randuwa: St. Mary's City

Another Stop: the Dove

One of the highlights of any visit to Historic St. Mary's City is a chance to embark on the Dove. The Dove is a recreation of a ship that would have been historical similar to the cargo carrying smaller of the two original vessels to bring colonists to Maryland in 1634.

On board are knowledgable re-enactors who will provide for you a wealth of information about the ship, the journey, the period, the colony---anything you might want to know.

You are also free to explore on your own.

The tour includes a visit below decks where you discover a range of authentic artifacts, as well.

This little plaque lets you compare the size of the Dove (left) to that of the Ark. The Ark is more compatible to the Mayflower in it's size. Against the vast Atlantic Ocean--they are both just a jot and tittle....

St. Mary's City Catholic Church

Few buildings would ever hold as important a symbolic place as this one. It was rebuilt on the original site to the specifications discovered in painstakingly exploring it's remnant parts. Maryland has long been taught in history books to elementary school children as the colony founded on religious tolerance because a Protestant king gave Catholics a charter to establish it. As in most things, the truth is far less generous. Whatever initial freedoms of worship Maryland's Catholic community experienced, they were short-lived and centered around this parish. (by 1704 the church was padlocked and open practice of Papist religion was banned and persecuted as a cultural norm.)

Today the church (which is unconsecrated by design) sits in the middle of a field. It's appearance is based on other churches built at the time--no actual plans or descriptions exist. It fits the footprint of the original build which dictates the scale, and archeological evidence suggests other aspects like the materials used for the roof, the presence and placement of windows.

One of the most interesting aspects of this building is that face that it is surrounded by graves. Three of them were within the walls of the structure and prompted one of the most interesting and extensive historical research projects ever undertaken. Under the auspices of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and leadership of forensic anthropologist, Doug Owsley, the discovery of a crypt with three bodies of note in it and their identification became quite a cause celeb in their world of historical forensic anthropology throughout the 90's.

As fate would have it, I participated in a Smithsonian sponsored project for teachers of Social Studies in the mid-1990's and one day was given to our meeting and working with Doug Owsley. He had the skull of one of the members of St. Mary's three in his lab at the time and we were privileged to examine it up close and personal as he lectured us one what we had learned about this discovery. All of the remains have since be reinterred in the crypt below this building. Owsley's life is the inspiration for the TV series "Bones," as an aside.

Van Sweringen's Council Chamber Inn

Few places have been as carefully considered as St. Mary's City, Maryland from an historical and archeological perspective. Acres of area have been explored and wherever a structure has been detected, a wooden frame has been placed as a marker.

Overtime these sites have been excavated and researched to reveal their individual stories and once enough information has been attained, they have been rebuilt and transformed into part of the historical city. Unlike Williamsburg, Virginia, the buildings of 17th century St. Mary's City, Maryland were abandoned for the most part after about 100 years in favor of a later, more well considered, capital of Annapolis.

This is the latest addition to the historic sight and it's not only reconstructed, but rebuild with a specific historic story in mind...the visit of the governor. Wonderfully done.

The Recreated Piscatawy Indian Village

A visitor to the park would begin their experience at the visitor's center. Here you would explore a small museum and purchase access to various ticketed area of the historic St. Mary's City. You could also enjoy informative placards and maps, see some of the hundreds of thousands of excavated artifacts and even admire models like this one of the Dove.

An easy walk and world away from the visitor center is a recreated Piscatawy Indian Village with a garden (and an elevated hut for children to sit in while guarding the crops from birds and critters--as depicted by father Andrew White in the 1630's), a dug out canoe under construction, three shelters with artifacts and one that is tricked out with items that the English would have placed there in their initial habitation--before they built their own homes, they lived in the ones left by the Indians.

Re-enactors are available to explain all of the items and places at the site. It's very much as informative if only humbler in scope as the recreated Indian villages at Jamestown in Virginia or Plymouth Plantations in Massachusetts.

Maryland's First State House

Since moving to Maryland in 1994, I have visited this site many times--always in the company of 4th graders! My visit today was unencumbered by others. Already well steeped in the historical facts, it was such a pleasure to just focus on the place.

By way of comparison, this is Maryland colony's House of Burgesses. And if you've ever visited there, it's about 3/4th's as large, but served the self-same function. It was first built in 1676 and then reconstructed in this iteration 1934 to become the first in what would grow to be dozens of recreated colonial buildings in what is now called Historic St. Mary's City.

As a visitor, you are free to explore both floors and you will discover period piece furnishings and other artifacts.

Historic St. Mary's Parrish - ECUSA

St. Mary's City, Maryland is one of the most interesting and beautiful places in America. In 1633, it was the home of a Piscatawy Indian village and year later, it was the home of the first permanent settlement in the colony of Maryland. The colonists purchased the land from the natives who were already planning on relocating due to recent incursions by more aggressive tribe belonging to the Susquehannocks in the north. A rare example of a win-win in early colonial history. Today the area is made up primarily of two entities: An every expanding living history museum made up authentically reconstructed structures and artifacts and the most beautiful of public honors Colleges, St. Mary's College, in the nation. And then there is also this Episcopal Church!

The church has been around for a very long time and predates all the interest in and reconstruction around the Historic St. Mary's City buildings. This is important only in that the original State House was built in the middle of what today is the parish cemetery.

In side the humble structure is a humble church.

...with some amazing stained-glass.

My favorite window is this one that shows the Sts. Peter and Andrew with their dog, Romeo!

During this visit, I noticed this new raised garden in the open lawn in front of the church. Upon inquiry, my friend was too happy to share it with me.

It is there new columbarium! Wow. So wonderful.

One of the first inhabitants was a retire priest who sometimes served at the parish in a pinch. Father Charles Demeré and his wife Margaret.

Any columbarium approved for sun bathing by such a beautiful little skink is okay in my book!

The cemetery is not only full...there are as many graves whose markers have been lost in the past 400 years as those still standing... And also there are historical markers and monuments.

This one commemorates the site of the original state house completed in 1676

This one near the little precipice overlooking the estuary commemorates the two little ships that brought the settlers. The Ark and the Dove. The Ark was designed for the passengers and the much smaller dove tagged along madden with supplies. Not to mislead, the Ark was no larger than the much acclaimed Mayflower of the pilgrims.