. His teams won three Md. State championships and compiled a record of 166-46-1. Crawford was a “man for all seasons.” Erected in gratitude by the Class of 1993 and Redskin Robert Green ’88. — — Map (db m14791) HM
Original Federal
Boundary Stone Southeast 7
District of Columbia
Placed in 1791-1792
This plaque placed here on
the 222nd anniversary
of the founding of
Washington, DC
1790-2012 — — Map (db m154911) HM
John James Audubon
(1785 - 1851)
John James Audubon helped raise the nation's collective attitude toward wildlife and natural beauty. Through his lifelike and life-size drawings of North American birds, he helped people everywhere to see . . . — — Map (db m65397) HM
This Conservation Trail
is dedicated to the memory of
Dr. Gregory J. Smith
Center Director,
Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
2009 - 2014
Dr. Smith was a global leader in wildlife conservation in the late 20th and . . . — — Map (db m207070) HM
Judge Gabriel Duvall built Marietta in 1812-13 and in the 1830s added a two-story wing on the north side. Duvall was distinguished for a lifetime of public service which included election to the Maryland state legislature and the United States . . . — — Map (db m3630) HM
The Delta placed its first successful payload, ECHO 1A, into orbit on August 12, 1960. Since then, Deltas have lifted over 200 payloads into space, earning it the nickname of "workhorse.' — — Map (db m145673) HM
This runway section was part of a NASA Wallops Island aeronautics study conducted in the 1960s. The study showed that grooved concrete surfaces deter aircraft tire hydroplaning. Now, many state highway departments use similar pavement to reduce car . . . — — Map (db m145689) HM
The Javelin, one of NASA's largest sounding rockets, has been used to study radio astronomy, and ionospheric and magnetospheric phenomena. Javelin can carry a 65 kg payload to a 800 km altitude. NASA's first Javelin was launched in 1959. — — Map (db m145691) HM
This tree grew from a seed carried around the moon by Apollo 14’s Command Module in 1971. The seed was one of many taken aboard Apollo 14 to study the effects of prolonged weightlessness on seed germination and seedling growth. The tree was planted . . . — — Map (db m145696) HM
This is a two-stage sounding rocket used for scientific research. Black Brant represents a family of Canadian-built rockets that date back to 1956. The rocket's name comes from a type of goose that inhabits both Canada and NASA's Wallops Island, . . . — — Map (db m145677) HM
The Nike-Tomahawk's near-constant acceleration and adjustable upper stage fins make it a highly versatile member of NASA's sounding rocket fleet. The Nike-Tomahawk was first launched in 1965. — — Map (db m145693) HM
Defying 30 mph gusts and temperatures down to minus 22 F, NASA's new polar rover recently demonstrated in Greenland that it could operate completely autonomously in one of Earth's harshest environments. The robot known as GROVER, which stands for . . . — — Map (db m145674) HM
Sounding rockets are effective, low cost, research tools used for direct atmospheric measurements and for a variety of experiments in space science, applications, and technology. They also flight test materials, instruments, and experiments for . . . — — Map (db m145692) HM
First Lady of the Land, First Lady of the World, wife of our 32nd President, First Chairman of the U.N. Commission on Human Rights. From this point she surveyed the site and spurred the work of building Greenbelt, the first garden community in the . . . — — Map (db m188) HM
Height 10 feet 7 inches
Diameter 12 feet 10 inches
Weight (including crew) 13,000 pounds
This is a model of the Apollo Command Module, which carried a total of 27 astronauts to lunar orbit aboard nine missions between 1968 and 1972. . . . — — Map (db m218613) HM
Technologies developed for Apollo led to advancements in the commercial sector. For example, fire-resistant textiles used for spacesuits are now used for firefighting, military purposes and motorsports. A water purification system used aboard Apollo . . . — — Map (db m218608) HM
Welcome to the City of Greenbelt
Unlike most towns that develop gradually over a long period of time, Greenbelt was the first "green town" built in 1936 from scratch as part of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal. The entire community was . . . — — Map (db m5038) HM
