We often say that all traces of Maryland’s first capital have vanished below ground. That is true with one significant exception. It is the remnant of an earthen mill dam built only four years after the colony was founded. Located …
When settlers came to Maryland, they carried the most advanced firearms available. Europeans had long used guns that were fired by a burning rope or “match” and called a matchlock, as is seen in use here. It was an effective …
One important animal the first settlers brought to Maryland was called dunghill fowl. They were a mixed breed of chickens and so named because in Britain they could often be found on the manure or dung piles looking for food. …
In July of 1884, Maryland historian J. Thomas Scharf conducted a search of the old Treasury Building located on State Circle in Annapolis. The Treasury Building was constructed in 1735-36 and is the oldest public building in Annapolis, as seen …
Discovering a Coffee House Identifying the purpose of long vanished buildings is one of the challenges confronting archaeologists. The form and construction of a building is important along with the associated artifacts. For historical archaeologists, clues often come from documents. …
Who was the first person we would call a scientist in Maryland? The answer is a little known person named Arthur Storer. A talented astronomer, he is almost completely forgotten today but has a remarkable story which I will summarize …
Back in late 2014, I received a phone call from a retired school teacher in Mexico City named Tobyanne Berenberg. Her mother was Fredericka Martin and among the possessions she left to Tobyanne were artifacts she had collected while assisting …
We sometimes metaphorically speak of following in our ancestor’s footsteps, but can we find their actual footsteps? That is a question I have long pondered after a surprise find in 1978. In that year we were digging at the Garrett …
Rent is a part of life. Some of us pay monthly rent for a place to live. But land owners also pay a “rent” in the form of property taxes. Think not? If you stop paying property taxes, see how …
If you ask historians what are the most important sources of information about early Maryland, what would they say? First on the list would undoubtedly be the government records of the colony. It is remarkable that so much of the …
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