THE HISTORICAL
MARKER DATABASE
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
 
 
 
 
 
 
86 entries match your criteria.  

 
 

Historical Markers in Solomons

 
Clickable Map of Calvert County, Maryland and Immediately Adjacent Jurisdictions image/svg+xml 2019-10-06 U.S. Census Bureau, Abe.suleiman; Lokal_Profil; HMdb.org; J.J.Prats/dc:title> https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Usa_counties_large.svg Calvert County, MD (210) Anne Arundel County, MD (599) Charles County, MD (167) Dorchester County, MD (165) Prince George s County, MD (679) St. Mary s County, MD (403) Talbot County, MD (157)  CalvertCounty(210) Calvert County (210)  AnneArundelCounty(599) Anne Arundel County (599)  CharlesCounty(167) Charles County (167)  DorchesterCounty(165) Dorchester County (165)  PrinceGeorge'sCounty(679) Prince George's County (679)  St.Mary'sCounty(403) St. Mary's County (403)  TalbotCounty(157) Talbot County (157)
Prince Frederick is the county seat for Calvert County
Solomons is in Calvert County
Calvert County (210)  ►
ADJACENT TO CALVERT COUNTY
Anne Arundel County (599)  ►
Charles County (167)  ►
Dorchester County (165)  ►
Prince George's County (679)  ►
St. Mary's County (403)  ►
Talbot County (157)  ►
 
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1 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Anchor
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) at Thomas Johnson Road when traveling north. Reported permanently removed.
Five thousand pound anchor from the USS Valcour, a seaplane tender and a research vessel. Vessel was stripped for salvage at the U.S. Navy Ordinance Testing Station at Solomons in 1976. Anchor was originally aboard USS Portsmouth . . . — — Map (db m138562) HM
2 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Anchor
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south. Reported permanently removed.
Iron anchor from round stern, gaffed-rigged bugeye Catherine. The anchor was found in the Chesapeake Bay off Dares Beach and recovered by Capt. Martin O'Berry. The Catherine was built by M. M. Davis in Solomons in 1911 and owned by . . . — — Map (db m138563) HM
3 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Apt Anchorage — Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail — National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
On Thomas Johnson Road at Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge ( Route 4), on the right when traveling west on Thomas Johnson Road.
The point to the north protruding into the river is appropriately called “Point Patience” as it was difficult to maneuver around in the era of sail. The south side of the point provided good anchorage, visibility, protection from other ships, and . . . — — Map (db m81121) HM
4 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — The Ark of Hungerford Creek
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south. Reported permanently removed.
The Ark of Hungerford Creek has its origin thousands of miles away in Stettin, Germany, with the construction in 1906 of passenger liner Kronprinzessin Cecilie for the North German Lloyd company. After a number of transatlantic voyages the . . . — — Map (db m138614) HM
5 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — The Ark of Hungerford Creek —
On Solomons Island Road South south of Lore Road, on the right when traveling north.
The current Ark of Hungerford Creek originated in Stettin, Germany, as a lifeboat for the passenger liner Kronprinzessin Cecilie, built in 1906 for the North German Lloyd company. After numerous transatlantic voyages,the Kronprinzessin . . . — — Map (db m287731) HM
6 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Beaven Hall — 150 Farren Avenue —
On Farren Avenue north of Carls Way, on the right when traveling south.
Beaven Hall is the oldest state-funded building on the CBL campus, built in 1931 on land donated by the citizens of Solomons. Re-dedicated in 1992 to honor Dr. George F. Beaven (1903-1964), a pioneer in the field of marine biology and widely . . . — — Map (db m287640) HM
7 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Beaven Hall — 150 Farren Avenue —
Near Williams Street north of Carls Way, on the right when traveling north.
Beaven Hall is the oldest state-funded building on the CBL campus, built in 1931 on land donated by the citizens of Solomons. Re-dedicated in 1992 to honor Dr. George F. Beaven (1903-1964), a pioneer in the field of marine biology and widely . . . — — Map (db m287653) HM
8 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Becker House — 145 Charles Street — Outreach classroom and guest apartments. —
On Charles Street just east of Williams Street, on the right when traveling east.
