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.

 The views across the little estuary are always stunning.

 Look to the right and you see the beautifully groomed lawn of an estate that could as well have been an early 19th century slave-holding plantation.

 Looked to the left and you are thrown back 150 years to a little dock and a replica of the Dove...

Courtney's

Last Sunday, I ran down to St. Mary's County in Maryland to visit with a friend of many years.  For lunch we went to our favorite fish dive--Courtney's.  This is the place to have fresh fish from the Chesapeake bar none...and nobody, but the locals (and now you!) know about it--and I am not going to give you directions.  The menu is based solely on what was caught in wee hours of the morning of the day to you arrive for a meal.  On Sunday, that meant Croaker.  And the Croaker was delicious!

 When we arrived, we noticed a little puddle left over in the parking lot from the last high tide around 4 AM.  With Hermine in the Atlantic, the tides were coming in a little higher than usual.

 The fresh fish basket with the Croaker.

We left around 1:30 and none too soon and the next high tide--still over 2 hours away had begun to flood the parking lot again!  By it's zenith, it would be up the lip of the second step.  Seafood restaurants don't get more authentic than this!

Vulnerable Seats in the House of Representatives 2016: part 6 the Empire State

Part 6 of my exploration of vulnerable House seats is 100% Empire State! They represent the single largest group in one state of seats that are in play with a whopping 7. The fact that the Empire state is HOT with vulnerable seats in this election cycle is a gift to the Democrats. This election will certainly be a wave election for their side in this state, because in most of New York, the type of Republicans that will come out and suffer their votes for Donald Trump is much thinner than in other states. This should bode very well for the candidates running in the seven vulnerable seats at play.

A) New York's 1st seat is an open seat that has been comfortably Democratic for some time. The Democrat running for the seat is Tom Suozzi who is campaigning like a progressive Democrat. His Republican opponent is embattled in a primary dispute that the courts have ruled will require a special primary on October 6--just a month shy of the general election. So there is a possibility that Jack Martins won't end up being the Republican candidate. Which is interesting, because Martins is running like a moderate Democrat! It's an odd situation, but I give it to Suozzi and the open seat remains in the Democrat's column.

B) New York's 3rd district is an evenly split district long served by a Democrat, Tim Bishop. In 2014 during an extremely successful Republican wave election, newcomer Republican Lee Zeldin took the seat. Zeldin is a very vulnerable freshman whose background includes a law degree and 4 years of active military service. His opponent worked as an international peacekeeper and several terms in local government. They both cut clear options, and I give this seat back to the Democrats in this election with their wave.

C) New York's 19th district is another open seat with the retirement of the 3rd term Republican Representative Chris Gibson. The district leans Democratic and if they elect the Democratic winner of their primary, they will be sending to congress the member with the most interesting name in the nation, Zephyr Teachout. Teachout is an outspoken liberal Democrat and law professor at Fordham University. Her Republican opponent is John Faso a career state politician who offers a conservative agenda. In this year? Welcome to Washington Zephyr Teachout.

D) New York's 21st district is currently held by freshman Republican incumbent Elise Stefanik. Stefanik graduated Harvard with honors at age 21 and immediately joined the Bush administration working on domestic policy issues. She wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act, promote the extraction and transportation of tar sands oil deposits across the United States and is a strong advocate for support of the military. Her Democratic opponent is Army Colonel Mike Derrick. Derrick is a newcomer to politics and presents a strong and attractive opponent who can go tow to toe with Stefanik on issues of military and national defense, and who hold strong positions on environmental protection and access to Affordable graduate education. Many pundits are making assumptions about this one, but I am calling it too close to call.

E) New York's 22nd is the third open seat in flux. It's incumbent is retiring and was the first sitting Republican Congressperson to denounce Trump and pledge his support to Hillary Clinton. An act of courageous personal conviction or perhaps an ominous statement for the Republican candidate seeking to represent this district? The candidate who hopes to continue the seat in the Republican column is Claudia Tenney. Tenney is lawyer who has served in the New York state Assembly for 3 terms since 2011. Her opponent is Kim Myers. Myers is the daughter of the founder of Dick's Sporting Goods. She is running on issues around the opioid addiction crisis, jobs and farming, and constituent services. This is a very competitive district. Too close to call for now.

F) New York's 23rd is in a band of districts that have gone for one or the other parties over the years and some say it's a district in play again. The incumbent is Republican Tom Reed who is seeking his 6th term will probably get it. His Democratic opponent is John Plumb. Plumb is a young, energetic candidate who is working the district like crazy. If anyone could change the fortunes of this district, Plumb is wonderful candidate. Still, I'm leaning on incumbency and "war chest-ery" on this one. Reed wins with over 6 million in his account to support his campaign.

G) New York's 24th is a Democratic leaning district represented by a freshman Republican, John Katko who won against a corrupt Democratic politician in a Republican wave year. What a difference two years make. His opponent is Democratic candidate Colleen Deacon and she is a better fit for this district with strong opinions about some key issues like affordable college tuition, addressing issues around climate change, and rebuilding crumbling infrastructure for the 21st century. I am betting on Deacon on this one.

All toll, I feel like New York will deliver 3 additional seats to the Democrats--and maybe as many as 5...