St. Mary's City, in St. Mary's County, Maryland, is a small unincorporated community near the southernmost end of the state on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It is located on the eastern shore of the St. Mary's River, a tributary of the Potomac.

St. Mary's City was the original center of the Maryland colony, founded in 1634 with the arrival of the Ark and Dove colony ships. St. Mary's City is the fourth oldest permanent settlement in British North America. St. Mary's City is considered the birthplace of religious toleration in America, owing to the Act Concerning Religion, and the city was also the first place in America where a woman asked for the right to vote, and a man of African descent voted in the Assembly.

A Yaocomico Indian village previously occupied the location, and the English settlers coexisted with them. The City was founded by the Calvert family, and served as Maryland's capital until 1694 when the capital moved to Annapolis. Early Maryland was a proprietary colony owned by the Calverts, aka the Lords Baltimore. They wanted a centralized city, and St. Mary's was even laid out according to a Baroque town plan, but most residents of St. Mary's City preferred to live on tobacco plantations in the surrounding countryside. Still, the city's population increased when the Assembly was in session, and by the late 17th century it boasted a state house, Jesuit chapel, jail, inn, and many other public buildings in addition to private houses. The 17th century city mostly disappeared after 1694, though the land continued to be farmed. Archaeologists began to study the buried city in the mid-20th century. Today it is one of the premier archaeological sites on the East Coast.

Present-day St. Mary's City is primarily the location of St. Mary's College of Maryland and Historic St. Mary's City which runs a tourist center and archeological site devoted to colonial St. Mary's.

External links

• Historic St. Mary's City

Municipalities and communities of St. Mary's County, Maryland
County seat: Leonardtown
Town	Leonardtown
CDPs	California | Charlotte Hall | Golden Beach | Hollywood | Lexington Park | Mechanicsville
Communities	Abell | Beachville-St. Inigoes | Bushwood | Callaway | Chaptico-Maddox | Clements | Coltons Point | Compton | Dameron | Drayden | Great Mills | Helen | Loveville | Morganza | Park Hall | Piney Point | Ridge | St. Mary's City | Scotland | Tall Timbers | Valley Lee

Coordinates: 38°11′21″N 76°25′56″W / 38.18917, -76.43222

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