Built in 1924 by Clarence Davis as a general store operated by Gus, Sam and Hyman Becker; later converted to a laundromat. Acquired by CBL in 2000. — — Map (db m138618) HM
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9 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Benning Crab Skiff — 16' ื 5'3" ื 1'8" — Flat Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
This flat-bottom crabbing skiff was built around 1920 by Harry Benning at Galesville, Maryland. A Clinton air-cooled engine was installed in the 1930s, but the former sail rig was retained. She is currently outfitted for trotlining. A trotline . . . — — Map (db m138575) HM
10 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Bernie Fowler Laboratory — 142 Williams Street —
On Williams Street south of Charles Street, on the left when traveling north.
Built in 1994 and re-dedicated in 1998 to honor former Maryland State Senator C. Bernard "Bernie" Fowler in recognition of his efforts to protect the Chesapeake Bay watershed. He is particularly known for his annual "wade-in" in the Patuxent . . . — — Map (db m287666) HM
11 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Box Stern Workboat John A. Ryder — 40'6" ื 12' ื 2'6" — V Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
John A. Ryder represents the most common type of Chesapeake Bay workboat, with its V-bottom and flat box-stern. These gradually replaced earlier powerboats like the adjacent Penguin. John A. Ryder was built in 1944 as the . . . — — Map (db m138589) HM
12 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Built for Work — Built for Pleasure — Traditional Boats of Southern Maryland —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
"The Chesapeake Bay has been known from the earliest times for the speed and beauty of its vessels" — Henry Hall, 1884 For centuries, wooden boats served as the primary means of transportation and communication, and chief tool . . . — — Map (db m138566) HM
13 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — The Business End of a Screwpile —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Screwpile lighthouses like Drum Point get their name from the pilings which were screwed into the seabed to support the lighthouse structure. This cast-iron auger and attached section of wrought-iron pile were recovered from the original site of . . . — — Map (db m138609) HM
14 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Calvert County —
On Solomons Island Road (Maryland Route 2) at Lore Road, on the right when traveling south on Solomons Island Road.
Established as Patuxent County in 1654, it was given Lord Baltimore’s family name in 1658. Now the state's smallest county, it once encompassed most of Prince George’s County and parts of Anne Arundel and St. Mary’s counties. A narrow peninsula with . . . — — Map (db m3416) HM
15 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Calvert Marine Museum's Dee of St. Mary's —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling north.
Stats Like all Chesapeake skipjacks, the Dee of St. Mary's has a shallow draft to negotiate the waters along the shorelines and a wide bottom for stability. She is constructed mostly of white oak and spruce pine.
56' . . . — — Map (db m138610) HM
16 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Chaney Rail Skiff — 16'7" ื 3'4" ื 1' — Flat Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Rail skiffs were used almost exclusively for hunting rail birds in season in the early autumn. The marshes of the upper Patuxent River were once one of the most well known hunting grounds in the mid-Atlantic region. In use, a gunner stood in front, . . . — — Map (db m138595) HM
17 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — The Chesapeake Bay Bugeye — A Memorial to Those who Fished the Bay and Built Their Boats —
On Solomons Road (Maryland Route 2) 0.1 miles south of Alexander Lane, on the right when traveling south.
The first frame bugeye, the Carrie, was built on Solomons Island in 1870. The bugeye was a Chesapeake Bay work boat. It was used in the oystering industry for hauling freight. The bugeye is a symbol of the Chesapeake Bay Heritage of Solomons . . . — — Map (db m138615) HM
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18 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Chesapeake Biological Laboratory —
On Farren Avenue 0.1 miles south of Charles Street ( Route 2), on the right when traveling south.
Founded by R.V. Truitt, 1925. Sponsored by Maryland Conservation Department since 1931, in cooperation with Carnegie Institution, Johns Hopkins and Maryland universities, Goucher, St. John's, Washington, and Western Maryland colleges "to afford a . . . — — Map (db m3456) HM
19 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Chesapeake Biological Laboratory —
On Farren Avenue north of Carls Way, on the right when traveling south.
