Anne Arundel County

Anne Arundel County was incorporated in 1650 and is named after Lady Anne of Arundell, wife of Cecilius Calvert, second Lord Baltimore. Annapolis is the capital of the state and the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It was first settled in 1649 by Puritans from Virginia seeking religious freedom. The city was named for England's Princess Anne when it became Maryland's state capital in 1695. At that time, Annapolis was a center of colonial commerce and a busy port and its dock was surrounded by warehouses, shops and taverns. Even today, it has more 18th-century buildings and houses than any other city in the United States.

A diorama in the Historic Annapolis Foundation museum shop helps you see what the dock was like in colonial days. Many important events occurred at the City Dock, including the burning of the Peggy Stewart, a cargo ship loaded with tea that was taxed by the British, and the arrival of an African slave named Kunta Kinte. He was an ancestor of Alex Haley, author of Roots, which traced his family's history back to Kunta Kinte. A plaque at the City Dock memorializes Kunta Kinte's arrival.

Many African-Americans have played important roles in Annapolis and Maryland history. Their story is told in programs and exhibits at the Banneker-Douglass Museum of Afro-American Life and History and nearby is a statue honoring Alex Haley.

In the City Council Chamber at City Hall, Annapolis' early history comes to life in three large murals. They show the settlement of Providence in 1649, the laying out of the capital in 1695, and the proclamation of the Annapolis City Charter in 1708. Nearby, three of the four homes of the Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence are open to the public: William Paca House and Garden, Chase-Lloyd House and Charles Carroll House.

King William's School was founded in 1696 and was one of the first public schools in America. Today it is called St. John's College. The 400-year-old Liberty Tree, which is the legendary meeting place of the Sons of Liberty before the American Revolution, is found on the grounds of the school.

Since 1845, the U.S. Naval Academy has been an important part of life in Annapolis. The school's 4,000 midshipmen live in Bancroft Hall, one of the largest dormitories in the world. One of the most interesting places to see at the Naval Academy is John Paul Jones' crypt, located under the chapel. Jones was a naval hero who is considered the founder of the modern navy. Ship models and naval exhibits in the Academy's museum also help tell the story of the Navy, from its earliest days to the present.

In southern Anne Arundel County, archaeologists are working to uncover the rest of the colonial port of London Town. The London Town House is the only surviving structure of the lost town.

As more and more people settled in other parts of Maryland, they wanted the state capital to be more centralized. So in 1695, Maryland's General Assembly and Governor Francis Nicholson moved the capital from St. Mary's City to Annapolis.

Thousands of visitors from all over the world pass through the State House in Annapolis. It is probably the best-known building in the state. The construction of the State House began in 1772, and it has been in use by Maryland's legislature ever since its completion in 1779 - longer than any other state capital.

The State House was designed and built by Joseph Clark of Annapolis. He finished the wooden dome in 1797, but because nails were scarce following the Revolutionary War, he didn't use a single one in its construction. The lightning rod on the dome was designed according to Benjamin Franklin's theories.

The State House was the nation's first peacetime capitol when the Continental Congress met in Annapolis from November 1783 to August 1784. You can still see the Old Senate Chamber where George Washington resigned as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and Congress ratified the Treaty of Paris that ended the American Revolutionary War.

As the state grew, its government and State House grew. The General Assembly, made up of a 141-member House of Delegates and a 47-member Senate, meets in two large chambers in a new section of the State House. Visitors can watch Maryland's government in action from visitor galleries in both the House and Senate Chambers. The Governor has offices in the State House and has a residence nearby in the Government House on State Circle.

Baltimore City

The original town of Baltimore was founded in 1729, but it wasn't incorporated until 1796. Baltimore was named to honor the title of Maryland's founding family, the six Lords Baltimore. It was a tiny village of 200 homes in 1768 when it became the Baltimore County seat. The city grew and became an important shipbuilding center, where merchants prospered and the city's port flourished. The city was separated from Baltimore County and given status equal to that of the counties in 1851. Baltimore was the third largest city in the nation by 1860 and today is the 13th largest. It is one of only two independent cities in the United States. With a world port, government offices, significant medical and educational institutions, and major tourist attractions, Baltimore is one of the most important cities on the East Coast.