The Greenbelt Community Center, originally the Greenbelt Center Elementary School and Community Building, was completed in the autumn of 1937, just in time for Greenbelt’s first occupants. From the beginning, residents also used the buildings for . . . — — Map (db m2475) HM
The spacecraft commander sat on the left. In addition to command duties, the commander operated the spacecraft's flight controls. The Command Module pilot sat in the center, overseeing guidance and navigation and sometimes flying the spacecraft. . . . — — Map (db m218610) HM
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt took a great interest in Greenbelt and visited the town on numerous occasions. Mrs. Roosevelt participated directly in extensive planning and development. She believed that decent housing and a nurturing environment . . . — — Map (db m2474) HM
A gas station has stood on this site since the opening of the town in 1937. Notice that the rounded glass facade is gone from the original building and that a garage has been added on the right side. Initially, like all the other businesses in . . . — — Map (db m194) HM
This trail and overpass are dedicated to Gladys Noon Spellman in recognition of 18 years of public service to the citizens of Greenbelt as Member of Congress for the Fifth Congressional District of Maryland and as Chairman and Member of the Prince . . . — — Map (db m129985) HM
Greenbelt was the first of three planned garden towns built and owned by the U.S. Government during the Administration of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. It was a "new deal" experiment in community planning, of note to urban planners throughout . . . — — Map (db m41235) HM
Greenbelt Historic District has been designated a National Historic Landmark. The original town of Greenbelt was the first government sponsored planned community built on Garden City principles and possesses national significance in commemorating . . . — — Map (db m41234) HM
In 1936 the federal government built Greenbelt and two other "greenbelt towns" as models of town and community planning. The government carefully selected tenants for the utopian town and acted as landlord. Although Greenbelt was carefully planned, . . . — — Map (db m26553) HM
Construction on the Greenbelt project began with this lake on October 12, 1935. Originally a heavily wooded 23-acre valley cut by a stream, the lake required one year and over two hundred men to complete it. Because the federal government was . . . — — Map (db m173) HM
The Greenbelt Museum house opened October 10, 1987 as part of the City of Greenbelt's 50th anniversary celebration. At approximately 836 square feet, this particular unit is one of the smallest of the original homes. The Friends of Greenbelt Museum . . . — — Map (db m130042) HM
This is a place of contrast. Once this land was covered with virgin forest, then it was farmland, and then a proposed housing development. Now it is an alluring refuge within an ever-growing sea of development. Here you can find wilderness, . . . — — Map (db m41265) HM
This is a place of contrast. Once this land was covered with virgin forest, then it was farmland, and then a proposed housing development. Now it is an alluring refuge within an ever-growing sea of development. Here you can find wilderness, . . . — — Map (db m68570) HM
This is a place of contrast. Once this land was covered with virgin forest, then it was farmland, and then a proposed housing development. Now it is an alluring refuge within an ever-growing sea of development. Here you can find wilderness, . . . — — Map (db m68699) HM
The City of Greenbelt was conceived, built, and for a long time owned by the Federal government. Greenbelt was one of three “green cities” built during the Great Depression. The theory of “green cities” was revolutionary: . . . — — Map (db m41275) HM
The City of Greenbelt was conceived, built, and for a long time owned by the Federal government. Greenbelt was one of three “green cities” built during the Great Depression. The theory of “green cities” was revolutionary: . . . — — Map (db m68569) HM
Astronauts spent much of their time on their couches. With the seat portion of the center couch folded, two astronauts could stand at the same time. The astronauts slept in two sleeping bags mounted beneath the left and right couches. The sleeping . . . — — Map (db m218611) HM