State of Maryland Chesapeake Biological Laboratory Established 1931 by the Conservation Department for scientific research in the marine life of Maryland Albert C. Ritchie Governor • R. V. Truitt . . . — — Map (db m287643) HM
20 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Chesapeake Biological Laboratory — ⚓ —
Near Williams Street north of Carls Way, on the right when traveling north.
This anchor has a deep connection to the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory and to the family of our founder, Dr. Reginald Truitt. The anchor was one of several belonging to generations of seafaring Truitts. Capt. Peter Truitt, Reginald Truitt's . . . — — Map (db m287645) HM
21 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Colonial Dugout or Punt (Reproduction) — 15'3" ื 2'2" ื 1' — Round Bottom Log —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
During the early colonial period, boatbuilders were in short supply. As most settlements were built along the Chesapeake's rivers and creeks, there was a great need for small boats of any kind. Colonists, using metal-edged tools, were able to refine . . . — — Map (db m138584) HM
22 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Cory Hall — 125 Williams Street —
On Williams Street north of Carls Way, on the right when traveling north.
Built in 1960 and re-dedicated in 1992 to honor pioneering entomologist Dr. Ernest Cory (1887-1979) who led the University of Maryland's Entomology Department for more than 40 years. CBL founder and first Director, Dr. R. V. Truitt, was a student . . . — — Map (db m287644) HM
23 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Cory Hall — 125 Williams Street —
Near Williams Street north of Carls Way, on the right when traveling north.
Built in 1960 and re-dedicated in 1992 to honor pioneering entomologist Dr. Ernest Cory (1887-1979) who led the University of Maryland's Entomology Department for more than 40 years. CBL founder and first Director, Dr. R. V. Truitt, was a student . . . — — Map (db m287654) HM
24 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Crab Skiff Pep (Reproduction) — 18'6 ื 3'8" ื 1' — Flat Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
In 1940, noted maritime historian Howard I. Chapelle documented a small flat-bottom, double-ended crab skiff at Deal Island, Maryland. This was one of the many varieties of Chesapeake crab skiffs noted by Chapelle in two articles written for . . . — — Map (db m138591) HM
25 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Dewey Floating Dry Dock —
On Solomons Island Road South north of Charles Street, on the right when traveling south.
Named after the Admiral of the Navy, George Dewey, the Dewey dry dock was built in 1905 by the Maryland Steel Company at Sparrows Point in Baltimore, Maryland. At that time, it was the world's largest floating dry dock, measuring 500' by . . . — — Map (db m287631) HM
26 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Drum Point Lighthouse
On Solomons Island Road, South. Reported permanently removed.
"The necessity of a light at this point is very great, as all vessels bound up or down the Chesapeake put in at this place during the winter to seek protection from floating ice; and as the entrance is formed by a low sand spit, . . . — — Map (db m60232) HM
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27 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Drum Point Lighthouse — 1883-1962 —
On Solomons Island Road (Maryland Route 2) 0.1 miles south of Lore Road, on the left when traveling south.
This lighthouse, installed in 1883, originally stood 125 yards offshore at the entrance of the Patuxent River to the Chesapeake Bay. The foundation on which the cottage living quarters rest consist of seven wrought iron screw piles, hand bored into . . . — — Map (db m3457) HM
28 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Enemy Blockade — Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail — National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
On Farren Avenue.
British warships blockaded the mouth of the Patuxent River after the Chesapeake Flotilla and Royal Navy skirmished off Cedar Point to the south June 1, 1814. Drum Point to the north served as a major British anchorage. The British made mischief in . . . — — Map (db m81120) HM
29 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — The ESSO Fleet —
On Solomons Island Road South north of Charles Street, on the right when traveling south.
