St. Mary's County, Maryland

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Saint Mary's County, Maryland
Image:Saint Mary's County md seal.gif
Map
Image:Map of Maryland highlighting Saint Mary's County.svg Location in the state of Maryland
Image:Map of USA MD.svg Maryland's location in the U.S.
Statistics
Founded	1637
Seat	Leonardtown
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	764 sq mi (1,979 km²) 361 sq mi (935 km²) 403 sq mi (1,044 km²), 52.8%
Population  - (2000)  - Density	86,211 75/sq mi (29/km²)
Website: www.co.saint-marys.md.us

Saint Mary's County (often abbreviated as St. Mary's County)^{[citation needed]} is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland.

As of 2000, the population was 86,211. Its county seat is Leonardtown. The name is in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus.^[1]

The county is part of the Southern Maryland region.

Contents 1 History 2 Notable residents 3 Geography 3.1 Adjacent counties 4 Climate 5 Cities and towns 6 Military bases 7 Notable sites 8 References 9 External links

History

The settlement of Lord Baltimore's Maryland began with the arrival of passengers from England at St. Clement's Island in the Potomac River in what is now southwestern St. Mary's County on March 25, 1634 (the anniversary of this landing being annually celebrated as Maryland Day). The passengers arrived in two vessels, the Ark and the Dove, which had set sail from the Isle of Wight on November 22, 1633. The county is also home to the first Catholic Mass celebrated in the original thirteen colonies.

St. Mary's County was the first county established in Maryland, in 1637, probably by an order of the Governor.

The county seat and state capital was St. Mary's City.

St. Mary's County is where Francis Scott Key, the author of a poem which became The Star Spangled Banner. St. Mary's County was the birthplace of Dashiell Hammett. The largest employer is Patuxent River Naval Air Station and its related aerospace contract firms. There are both Amish and Mennonite communities who follow traditional ways. Tobacco, once dominant crop, has declined in recent years. Maryland International Raceway (Budd's Creek) attracts many auto racing enthusiasts.

Notable residents

• Steny Hoyer: Former State Senator and Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives. He is currently the House Majority Leader.

Geography

The county has a total area of 764.5 square miles (1,980 km²), of which, 361 square miles (935 km²) of it is land and 403 square miles (1,045 km²) of it (52.78%) is water.

The county is largely bordered by water: the Patuxent River, the Chesapeake Bay, the Potomac River, and the Wicomico River.

Adjacent counties

• Calvert County (northeast)
• Charles County (northwest)

Climate

St. Mary's county lies within the humid subtropical climate zone, surrounded on three sides by bodies of water, including the Potomac river and Chesapeake Bay.^{[citation needed]} Summers are hot and humid, with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Winters are mild to cool, with ample rainfall as well.^{[citation needed]}

Cities and towns

Saint Mary's County includes one municipality, classified as a town under Maryland law: Leonardtown, the county seat (incorporated 1858).

Unincorporated areas are also considered as towns by many people and listed in many collections of towns, but they lack local government. Various organizations, such as the United States Census Bureau, the United States Postal Service, and local chambers of commerce, define the communities they wish to recognize differently, and since they are not incorporated, their boundaries have no official status outside the organizations in question. The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county:

1. California
2. Charlotte Hall
3. Golden Beach
4. Lexington Park

Other unincorporated areas include:

1. Abell
2. Beachville-St. Inigoes
3. Bushwood
4. Callaway
5. Chaptico-Maddox
6. Clements
7. Coltons Point
8. Compton
9. Dameron
10. Drayden
11. Great Mills
12. Helen
13. Hollywood
14. Loveville
15. Mechanicsville
16. Morganza
17. Park Hall
18. Piney Point
19. Ridge
20. St. Inigoes
21. St. Mary's City
22. Scotland
23. Tall Timbers
24. Valley Lee

Military bases

The county houses the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, which plays a significant role in the local economy. The Naval Air Station also has an annex at Webster Field in Saint Inigoes, MD.

Notable sites

• Point Lookout State Park
• Point Lookout Light

References

External links

• Saint Mary's County government
• St. Mary's City Travel and Tourism

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