Bishop Francis Asbury, builder of Methodism in America, recorded nine visits to this place. The farm, called "Wild Cat," belonged to Shadrick Turner, planter. He and his wife Sarah, zealous laymen, hosted many meetings. Several United Methodist . . . — — Map (db m122) HM
Greenbelt's 1937 Roosevelt Center Mall is one of the first planned shopping areas in the country—a precursor to the modern shopping mall. Greenbelt's planners positioned the mall to be within easy and safe walking distance from all the . . . — — Map (db m195) HM
Progressive planners equipped Greenbelt with the kinds of outdoor athletic facilities that only rich people could afford during the Great Depression. Greenbelt’s original outdoor swimming pool opened on Memorial Day 1939. It was reportedly the only . . . — — Map (db m2473) HM
Sounds of battle could be heard here from Bladensburg, six miles away, on August 24, 1814. Victorious British troops then moved into Washington, D.C. The sky was already aglow above the city; Americans has torched the Washington Navy Yard to . . . — — Map (db m68566) HM
On this site Isaac, Charles and Nathan Walker erected a large white oak log house, named for their ancestral stronghold in Scotland which the three brothers had fled after the failure of attempts to unseat George I, King of England as ruler of . . . — — Map (db m3621) HM
Greenbelt Park’s streams and wetlands vividly demonstrate that what goes on outside the boundary of a park can have a profound effect on the park itself. Streambeds within the park are deeply scoured and eroded. The water that courses through them . . . — — Map (db m41257)
Located on early colonial survey line - "The Golden Race" - patented to Thomas Greenfield by Lord Baltimore in 1695. One of the earliest Methodist congregations in America. Formerly Smith's Meeting House 1794-1839 and Emory Chapel 1840-1879. Part of . . . — — Map (db m3629) HM
George Calvert sold this land, 1836, to Robert Clark, builder of the house, 1840. General Edward F. Beale, early surveyor and government agent in the southwest, bought the estate, 1875. Presidents Grant and Cleveland were frequent visitors as was . . . — — Map (db m3622) HM
A Nation of Immigrants
America was built on the hopes and the dreams and the sweat of the brows of immigrants who came for a better life — a life free from religious and political strife, prejudice, and persecution.
For forty years, . . . — — Map (db m145914) HM
Born into slavery, Elizabeth Keckly purchased her freedom using her exceptional skills as a seamstress. After establishing her own business, she was employed as a modiste (dressmaker) by Mary Lincoln, becoming her trusted friend and confidante. Mrs. . . . — — Map (db m73161) HM
In Memory of
Osborne Perry Anderson
July 17, 1830 December 11, 1872
This dedicated and brave Christian traveled from Chatham, Canada to Harper's Ferry,
West Virginia, to fight beside John Brown in his quest to abolish slavery. He . . . — — Map (db m202682) HM WM
the Rhode Island Avenue Trolley Trail is one of the last remnants of the streetcar line that ran from the Treasury Building in downtown Washington, D.C. all the way to Laurel. Riders can again experience the trip from Hyattsville to Branchville . . . — — Map (db m238369) HM
Records from the early 1700's indicate that a riverfront settlement named Beale Town was once located on the site that later became Hyattstown. The little outpost never achieved town status. In 1742, the residents petitioned to have a new town laid . . . — — Map (db m14608) HM
On July 31, 1913, "Couriers to Congress" from across the nation converged at the nearby Hyattsville baseball park. Carrying 75,000 signatures demanding immediate action on a constitutional amendment enfranchising women. Hyattsville residents warmly . . . — — Map (db m137926) HM
The Bill of Rights
On September 25, 1789, the Congress passed a resolution offering twelve amendments to the newly ratified Constitution.
Ten of these amendments, known as the Bill of Rights because they address individual liberties, . . . — — Map (db m145915) HM
Welcome to the City of Hyattsville
Christopher Clark Hyatt purchased a land parcel in 1845 and soon after the surrounding farmland was subdivided into housing lots. By 1859, the tract officially began to be recognized as Hyattsville.