The great depression in 1930 produced radical changes in tanker movements, creating a massive surplus of ships. Standard Oil (ESSO) chose the Patuxent River for lay-up because of its natural advantages. The location was Millstone Landing, . . . — — Map (db m287634) HM
30 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Five-Log Canoe Shamrock — 40'8" ื 9'4" ื 3'10" — Round Bottom Log —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Shamrock was built around 1908 near Poquoson, Virginia. She has the dimensions of a sailing "brogan," a predecessor to the larger bugeye, but was probably designed as a powerboat. By the time of her construction, few large log-hulled boats . . . — — Map (db m138587) HM
31 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Founders of the Calvert Marine Museum —
Near Solomons Island Road South south of Lore Road, on the right when traveling north.
In recognition of the Founders of the Calvert Marine Museum Who shared the vision, dedication and commitment to mold their dream into reality. Daniel Barrett Jr. • William L. Dovel • Alton S. Kersey • Joseph C. Lore Jr. • James LeRoy . . . — — Map (db m287734) HM
32 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Governor Thomas Johnson Bridge —
On Solomons Island Road South south of Alexander Lane, on the right when traveling south.
Named after the first governor of the state of Maryland, the bridge was opened December 17, 1977. It links Calvert County with St. Mary's County. The channel under the center span has a depth of 123'. The fixed bridge has a horizontal . . . — — Map (db m287630) HM
33 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — The Honor Tree —
Near Solomons Island Road South just south of Lore Road, on the right when traveling north.
The Calvert Marine Museum was founded and operated by volunteers in 1970. In 1991, CMM hired a full-time paid volunteer coordinator and created the volunteer council to support recruiting, training, retaining, and nurturing volunteers. Today . . . — — Map (db m287736) HM
34 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Hooper Island Launch Penguin — 45' ื 9'8" ื 4'2" — V Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Penguin represents a once-numerous class of V-bottom boats known as Hooper Island launches, draketails, ducktails, or torpedo-sterns. Many were built on Hooper Island, Maryland, in the 1920s and 1930s; hence the name. The launches were . . . — — Map (db m138592) HM
35 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Humphreys Rowing Skiff — 12'6" ื 4'2" ื 6 — Flat Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Flat-bottom skiffs offer the advantage of simple design and low cost construction. This skiff was built around 1928 by Harry Humphreys of Rousby Hall, Maryland, a carpenter at M. M. Davis & Son shipyard, who intended it for local transportation and . . . — — Map (db m138568) HM
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36 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Island Creek 18 — 17'7" ื 5'5" —
Near Solomons Island Road South south of Lore Road, on the right when traveling north.
The Island Creek 18 was designed and built by boatbuilder George Surgent of St. Leonard, Maryland. The 18-foot centerboard sloop was based on the design of a traditional South Jersey beach skiff, but with a fiberglass hull with wooden mast, boom, . . . — — Map (db m287673) HM
37 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — J. C. Lore & Sons Oyster House —
On Solomons Island Road (Maryland Route 2) 0.6 miles south of Lore Road, on the left when traveling south.
Joseph C. Lore, Sr., began shipping seafood from Solomons Island in 1888 and established a packing house at this site in 1912. Three generations of Lore family packed and shipped Patuxent River oysters, crabs and fish until 1978. Present building . . . — — Map (db m3459) HM
38 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Jenkins Creek Crab Scrape Geda — 17'6" ื 6' ื 2'2" — V Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling north.
Geda is a scaled-down version of a wide V-bottom boat once commonly found in the area of Tangier Sound. The boat was built by Leon Marsh of Rodes Point, Smith Island, Maryland, around 1955, but has its origins in earlier sailing crab scrapes. . . . — — Map (db m138576) HM
39 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Jolly Boat — 16' ื 4'8" ื 8" — Round Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
A jolly boat is a general purpose ship's boat usually carried about deck or on stern davits. This example was formerly carried by the 75-foot gasoline launch Chicago, built in 1916 by the St. Louis Boat Co. of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. . . . — — Map (db m138578) HM
40 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — L. Eugene Cronin Laboratory —
On Farren Avenue south of Charles Street, on the right when traveling south.
This building is named to honor CBL's second Director and "Admiral of the Chesapeake" Dr. Gene Cronin, whose lifelong passion for research, education and outreach on the Chesapeake Bay remains an example to all. Dr. Cronin began . . . — — Map (db m287639) HM
41 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — L. Eugene Cronin Laboratory — 170 Farren Avenue —
On Farren Avenue south of Charles Street, on the right when traveling south.