Someone once counted 200 distinct neighborhoods in Baltimore - among them the maritime community of Fells Point, Little Italy and fashionable Mount Vernon Place. The popular neighborhood of Federal Hill was named for a huge celebration the residents held in honor of the ratification of the federal Constitution. The cannon on the hill overlooking the Inner Harbor is a reminder of the Civil War, when federal troops seized the railroads and occupied Baltimore and Annapolis to keep Maryland in the Union and to prevent Washington, D.C., from being surrounded by Confederate states.

Since it was redeveloped by James Rouse in the late 1970s, millions of people have come to see Baltimore's Inner Harbor, where they can ride the elevator 27 stories to the Top of the World Observation Level and Museum in the World Trade Center, explore the inside of the World War II submarine Torsk and visit sharks, dolphins, sea turtles and thousands of other aquatic animals at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Across the harbor, the Maryland Science Center has hands-on exhibits on science. Nearby, the Maryland Science Center and the Columbus Center have exhibits on science and marine research. Visitors to the Inner Harbor also can see the Pride of Baltimore II when she is in town. This fast-sailing 160-foot topsail schooner is a replica of the famous Baltimore Clippers, who earned their reputation by capturing hundreds of British merchant ships during the War of 1812. Nearby, the kid-powered museum, Port Discovery, is where three floors of interactive fun await kids of all ages.

Baltimore also has been a center of art, music, literature and culture for many years. It is home to the oldest music school in the United States, the Peabody Conservatory of Music, as well as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and the Baltimore Opera. The country's oldest museum building, the Peale Museum, was built in Baltimore by painter Rembrandt Peale in 1814. At the Walters Art Gallery, rooms that remind you of an ancient castle with suits of armor for men and horses, an eight-story tapestry, Egyptian mummies, and much more can be seen. Paintings by Picasso and Cezanne are among the many works of art at the Baltimore Museum of Art. The museum also has a modern art collection, as well as art from Africa, Oceania and Asia. The American Visionary Art Museum has exhibits of paintings and objects created by "visionary" or "untrained" artists.

Among Baltimore's literary landmarks is a house lived in by Edgar Allan Poe, who died in Baltimore in 1849. He is buried in Westminster Cemetery, where a monument to him was erected with money collected by Baltimore teachers and schoolchildren in 1875. Overlooking Union Square is the 19th-century home of newspaperman H.L. Mencken, once described as the "scourge of windbags, frauds, wowsers, mountebanks, hypocrites, bigots. . . the U.S. Congress, Prohibition and every president from Theodore Roosevelt to Harry S. Truman."

Oriole Park at Camden Yards is the home of the Baltimore Orioles. Nearby is the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Baseball Center, where baseball great George Herman "Babe" Ruth was born. The Baltimore Ravens draw fans to exciting football games nearby at M&T Bank Stadium and the Pimlico Race Course hosts the Preakness, the second jewel in thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown.

Another popular attraction is Fort McHenry National Shrine and Monument. Next door is M&T Bank Stadium, home of the NFL's Baltimore Ravens. This star-shaped fort was bombed by the British on September 13, 1814. Francis Scott Key, a young American attorney, was imprisoned aboard a British ship when the bombing ended 24 hours later. He could see the American flag flying above the fort and knew the United States had won. While on the ship, Key wrote a poem that later became "The Star-Spangled Banner," the national anthem. The original manuscript of the poem is on display at the Maryland Historical Society Museum and is an important resource for the study of Maryland history.

Baltimore County

The sixth county to be established is the third largest county in Maryland today. Baltimore County is horse country. There are 149 thoroughbred horse farms located throughout its rolling countryside and every April you can watch the Maryland Hunt Cup, the oldest and most difficult hunt race in the country.

Following the separation of Baltimore City and County, Towson became the new county seat in 1854. Baltimore County and Maryland history are traced through exhibits in the county Historical Society Museum in Cockeysville, the Catonsville Historical Society's Townsend House and the Hampton National Historic Site in Towson. The 18th-century Hampton Mansion is surrounded by a 63-acre national park. You can see vintage fire engines and learn about the 1904 Great Fire of Baltimore at the Fire Museum of Maryland in Lutherville. This terrible fire led to the standardization of fire equipment in the United States.