. . . — — Map (db m13753) HM
The Constitution
The colonists had been bristling under British rule for ten years when the First Continental Congress convened in the Fall of 1774. On April 19, 1775, the Revolution began, and by the end of 1777, the Congress had written . . . — — Map (db m145907) HM
The Declaration of Independence
On June 7, 1776, forty-four-year-old Richard Henry Lee, Senior Member of the Virginia Delegation, submitted a resolution to the Continental Congress:
Resolved, that these United Colonies . . . — — Map (db m145903) HM
The Gettysburg Address
Over the course of three days in July 1863, one-quarter of the entire Union force and more than one-third of the Confederate army were killed, wounded, or declared missing — approximately 50,000 men in all.
Four . . . — — Map (db m202630) HM
Established in 1982 and expanded in 2004, over 1,000 structures encircling the Victorian core of Hyattsville were listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Homes built in the late 1800s located near the intersection of 42nd Avenue and . . . — — Map (db m68102) HM
The Lewis & Clark Expedition
In the Spring of America's 28th year, Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark began a vital mission, having been charged by President Thomas Jefferson to do three things: chart an all-water route from the . . . — — Map (db m145919) HM
The Louisiana Purchase
Under the direction of President Thomas Jefferson, the Louisiana Purchase of 1803 — the largest single land deal in the history of the United States — doubled the size of the young nation. Napolean Bonaparte of . . . — — Map (db m202672) HM
The Treaty at Fort McIntosh
On January 21, 1785, sixteen months after the United States had signed the peace treaty in Paris with Great Britain to formally end the Revolutionary War, a peace treaty was signed at Fort McIntosh in Ohio. . . . — — Map (db m145905) HM
The slave who built the statue of Freedom atop the U.S. Capitol, died a free man on Feb. 6, 1892, and is buried here at National Harmony Memorial Park. — — Map (db m73095) HM
To Serve and Defend
Each of the original 13 colonies had the right and the obligation to establish a militia to protect and defend its citizens. Those rights and obligations were subsequently adopted by the Second Continental Congress, when . . . — — Map (db m202762) HM
Known as “Castle Magruder” where lived Rev. Jonathan Boucher, tutor to “Jackie” Custis.
George and Martha Washington,
Nelly and John Parke Custis, Benedict Calvert, and Robert Eden, last royal governor of . . . — — Map (db m3631) HM
Located within Watkins Regional Park, the Chesapeake Carousel is believed to have been constructed by Gustav Dentzel, one of America's foremost carousel makers of the 19th century. While some of the animals depicted on the carousel are from . . . — — Map (db m109640) HM
The Robert M. Watkins Regional Park is 864 acres in size. It was named in honor of Robert Watkins, who served as the Chairman of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) from 1951 until 1954 and played a significant role . . . — — Map (db m192205) HM
Constructed in the 1840s, this 22 by 40 foot brick slave quarters housed two families. It was divided into two living areas by a central wall and chimney. Each side has an entryway and fireplace with a loft above. Later, a shed was added to the . . . — — Map (db m69272) HM
From the late 1600s to the mid-1800s, large tobacco plantations dominated the economic and social life of Prince George’s County. One of the most prominent plantations in the county was Northampton. Today, all that remains of Northampton are the . . . — — Map (db m19368) HM
In 1673, Charles Calvert, the Third Lord Baltimore, granted 1000-acres of land to Thomas Sprigg. Sprigg named the property Northampton, located in what later became Prince George's County, and was home to the Sprigg family and their slaves and . . . — — Map (db m69274) HM
Seeking Freedom
"Billy", who went by William Whitington, and "Clem", also known as Clem Hill, escaped together on June 21, 1815, as shown in the ad printed in the Washington, D.C. newspaper, Daily National Intelligencer on June 26, . . . — — Map (db m69277) HM
Exhausted from marching, battling at Bladensburg, and invading Washington, British soldiers stopped to rest. Many slept on Northampton Plantation property on August 26, 1814, before resuming their march to Upper Marlboro.