Built in 2007 and re-dedicated in 2013 to honor Dr. L. Eugene Cronin (1907-1998), second Director of CBL. This building provides running seawater laboratories for experiments on fish and shellfish. Researchers in this building use . . . — — Map (db m287637) HM
42 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Leatherbury Sailing Bateau — 19'8" ื 7'2" ื 1'8" — V Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Traditionally, Chesapeake V-bottom sailing craft were commonly referred to as "bateaux," a term not much used today. This bateau was built by Capt. Ed Leatherbury (1863 - 1952) of Shadyside, Maryland, in the early 1900s and was used as part of his . . . — — Map (db m138582) HM
43 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — M. M. Davis Shipyard — 1885–1974 —
On Solomons Island Road (Maryland Route 2) 0.7 miles south of Lore Road, on the left when traveling south.
1885 Marcellus M. Davis established his shipyard at this location, in 1913 the yard was moved to larger quarters across the harbor on Mill Creek. During the 1930’s, Davis’ yard produced many outstanding wooden yachts which brought international fame . . . — — Map (db m3460) HM
44 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Majestic Patuxent River —
On Solomons Island Road South north of Charles Street, on the right when traveling south.
The name "Patuxent" is the diminutive for "Pautuckese," translated means "at the little falls" or "at the falls or rapids." In 1612, Captain John Smith named the river after one of the Werowances villages located along Battle Creek in Calvert . . . — — Map (db m287633) HM
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45 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Mansueti Laboratory — 146 Williams Street —
On Williams Street just south of Charles Street, on the right when traveling south.
Built in 1980 and dedicated in 1992 to honor Dr. Romeo Mansueti (1923-1964), a former CBL fishery scientist, naturalist, and biological illustrator. This building is home to CBL's administrative offices. Housed within are the . . . — — Map (db m138619) HM
46 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Marine Railway Gears — Gift: Gorman A. Buckler — CMM74.521 —
On Solomons Island Road, South.
Set of cast iron gears formerly used to operate the marine railway at M.M. Davis and Son shipyard on Mill Creek, Solomons, Maryland: The gears were originally powered by steam and later converted to electricity. A heavy chain connected to a . . . — — Map (db m60231) HM
47 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Menace on the Horizon — Star-Spangled Banner National Historical Trail — National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Terror reigned along the Patuxent River in 1814. British invaders plundered and burned towns and plantations on both sides of the river. Menacing warships within view on Somervell’s Island (present-day Solomons) blockaded the river’s . . . — — Map (db m81097) HM
48 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Nice Hall — 121 Williams Street —
Near Williams Street north of Carls Way, on the right when traveling north.
Constructed in 1938, named in honor of Mrs. Edna Amos Nice, wife of then-Maryland Governor Harry W. Nice. CBL student dormitory, computer center and offices for faculty and staff. — — Map (db m287648) HM
49 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Nice Hall — 121 Williams Street —
On Williams Street north of Carls Way, on the right when traveling north.
Constructed in 1938, named in honor of Mrs. Edna Amos Nice, wife of then-Maryland Governor Harry W. Nice. CBL student dormitory, computer center and offices for faculty and staff. — — Map (db m287659) HM
50 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — "O! say can you see…" — Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail — National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
Near Solomons Island Road South south of Lore Road, on the right when traveling north.
The Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail traces the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake. Along the trail you'll encounter tangible evidence of the war and stories that bring the people and events to life. Discover the far-reaching impacts . . . — — Map (db m287672) HM
51 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Oyster Skiff — 25' ื 8' ื 2' — Flat Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
This large, flat-bottom, oyster-tonging skiff was built by Ruby Dixon at Olivet, Maryland, in 1948. From 1959 until its donation in 1990, the skiff was owned by Melvin Owen Grover who used her to hand-tong for oysters in the Patuxent River. The boat . . . — — Map (db m138580) HM
52 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Parish House — 180 Farren Avenue —
On Charles Street west of Farren Avenue, on the left when traveling west.
