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The Colonial Annapolis Historic District is a
historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal protection from cer ...
in the City of Annapolis, the state capital of
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean ...
, that was designated a
National Historic Landmark District National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, c ...
in 1965 and was geographically further expanded in 1984.


History and description

Annapolis has served as the capital of both the Colony/Province and the
State State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...
, along with being the
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
of Maryland's third county,
Anne Arundel County Anne Arundel County (; ), also notated as AA or A.A. County, is located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 United States census, its population was 588,261, an increase of just under 10% since 2010. Its county seat is Annapolis, whi ...
, and is one of the first planned cities in
colonial America The colonial history of the United States covers the history of European colonization of North America from the early 17th century until the incorporation of the Thirteen Colonies into the United States after the American Revolutionary War, ...
. Many elements of the original town plan, developed in 1695 by
Francis Nicholson Lieutenant-General Francis Nicholson (12 November 1655 – ) was a British Army general and colonial official who served as the Governor of South Carolina from 1721 to 1725. He previously was the Governor of Nova Scotia from 1712 to 1715, th ...
, and about 120 of the 18th century buildings still remain. Along with its neighboring capital city to the south of Williamsburg of the Province/Colony of Virginia and the first years of the independent
Commonwealth of Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
, both towns serve as a "living microcosm" of the 1700s and early 1800s in the United States. In terms of individually listed
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
s and other sites on the
National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
, the original historic colonial-era area includes the
Maryland State House The Maryland State House is located in Annapolis, Maryland. It is the oldest U.S. state capitol in continuous legislative use, dating to 1772 and houses the Maryland General Assembly, plus the offices of the Governor and Lieutenant Governor. In ...
on State Circle, St. Ann's Church (Anglican/Episcopal) on neighboring adjacent Church Circle, and the historic residences, townhouses and some larger mansions of the town's wealthiest and most influential citizens of the Hammond-Harwood House and the Paca House and Gardens, the increase also includes the Artisan's House, Brice House, John Callahan House, and the Chase-Lloyd House. Most of the downtown and harbor waterfront areas were declared a
National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...
in 1965. (includes Addendum, February 1, 1983) and Sands House, and Jennings-Brice House / John Brice II House, and Maryland Inn, and Annapolis Post Office, and Donaldson-Steuart House / Kentish Inn; Anthony Workman House, and 77 Main Street / Site of Victualling House; George & John Barber's Store, and Masonic Temple / Lloyd Dulaney (or Dulaney) House, and two drawings) and   The location of acclaimed national educational schools such as the St. John's College, (elevated to collegiate status in 1784, founded as "King William's School" in 1696) with its historic red-brick Colonial/Georgian and Federal-styled buildings (including the former colonial Governor's Mansion, begun in 1742, later used as McDowell Hall, the primary college structure) and the 1845 establishment of the United States Naval School, the nation's second-oldest military college, (later renamed the U.S. Naval Academy) with its late 19th Century French-styled architecture of Second Empire waterfront campus on the site of old
Fort Severn Fort Severn, in present-day Annapolis, Maryland, was built in 1808 on the same site as an earlier American Revolutionary War fort of 1776. Although intended to guard Annapolis harbor from British attack during the War of 1812, it never saw act ...
from the
War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
-era facing the Severn River, provide a sophisticated air to the downtown streets adding the casually attired college students and white-uniformed naval midshipmen walking about amidst the rows of brick townhouses and wood-frame homes. With the establishment of the Historic Annapolis Foundation, as well as Annapolis Historic District Design Guidelines for New Construction, written by Robert Lamb Hart of Hart Howerton, the future of the city's historical heritage of the Colonial and Federal eras with its Georgian and Federal period with its unique architecture was assured of a constant "watchdog" over any future abuses and neglect as occasionally occurred during the quiet years of the 19th and early 20th Centuries. The Colonial Annapolis Maritime Trail System is a part of the
East Coast Greenway The East Coast Greenway is a pedestrian and bicycle route between Maine and Florida along the East Coast of the United States. In 2020, the Greenway received over 50 million visits. The nonprofit East Coast Greenway Alliance was created in 1991. ...
.


See also

*
List of National Historic Landmarks in Maryland This is a List of National Historic Landmarks in Maryland. There are currently 76 National Historic Landmarks (NHLs) in Maryland. Also included are short lists of former NHLs and of other historic sites of national importance administered by the ...
* National Register of Historic Places listings in Anne Arundel County, Maryland


References


External links

*, including photo in 1982, at Maryland Historical Trust * umerous photo sets available by searching on "Annapolis MD" here at
Historic American Buildings Survey Heritage Documentation Programs (HDP) is a division of the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) responsible for administering the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS), Historic American Engineering Record (HAER), and Historic American Landscapes ...
{{National Register of Historic Places in Maryland Annapolis, Maryland Historic districts in Anne Arundel County, Maryland National Historic Landmarks in Maryland Historic American Buildings Survey in Maryland Tourist attractions in Annapolis, Maryland Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Maryland National Register of Historic Places in Annapolis, Maryland