, Virginia and about 50 miles from Washington, D.C.. Other nearby communities include Milestown, California, Solomons, Lexington Park, Golden Beach, Lusby and St. Leonard.
Return to Index
History & History Related Items
Leonardtown history:
A history page for Leonardtown.
Leonardtown is the oldest municipality in Maryland & sole incorporated town in St. Mary's County. When Leonard Calvert and his original colonists arrived in what is now Maryland in March 1634, they immediately set about establishing the civil boundaries as they had known them in England. Although the first county, St. Mary's was not formally established until 1637, the county seat was set up at town site of the Yaocomico Indians, which was renamed St. Mary's, in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus, under whose protection the venure was placed.The county seat remained at St. Mary's City until 1654 when mention is made of the county court being conducted at the house of John Hammond in the area known as Newtown (Leonardtown). From 1634 to 1708 the court was conducted in the homes of various gentlemen of note in the Newtown area. In 1708, Mr. Phillip Lynes, the Mayor of St. Mary's City, gave to the colony 50 acres of a piece of land known as "Shepherd's Old Fields" at the head of Breton Bay. This land was to be divided into 100 lots and laid out as the county seat of St. Mary's County. Seven commissioners were charged by the Governor and Assembly to oversee this endeavor, which included setting aside one lot for a county courthouse, to be built at an expense not to exceed 12,000 pounds of tobacco. In 1708 the town was renamed Seymour Town in honor of the royal Governor John Seymour at the suggestion of Phillip Lynes. In 1728 a new set of more forceful commissioners were named by the government in Annapolis. These men renamed the town Leonardtown for the first Governor of Maryland, Benedict Leonard Calvert. Leonardtown functioned from that point in it's intended purpose as a local place to conduct the colony's official business for the citizens of St. Mary's County. In 1858, Leonardtown incorporated and became it's own self-governing municipality. Today, Leonardtown still operates as a self-governing town, by an elected Mayor and five member Town Council, all of whom serve for two year terms.
Also try this history page for Leonardtown. .
The settling of Leonardtown: 1708
The founding of Leonardtown: 1728
The incorporation date of Leonardtown: 1858
Return to Index
Attractions
Leonardtown attractions:
A webpage all about Leonardtown
The Leonardtown Mural depicts the history of Leonardtown through several eras, including the time of the Civil War.
Return to Index
Contribute information free or for a small service charge for this community or any other community in the USA
Be sure to include the name of the community and its state when contacting Key to the City as you are NOT directly contacting this community.
Learn how to advertise on Key to the City
Choose a new community in the state of Maryland
To go to a new state, choose the States page
To choose another state, go to the State page.
Return to the Top USA City Directory and US City Resource Guide - Key to the City
Thanks for visiting Key to the City. Come back again! We'll leave the light on for you!
The information on Key to the City is from multiple sources including government, commerce, libraries, individuals and organizations. There is no guarantee of the accuracy or timeliness of the information presented on these pages, therefore, please use at your own risk.
| Search Key to the City
|
| OR Search All the Web
|