Built in 1954. After acquisition by CBL in 1991, it was named after the Solomons Episcopal Rectory and Parish House formerly occupying the site part of which had been used by CBL founder Dr. R. V. Truitt as a research laboratory. . . . — — Map (db m138620) HM
53 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Patuxent Ghost Fleet (1927-1941) —
On Solomons Island Road South south of Alexander Lane, on the right when traveling south.
The Patuxent Ghost Fleet was comprised of four German World War I prizes of war. These vessels were anchored and moored approximately at the base of the Thomas Johnson Bridge on the Calvert County side. The first two ships, the SS Mount . . . — — Map (db m287626) HM
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54 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Patuxent River Naval Air Station —
On Solomons Island Road South north of Charles Street, on the right when traveling south.
In an effort to centralize the wide-spread, air-testing facilities established before and during World War II, the U.S. Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland was commissioned on April 1, 1943. In 1958, the famous Test Pilot School (TPS) was . . . — — Map (db m287635) HM
55 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Ped-L-Craft —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
In 1939, the M.M. Davis shipyard of Solomons built a fleet of a wood pedal-powered pontoon boats called the Ped-L-Craft for the Pedal Boat Company of America. The Ped-L-Craft consists of a stable platform mounted on two pontoons and propelled by one . . . — — Map (db m138603) HM
56 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Perils along the Patuxent — Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail — War of 1812 —
On Solomons Island Road.
Southern Maryland was a dangerous place to live in the hot summer of 1814. British raiding parties traveled the Patuxent River and swept through the countryside terrorizing civilians and taking provisions for British troops gathering in the area. . . . — — Map (db m81096) HM
57 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Point Patience —
On Solomons Island Road South north of Charles Street, on the right when traveling south.
John Ashcomb acquired a 360-acre patent known as Point Patience in 1661. The British burned the original house in 1780. After rebuilding, it was again burned by the British in 1814. The point itself is a long sandy neck that proved to be an . . . — — Map (db m287632) HM
58 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Portion of Hull, Unidentified Bugeye — Round Bottom Log —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
The hull fragment from an unidentified bugeye was recovered from the Magothy River in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The fragment forms part of the bottom of a seven- or nine-log bugeye of early vintage. Clearly evident is the slot in the center log . . . — — Map (db m138588) HM
59 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Potomac River Dory Boat Let's See — 26' ื 8'8" ื 2'8" — V Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Potomac River dory boats were one of the few V-bottom workboats built on the Chesapeake that were planked fore-and-aft on the bottom, rather than cross-planked. This type was developed on the Potomac River in the later 1800s for oystering under . . . — — Map (db m138581) HM
60 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Power Bateau — 19' ื 6'9" ื 1'4" — V Bottom —
On Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
This nineteen-foot oystering and crabbing boat was built in 1983 by Francis Goddard of Piney Point, Maryland. Although of relatively recent origin, her design is traditional and she is one of the last of her type to be built in Southern Maryland. . . . — — Map (db m138602) HM
61 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Pre-Colonial Dugout (Reproduction) — 14'8" ื 2'2" ื 1'1" — Round Bottom Log —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Dugout log canoes were used (and still are used) by many primitive societies throughout much of the world. The first colonists to the Chesapeake found the local Indian using the dugouts for transportation and fishing. A suitable tree trunk was . . . — — Map (db m138583) HM
62 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — R.V. Truitt Laboratory — 129 Williams Street —
On Williams Street south of Charles Street, on the right when traveling north.
Built in 2015, replacing the original 1973 building. The building was dedicated in honor of Dr. Reginald Van Trump Truitt (1890-1991), founder and first Director of CBL. As a zoologist at the University of Maryland, College Park, Dr. Truitt first . . . — — Map (db m287663) HM
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63 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Sailing Bateau Witch of the Wave — 16' ื 5'11" — V Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Ernest H. "Dick" Hartge started building boats at Galesville, on the West River in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, in the 1920s. He later acquired a fleet of hire boats built and formerly owned by Ed Leatherbury of nearby Shadyside. Hartge moved to . . . — — Map (db m138600) HM
64 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Saunders House — 140 Charles Street — Faculty and Staff offices and meeting facilities —
On Charles Street just east of Williams Street, on the left when traveling east.
