1634, March 25. Landing of settlers at St. Clement's Island (Maryland Day). Calvert party celebrated Feast of Annunciation (March 25); later purchased Indian land, and built "Fort at St. Mary's City."
1634-1694. St. Mary's City served as capital of Maryland.
1634/5, Feb. 26. First General Assembly (law-making assembly of freemen) met at St. Mary's City.
1636. Leonard Calvert House (later, Country's House), East St. Mary's, served as state house and governor's residence.
1637. St. Mary's County first cited in provincial records.
1638. Assembly claimed protections of English law; Assembly and courts met at John Lewger's St. John's.
1639. First elections in province for delegates to Assembly ordered by Governor Calvert on Kent Island, and in hundreds of Mattapanient, St. Michael's, St. Mary's, and St. George's.
1645, Feb. 14-1646, Dec. Ingle's Rebellion: Richard Ingle led rebellion against proprietary government.
1647/8, Jan. 21. Margret Brent (1601-1671) denied right to vote in General Assembly.
1649, April 21. Religious toleration law (An Act concerning Religion) enacted.
1652, March 29. Parliamentary commissioners displaced proprietary regime.
1654. Structure built near Leonardtown to serve as courthouse.
1657. Lord Baltimore reestablished proprietary authority over Maryland.
1664. Construction on Secretary's Office or Council Chamber (later van Swearingen Ordinary), St. Mary's City, probably begun by this date.
![[photo, State House of 1676, Historic St. Mary's City, St. Mary's City, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/25ind/images/stmaryscity/1198-1-3957.jpg)
1667. St. Mary's City incorporated.
1669. St. Clement's Island renamed Blackistone's Island.
1676. Brick State House completed at St. Mary's City.
State House of 1676, Historic St. Mary's City, St. Mary's City, Maryland, May 2009. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
1681. Josias Fendall (c. 1628-1687) found guilty of conspiracy by Provincial Court, which fined and banished him.
1685, Aug. 31. Printing press of William Nuthead (1654-1695) used at St. Mary's City by this date.
1689, July-1690, May. Maryland Revolution of 1689. Protestant Associators overthrew proprietary officers.
1694/5, Feb. Capital moved from St. Mary's City to Anne Arundel Town.
1695. State House at St. Mary's City used for County Courthouse.
1698. Hospital established at Cool Springs, Charlotte Hall.
1710, Oct. First Courthouse built at Sheperd's Old Fields, Seymour Town.
1735, Nov. 8. George Plater (1735-1792), Governor of Maryland, born at Sotterley.
1736. Second Courthouse at Seymour Town completed.
1774. Charlotte Hall School founded at Charlotte Hall.
1776, July 15-16, 25. Lord Dunmore (1732-1809), last royal governor of Virginia, and his fleet reached St. George Island, attacked by Maryland militia.
1785, March 11. James Thomas (1785-1845), Governor of Maryland, born at “De La Brooke Manor”, in Oraville.
1814, Summer. British occupied Blackistone Island.
1814, June 1. British raid at St. Jerome's Creek.
1814, June 1. Naval skirmish off Cedar Point.
1814, July 30. British forces looted Chaptico.
1814, Aug. 2. British raid at Breton Bay.
1814, Aug. 11-12. British raid at St. Mary's River.
1830, Sept. 20. Point Lookout Lighthouse built by John Donahoo.
1831, March 8. Second Courthouse at Seymore Town destroyed by fire. Third Courthouse built.
1836. Piney Point Lighthouse, first lighthouse on Potomac River, was built by John Donahoo at Piney Point.
1838. John Pendleton Kennedy's Rob of the Bowl: A Legend of St. Inigoes, set in St. Mary's County, published.
1840. St. Mary's Seminary chartered.
1845. St. Mary's Seminary reformed as St. Mary's Female Seminary.
1851, Nov. 13. Blackistone Island (St. Clement's Island) Lighthouse completed.
1858. Leonardtown incorporated.
1861. Union troops occupied Courthouse at Leonardtown, and camped at Sheep Pen Woods.
1862, Aug. 17. Hammond General Hospital for Union Army patients opened at Point Lookout.
1863. Union prison camp at Point Lookout established for Confederate prisoners.
1864, April 9. U.S. Representative Benjamin G. Harris, District 5, censured for treasonable remarks by U.S. House of Representatives.
1865, May. U.S. Representative Benjamin G. Harris, tried and convicted by military court for harboring paroled confederate soldiers. Sentence later remitted by President Andrew Johnson.
c.1880. Potomac River dory boats built in St. Mary's County.
1887, June 17. Benjamin Hance lynched in Leonardtown.
1901. Fourth Courthouse at Leonardtown completed.
1943, April 1. U.S. Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, opened in St. Mary's County.
1945, June 16. Naval Air Test Center established at Patuxent River.
1947. First St. Mary's County Fair began at Camp Calvert on Breton Bay, Leonardtown.
1947. Slot machines allowed by law in St. Mary's County (Chapter 32, Acts of 1947 Special Session).
![[photo, St. Mary's County Courthouse, 41605 Courthouse Drive, Leonardtown, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/36loc/sm/images/1198-1-3966.jpg)
1949. St. Mary's Female Seminary reformed as St. Mary's Seminary Junior College.
1953, Jan. 7. WKIK in Loveville, first radio station in County, began to broadcast on 1370 AM until Jan. 1992.
1953, Feb. 4. WPTX in Lexington Park began to broadcast on 1570 AM.
1954. WPTX moved to 920 AM.
1957. Courthouse rebuilt at Leonardtown.
Courthouse, 41605 Courthouse Drive, Leonardtown, Maryland, May 2009. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
![[photo, Kent Hall, St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, Maryland]](/msa/mdmanual/25univ/stmarys/images/1198-1-3959.jpg)
1960. Blackistone's Island renamed St. Clement's Island.
1963. Legislation passed to outlaw slot-machine gambling.
1964. St. Mary's Seminary Junior College reorganized as St. Mary's College of Maryland.
Kent Hall, St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's City, Maryland, May 2009. Photo by Diane F. Evartt.
1976, Dec. WMDM in Lexington Park began to broadcast on 97.7 FM.
1978, Jan. Governor Thomas Johnson Memorial Bridge opened across Patuxent River, connecting St. Mary's and Calvert Counties.
1994. Southern Maryland Higher Education Center authorized to serve St. Mary's, Calvert and Charles counties.
2001. WPTX moved to 1690 AM.
2004, March 2. Electronic voting system used during primary elections at polling places and for absentee ballots in all counties and Baltimore City.
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