At the 17,000-acre Gunpowder Falls State Park or at Soldier's Delight Environmental Area, you can explore wooded trails, meadows, streams, ponds, a marble quarry and iron ore pits.

Carroll County

Carroll County was founded in 1837 and named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, the only Roman Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. Wheat was the crop that brought the German settlers to the county, while farming and natural beauty still draw people there today.To get a closer look at farm and community life, visit the Carroll County Farm Museum, the Union Mills Homestead and Grist Mill, and the Uniontown Historic District. The museums of the Historical Society of Carroll County in the county seat, Westminster, include historic houses, a 19th-century garden and a research library.

Railroad history is found at the Western Maryland Railway Historical Society Museum in Union Bridge. The Western Maryland Railroad was used by Lincoln on his way to deliver the Gettysburg Address.

Nature beckons people to Cascade Lake, a 6-acre spring-fed lake, and to Piney Run Park, an 800-acre park with a 300-acre lake.

Harford County

The diverse landscape in Harford County offers a variety of attractions. The northern part of Harford County resides in the Piedmont Plateau and the southern half is in the Atlantic Coastal Plain, so the elevation ranges from 750 feet above sea level to 40 feet above sea level.Harford County was founded in 1773, and was named for Henry Harford, the last proprietor of Maryland and the son of Frederick Calvert, sixth Lord Baltimore. The county's oldest town, Havre de Grace, is located at the mouth of the Susquehanna River and has a long maritime history. It was founded in 1658, but achieved prominence during the War of 1812 when Lt. John O'Neill led the town militia against a British attack. In recognition of his bravery, he became the first lighthouse keeper when Concord Point Lighthouse was built in 1827. It is still one of the nation's oldest continuously working lighthouses.

The Susquehanna Canal was an important part of life in Havre de Grace in the 1840s. Step back to that period of time by visiting the Susquehanna Museum, housed in an old lock house. Decoys of wildfowl have been used for centuries by hunters. Now a respected form of art, decoys are displayed at the Havre de Grace Decoy Museum.

The county seat in Harford County is Bel Air, where two important historic homes are found. Tudor Hall was built in 1852 and was the home of a famous American actor named Junius Brutus Booth. The mansion at the Liriodendron Foundation was built in 1898 and still retains many of its original features. The name liriodendron is the botanical name for the tulip poplar tree, many of which are found on the 100-acre grounds. Another impressive garden is found in Monkton. Ladew Topiary Gardens was designed by the late Harvey Ladew and is now open for all to see. His property includes 15 garden rooms, a manor house, and dozens of topiary figures, which are shrubs trimmed into different ornamental shapes.

At the Aberdeen Proving Ground is the U. S. Army Ordnance Museum, where visitors can see army weapons, combat vehicles, and Anzio Annie, a huge German railway gun from World War II. The proving ground is also the home of a large number of bald eagles.

Howard County

Howard County combines the best of the old with the new and is a railroad lover's heaven. The county was founded in 1839 and named for Maryland's fifth governor, John Eager Howard. The county's rich history is evident in Ellicott City, a historic mill town founded in 1722. It took its name from the owners of grist and flour mills, John and Andrew Ellicott. The Historical Society is in a pre-1790 building that may be Ellicott City's oldest. Also in Ellicott City are the Firehouse Museum and the County Courthouse atop Mt. Misery.

The history of the men and women who built the railroad can be found at the B&O Railroad Station Museum, once the terminus of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. This station became famous in 1830, when a B&O locomotive, the famous Tom Thumb, raced a horse-drawn carriage from Ellicott City to Baltimore. The horse won, but the railroad had come to stay.

The town of Elkridge quickly made adjustments for these new trains by building the Thomas Viaduct in 1835. It was the first multiple-arch curved railroad bridge in the world and was part of the main railroad between Washington and Baltimore. The Bollman Truss Railroad Bridge in Savage is the only semi-suspension truss bridge remaining in the world. Also in Savage is the renovated Savage Mill, a former textile mill that now offers space for artisans and antiques dealers to sell their wares.

The Welcome Center in Columbia will bring you right back to the 20th century. It tells the story of how this successful planned community was created in the mid-1960s by developer James Rouse. While you're there, visit the Maryland Museum of African Art and the Howard County Center of African-American Culture.