Built in the early 1890s as a general store and ice cream parlor run by Thomas and Bertie Saunders. In the 1930s it became a gathering place for local watermen. Acquired by CBL in 1994. — — Map (db m138617) HM
65 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Scoot (Reproduction) — 20' ื 4'6" — V Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Scoot was built in 1989 by Winslow Womack of St. Michaels, Maryland. Her design is based on plans by Howard I. Chapelle for a 20-foot Chesapeake "sharpie," a craft with a double-ended hull and a shallow, V-shaped bottom. The boat is similar . . . — — Map (db m138601) HM
66 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Sewell Draketail Workboat — 36' ื 7'6" ื 2'8" — V Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
This 36-foot powerboat is a local type usually described as a Hooper Island "draketail" or "ducktail." It was developed in the early years of the twentieth century and known for its sleek lines and round, reverse-rake stern. Built at Broomes . . . — — Map (db m138597) HM
67 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Solomons House & Visitor Center — 200 Farren Avenue — CBL Visitor Center. —
On Farren Avenue 0.1 miles north of Charles Street when traveling north.
The oldest structure in Solomons, dating from ca. 1780. Isaac Solomon, the island's namesake, lived here after he bought the island in 1865, establishing the first oyster cannery on the Patuxent River. Acquired by CBL in 1994. — — Map (db m138621) HM
68 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Solomon's Island —
On Solomons Island Road South.
Originally called Bourne's (1680), then Somervell's Island (1740). It became known as Solomon's Island (1867) because of Isaac Solomon's oyster packing facilities here. Shipyards developed to support the island's fishing fleet. The famed "bugeye" . . . — — Map (db m8929) HM
69 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Solomons Island Bay Grasses —
On Charles Street at Farren Avenue, on the right when traveling east on Charles Street.
bay grasses help improve water quality, provide habitat for young fish and crabs, feed waterfowl and reduce coastal erosion. In the 1930s, thick beds of bay grasses surrounded Solomons Island. But bay grasses have declined substantially over . . . — — Map (db m287636) HM
70 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Spirit — 22' ื 7' — Round Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Spirit was designed and built by Ernest H. "Dick" Hartge at Eustis, Florida, in 1976. Dick Hartge was originally from Galesville, Maryland, where he built many of the well-known Chesapeake 20s. Spirit resembles a Chesapeake 20 but with . . . — — Map (db m138599) HM
71 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Swift House — 136 Williams Street —
On Williams Street south of Charles Street, on the left when traveling north.
Built by Isaac Solomon in the 1870s as a duplex "company house" for oyster cannery workers. Later used to accommodate overflow patients from the Solomons Marine Hospital. Acquired by CBL in 1969. Faculty and staff offices for . . . — — Map (db m287657) HM
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72 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — This flagpole —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
This flagpole is reputedly made from the mast of the sailing brogan James Aubrey. The mast was removed when the vessel was converted to power and used to transport students to the Solomons School from 1925 to 1935. The Solomons School is now . . . — — Map (db m138611) HM
73 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — This Is A Sundial —
On Solomons Island Road South south of Lore Road, on the right when traveling north.
Before the invention of the clock, the sundial was the only way of telling time. The earliest sundial dates from 1500 BC in Egypt. Here, we have created a human sundial. The compass rose in the center shows North from where you are standing. . . . — — Map (db m287739) HM
74 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Three-Log Canoe — 31'7" ื 6'11" ื 2'4" — Round Bottom Log —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
The three-log canoe such as this was the classic oystering tonging boat of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Watermen used long-handled tongs, in a scissors-like fashion, to scoop oysters from the shallower waters of the bay and . . . — — Map (db m138586) HM
75 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Tide Box —
On Solomons Island Road South south of Alexander Lane, on the right when traveling south.
