Religious Freedom Byway
Places to Visit
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Chiles Homesite, Douglas Point (MD)
The Chiles Homesite is a patent for an early plantation dating to 1653 and was part of the Zekiah Manor. The property was owned by John Hoskin Stone, brother of Thomas Stone, in the late eighteenth century, and the home was built in 1790 by Capt. Francis Shepard, a friend of John Stone. In 1841, the home was purchased by Reverend William Chiles. Today you can walk around archaeological remains and on nature trails guided by signs describing the archaeology and history.
Location: Riverside Road Nanjemoy, MD 20662 (-77.255151, 38.443472)
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Christ Episcopal Church in Chaptico (MD)
In 1683, Chaptico was a deep water port with manors, plantations, and wharf sites all around. The present day church represents one of two original colonial parishes in the area now known as St. Mary’s County. The cemetery here is worth a visit.
Location: Located at 37497 Zach Fowler Rd in Chaptico
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The view from Friendship Farm Park overlooking the Tobacco River, once a thriving port, is one of the finest in Southern Maryland and remains very similar to what early settlers would have seen from the bluff. The park is also home to a historical plantation and wharf site that will likely lead to a better understanding of the early settlement period through the Revolutionary War period.
Location: 4705 Friendship Landing Road
Nanjemoy, MD 20662
(-77.151362, 38.455538) -
Leonardtown was integral to the tidewater plantations of Southern Maryland and became the county seat after St. Mary’s City. Today, visitors can take a self-guided tour featuring 21 properties. In addition, the Historical Society, located in Tudor Hall, offers a film, guided tours and wayside exhibits of Tudor Hall and opportunities for genealogy buffs to delve deeper into history at the Historical Society’s bookstore.
Location: The Historical Society is located at 41680 Tudor Place, Leonardtown, MD 20650.
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Historic St. Mary's City, the site of the fourth permanent settlement in British North America, Maryland's first capital, and the birthplace of religious toleration, invites you to explore the lifeways of Maryland's first citizens.
Location: Off Route 5 less than two hours from Washington, D.C. and Annapolis and less than three hours from Richmond and Baltimore.
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La Plata serves as the Charles County seat in Maryland.
Location: 305 Queen Anne Street La Plata, Maryland 20646
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Mount Carmel Monastery was the first religious community for women in America. Two of the original convent buildings from 1790 have been restored. See them on a tour of the historical property, or join a religious service.
Distance from byway: 3.5 mi / 5.6 km Travel time: 5 minutes Directions: From Port Tobacco, take MD 6 north to Valley Drive, turn left and proceed to Mitchell Road past the College of Southern Maryland to Mt. Carmel Rd.
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This loop drive traverses one of the most remote natural landscapes in the Washington Metropolitan area and helps interpret the natural history of the area as well as the setting along the Potomac River and the state’s second largest bald eagle habitat. (Also see Old Durham Church, Port Tobacco, and Smallwood State Park).
Location: From Port Tobacco take MD 6, MD 425 past Old Durham Church, Maryland 6 again, to MD 24 connecting back to Port Tobacco via MD 225 (a 40 mile loop) (-77.022258, 38.514636 western-most point)
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Old Durham Church was one of the original 30 churches chartered in the Province of Maryland by the Colonial Assembly in 1692. The Church building dates back to 1732, and its history is tied to the establishment of the Episcopal Church, the state sponsored church of the colony following the Revolution of 1689 and the overthrow of Lord Baltimore’s proprietorship.
Location: 8685 Ironsides Road Nanjemoy, MD 20662 (-77.155631, 38.471845)
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Piney Point Lighthouse and Museum (MD)
Piney Point lighthouse was a beacon for boats and ships traveling the Potomac. Today, the Potomac River Maritime Exhibit Building and Museum shares exhibits and interpretive signs outlining the story of navigation on the Potomac from precolonization to current day commerce.
Location: 44720 Lighthouse Road
Piney Point, MD 20674
