Editing St. Mary's County, Maryland (section)

==History==

===Settlement===
The settlement of [[Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore|Lord Baltimore]]'s Maryland began with the arrival of passengers from England at [[St. Clement's Island]] in the [[Potomac River]] in what is now southwestern St. Mary's County on March 25, 1634, and the annual anniversary of this landing is celebrated as ''[[Maryland Day]]''. The passengers arrived in two vessels, the ''Ark'' and the ''Dove'' that had set sail from the [[Isle of Wight]] on November 22, 1633. The county is the site of the first Catholic Mass celebrated in one of the original thirteen colonies (after they had become English colonies). Earlier dates of masses being said were during 1526–1527 at [[San Miguel de Gualdape]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10534b.htm|title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Antonio Montesino|website=www.newadvent.org}}</ref>

Due to the small size of the island and its lack of resources, there was no intention to make a permanent settlement on the island. Instead St. Clement's was used as a base for the settlers while scouting for a more suitable site. This was how a bluff overlooking the nearby St. Mary's River was chosen for numerous reasons, and became the site of the first permanent settlement. It would soon be named, "[[St. Mary's City, Maryland|St. Mary's City]]".

[[St. Mary's City, Maryland]] is the site of the first Maryland Capitol and remained so for more than 50 years, until 1695, when the state capital was moved to Annapolis.

Today Historic [[St. Mary's City, Maryland|St. Mary's City]] is a major attraction in Maryland with four museums, a reconstructed colonial village, and the reconstructed [[Maryland Dove]] settlers ship. It also has become one of the top archeological research sites in North America.

St. Mary's County was the first county established in Maryland, in 1637, probably by an order of the governor.

In 1649, Lord Baltimore, with the Maryland General Assembly, passed the [[Maryland Toleration Act]], which provided religious freedom for any (Christian) sect and which was the first law of its kind in the New World.<ref>Perry G. E. Miller, "Colonial Religious History," ''Church History'', Vol. 4 No. 1 (March 1935), 45-48.</ref> There is a statue in [[St. Mary's City]] commemorating this event, along with extensive museums, a reconstructed Colonial town, [[living history]] actors, and a replica of the [[Maryland Dove]].

===Historic buildings===
St. Mary's County has some of the oldest extant buildings in English North America. Many of these properties are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Mary's County, Maryland|National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|2008a}}</ref> These buildings range through many historical periods, from the 1600s to the 1800s. There are notable buildings of the early twentieth century, as well.<ref name="nris"/>

===Memorial===
The [[United States Colored Troops Memorial Statue (Lexington Park, Maryland)|United States Colored Troops Memorial Statue]] is a memorial to the more than 700 African-American soldiers and sailors from St. Mary's County who served among the Union forces during the American Civil War. The memorial site includes an educational display and special celebrations are held there each year.