Port Tobacco Village, Maryland - Overview

Overview

This was historically the territory of Algonquian-speaking peoples, especially the Potapoco and the more dominant Piscataway. Settled by the English in the 17th century and established in 1727, the town on the Port Tobacco River soon became the second largest in Maryland. The first county seat of Charles County, it was a seaport with access to the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. It declined rapidly after river traffic was cut off and it was bypassed by the railroad. Moving the county seat to La Plata in 1895 drew population away but left the town with its historic significance intact.

In recent years, the former courthouse has been renovated for use as a historical museum. In 2007 a consortium started the Port Tobacco Archeology Project, devoted to revealing the history of Native Americans and colonial Europeans and Africans. Because of its unique history, the area is "one of the richest archeological sites in Southern Maryland."

A few miles south, St. Ignatius Church and cemetery at St. Thomas Manor comprise a complex designated as a National Historic Landmark, notable as a Jesuit mission center of the 17th century and possibly the oldest continuously operating Roman Catholic parish founded in the Thirteen Colonies which began the United States. The complex at Chapel Point has scenic views overlooking the Potomac River. John Hanson, President of the U.S. Continental Congress, was born nearby.