What makes Solomons Island an island? A small body of water 103' by 23' named the Tide Box allows water to ebb and flood from the creek or "The Narrows" into the river, separating the island from the mainland, thus making Solomons Island an island. . . . — — Map (db m287627) HM
76 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Two-Log Canoe Bar Dog — 26' ื 5' ื 2' — Round Bottom Log —
On Solomons Island Road South.
Bar Dog got its name from the oyster toadfish, called "bar dogs" by watermen. This is a rare two-log canoe, built in Virginia around 1870. At some point, the canoe was converted from sail to power. It had a Palmer Bros. marine engine when it . . . — — Map (db m138585) HM
77 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Volunteer —
Near Solomons Island Road South just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
This land-locked "boat" was built over 2011-12 in the form of a scaled-down classic Chesapeake bugeye. The two-masted bugeye was originally developed in the 19th century for oyster harvesting. Solomons built more bugeyes than anywhere else on the . . . — — Map (db m138564) HM
78 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — War in the Chesapeake — Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail — National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —
Near Solomons Island Road South south of Lore Road, on the right when traveling north.
During the War of 1812 the young United States was embroiled in conflict with Great Britain. From 1812 to 1815 Americans fought to protect their rights and economic independence. They faced superior enemy forces on the homefront and the high . . . — — Map (db m287670) HM
79 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — War of 1812 —
On Solomons Island Road South south of Alexander Lane, on the right when traveling south.
In 1812, President James Madison declared war on Great Britain. In February 1813, a fleet of Royal Navy warships entered the Chesapeake Bay and commenced to pillage and burn the properties of the residents of tidewater Virginia and Maryland. . . . — — Map (db m287628) HM
80 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Waterman's Shed —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
This shed was built ca. 1900 at Otterpoint, Patuxent River. Orrie Laveille lived in this shed during the oyster season, from which he oystered on the Patuxent River. The shed was moved by barge around 1910 to Tongue Cove, Helen Creek by the Tongue . . . — — Map (db m138612) HM
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81 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Watery Grave —
On Solomons Island Road South south of Alexander Lane, on the right when traveling south.
Just as above and opposite Point Patience on the St. Mary's side of the Patuxent River under 126' of water is a submarine, designated the S-49. Construction began on October 22, 1920, by the Lake Torpedo Boat Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut, . . . — — Map (db m287629) HM
82 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Welcome to Drum Point Lighthouse —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) just south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
"The necessity of a light at this point is very great, as all vessels bound up or down the Chesapeake put in at this place during the winter to seek protection from floating ice; and as the entrance is formed by a low sand spit, which . . . — — Map (db m138607) HM
83 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Whittington Rail Skiff — 16' ื 3'2" ื 1' — Flat Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Luther E. Whittington built this rail skiff in 1926 for Clifton O. Whittington, who started as a professional "pusher" of rail skiffs on the Patuxent River in 1923. In the marshes, boats were pushed using a long push pole. Two oak paddles were also . . . — — Map (db m138596) HM
84 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Wm. B. Tennison —
On Solomons Island Road, South.
Wm. B. Tennison was built in 1899 by Frank Laird at Crab Island near Oriole, Maryland. Her hull is constructed in traditional Chesapeake log canoe fashion-nine large pine logs. Hollowed out and fastened together. She was built as a two-mastered . . . — — Map (db m60233) HM
85 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Wm. B. Tennison —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Wm. B. Tennison was built in 1899 by Frank Laird at Crab Island near Oriole, Maryland. Her hull is constructed in traditional Chesapeake log canoe fashion — nine large pine logs, hollowed out and fastened together. She was built as a . . . — — Map (db m138608) HM
86 ► Maryland, Calvert County, Solomons — Yawl Boat — 17'3" ื 7'3" ื 2'8" — Round Bottom —
Near Solomons Island Road South (Maryland Route 2) south of Thomas Johnson Road, on the left when traveling south.
Chesapeake Bay sailing vessels typically carried a small boat, commonly referred to as a "yawl boat." This was used to help maneuver in and out of harbors, or other restricted waters, or when the wind dropped. This yawl boat was built in Deltaville, . . . — — Map (db m138594) HM
 
 
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Nov. 11, 2026