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Location
Who We Are
discoverHistoric St. Mary's City is one of the premier historic sites in America, a museum of living history and archaeology telling diverse stories on the site of Maryland’s first capital in beautiful, tidewater Southern Maryland.
Godiah Spray Tobacco Plantation
St. John's Site Museum
Maryland Dove
Museum of Archaeology
Reconstructed Brick Chapel (ca. 1667)
Reconstructed Brick Chapel (ca. 1667)
The State House of 1676
The State House of 1676
Garrett Van Sweringen's Private Inn
Town Center - Maryland’s First Capital
Interior View of the Main Exhibit
Front of the Museum
The Struggle for Freedom Exhibit
The Struggle for Freedom Exhibit
Photo Credit: Maryland Office of Tourism
Maryland Dove
Calendar of Events
There are no featured events available. Click here to check out our events calendar for what's happening.
Go To Events
Maryland Lieutenant Governor making a visit to the museum
Hearth Cooking
A “battle” with the Little Pirates program
State House Weddings. Credit: Jill Christine Design & Photography
Field School Program
Archaeology at HSMC
Militia Muster
Capture the joy of your day down at the waterfront
Trending
One of the least expected artfacts discovered during the archaeology at St. Mary’s City is a small medallion bearing the image of the great Swedish...
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Archaeological research needs type collections of known artifacts to help identify the unknown ones. This is true for skeletons, tobacco pipes, and ceramics. HSMC has...
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Few letters from 17th-century Maryland survive and nearly all of these are from elite men. But detective work by English historian Ruth Crook in 2014...
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Have you heard the news? Historic St. Mary's City will be opening the outdoor exhibits and buildings on March 26 - the day after Maryland Day!
General admission on the grounds will apply. ... Read MoreSee Less
23 hours ago ·
Silas Hurry (HSMC Curator of Collections and Archaeological Laboratory Director) has been spending some of his time lately looking through archival images, and recently came upon this photo of (what is assumed to be) a proposed figurehead for Maryland Dove.
As it is not labeled, it is a bit of a mystery --so we are reaching out to you. Does anyone recognize the people in this photograph or know what year it was taken? If you do, please reach out and share with us, we would love to have the information for our archives!
#MysteryMonday #MarylandDove ... Read MoreSee Less
2 days ago ·
#SilasSunday
More “Admiral” History
When I last wrote, I discussed the story of Captain Tuly, “Admirall of Maryland” whose ship was depicted on Augustine Herrman’s map. In investigating the question, I encountered others who were styled as Admiral of Maryland and additional stories of what we might consider the “Maryland Navy.”
The research is somewhat challenging, since whoever was governor of Maryland was also officially “Admiral” of Maryland as can be seen in William Stone’s commission of governor which specifies, that he has the “Office of a Lieutenant General Chief Governor General Admiral Marshall Admiral chief Captain or Commander.” The same series of statuses are ascribed to Leonard Calvert at the founding of the colony and all other governors or acting governors thereafter and often recited in their boilerplate bona fides.
Occasionally, it appears another individual was designated as “admiral” with the governors maintaining all their previous rights and privileges. One of the earlier designated “admirals” was Edward Gibbons who was actually a resident of New England. Cecil Calvert appointed him as a member of the Maryland council and as “Admiral of our said Province of Maryland under us and our Lieutenant of the said Province for the time being and will and Require that he have use and enjoy the Powers Dignities Priviledges Benefits and Immunities of right due and belonging to him as Admiral of our said Prov.” It is unlikely that Gibbons ever lived in Maryland. His appointment was part of Cecil Calvert’s attempt to defuse potential political issues by recruiting Protestants to his government.
Gibbons replaced an “admiral” appointed by William Stone the preceding year. Stone dismissed Richard Husbands, “Procl published Whereas I haue heretofore by a note vnder my hand appointed Mr Richard Husbands Marriner Admirall or Vice Admirall vnder mee of this Province I doe hereby in respect of some grosse abuses and miscarriages of the said Husbands revoake and make voide any authority by mee heretofore granted to him the said Mr Husbands Whereof I require all the Inhabitants of this Province to take speciall notice Given vnder my hand this 23th of ffebruary 1649 Willm Stone.” Why had Stone dismissed Husbands? Apparently, Husbands had attempted to abduct our old friend John Dandy and had his ship’s crew lay hands on and detain Dandy. For the rare time in early Maryland history, John Dandy was actually in the right.
In 1688, after Charles Calvert had traveled to England to contest with William Penn over Maryland’s northern border, news of the birth of an heir to James II reached the Maryland colony. The Maryland Council under William Josephs declared a Day of Thanksgiving. As part of the celebration the council ordered Captain Samuel Phillips to “give notice to you his Ldsps Admirall of this Province that on the aforesaid First day of November you spread your Colours and discharge your Cannon and make all other demonstracons of publick rejoyceing you may or can. And wee further require you to give notice hereof to all and every the respective Comanders of ships and vessells within your precinct that they doe and performe the same.” These directions were sent “To Capt Samuell Philipps, His Lordps Admirall of Maryland on board the ship Baltemore in South River.” The young prince, son of James II and his second wife, Mary of Modena, was James Francis Edward Stuart, later known as the Old Pretender. It was this likelihood of a Catholic succession to the English throne which brought on the Glorious Revolution in England that deposed James II, installed William and Mary (James’ daughter from first wife), and eventually caused the loss of the colony to the Calvert family. - Silas Hurry, HSMC Curator of Collections and Archaeological Laboratory Director ... Read MoreSee Less
3 days ago ·