By August 30, after the . . . — — Map (db m78146) HM
Built 1795 by Benjamin Stoddert first Secretary of the Navy 1798-1801. A Revolutionary War Major. Stoddert was born 1751 in Charles County and died here December 18, 1813. Land originally granted to Colonel Ninian Beall of Georgetown. — — Map (db m95813) HM
The farm, then comprised of about three hundred acres, was purchased from the Wilson Family by The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission in 1995. Eighty acres were preserved for the development of the Prince George's Sports & . . . — — Map (db m150953) HM
Built in 1928, Highland Park was the second high school for African Americans in Prince George's County, Maryland. It was one of 23 "Rosenwald Schools" constructed in Prince George’s County with financial assistance from the Julius Rosenwald Fund, . . . — — Map (db m40025) HM
On this site stood the Wilson family homestead, which was built in the early 1900s after an earlier family home was destroyed by fire. It was the home of Georgianna Cornelia Wallis and Joseph Percy Wilson, the grandparents of the last generation of . . . — — Map (db m202764) HM
Former Prince George's County Council member Marvin F. Wilson, representing District 5, gained a reputation early on as a staunch supporter of the Washington Redskins' relocation to Prince George's County. Mr. Wilson had a vision that this . . . — — Map (db m199005) HM
Farming community established after the Civil War by former slaves from local tobacco plantations. Ridgley Methodist Episcopal Church was first built in the late 1870s on land deeded to trustees Rev. Lewis Ridgley, Joseph Beal, and Richard Cook in . . . — — Map (db m89553) HM
This memorial is dedicated
in sincere tribute to the living and dead whose valiant efforts and unselfish sacrifices have made America great. God grant that the liberty of humanity won only by brave souls vigilantly guarded shall live on more . . . — — Map (db m150954) WM
A suburb established by progressive African Americans who worked in the District of Columbia. Platted in 1908 along a stop of the WB&A Electric Railway. Developed by Lawyer Educator, Civil Servant and activist Thomas Junius Calloway. Vice President . . . — — Map (db m72043) HM
If you were standing on this site in 1930, you would have been surrounded by farmland. But "progress" was just beyond the trees where small planes took off and landed at the new Schrom Airport. Civil engineer William H. Schrom owned much of this . . . — — Map (db m130041) HM
The Patuxent River was actually dammed in two places in Laurel to power its mills. In addition to its much larger cousin up stream, The Avondale Mill, downstream from here, was fed by water created by the “Little Dam” located at the foot . . . — — Map (db m79253) HM
Dr. Luis M. Arbona stepped through the doors of Reality in 1972 as its medical director. Often described as "not of this planet," he rose from humble beginnings in rural Utuado, Puerto Rico to become a gifted and pioneering physician and . . . — — Map (db m78932) HM
The Avondale Mill was built on this site in 1845.Initially a flour mill, it later produced cotton cloth and lace. The building was used to manufacture tractors during WWII. The mill burned in 1991. The site is part of Laurel's Riverfront Park.Site . . . — — Map (db m79027) HM
The Avondale Mill was built by Horace Capron in between 1845-1848. Later owned by George Wheeler and others, for many years it was known as Crabbs' Mill after owner Benjamin F. Crabbs. Over the years flour, corn, and lace embroidery were among the . . . — — Map (db m72077) HM
Community baseball was played in the Grove as early as 1878. In 1928 a group of African American men formed the Laurel Stars (also called the All-Stars), They, and their predecessor, the Laurel White Sox, played on this site, perhaps as early as . . . — — Map (db m202743) HM
This point marking the site of the 9th Street Bridge that connected Laurel and Howard County over the Patuxent River is dedicated to the memory of Frank P. Casula (1920-2001).
Frank P. Casula served the Citizens of Laurel and Prince George's . . . — — Map (db m72071) HM
The pool opened here in 1958 was originally private and whites only. Dr. John Warren of the Lions Club led the effort to open a pool in Laurel after seeing so many children swimming in the polluted Patuxent River.
Warren formed . . . — — Map (db m229027) HM
Dinosaurs lived during most of the Mesozoic Era (235 to 65 million years ago), on every continent on Earth. In Maryland, each of three Mesozoic time periods in which dinosaurs live is represented in its geology -- Triassic, Jurassic, and . . . — — Map (db m67139) HM
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