Great Mills is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in St. Mary's County,

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 to ...

, United States.

Great Mills High School Great Mills High School is a comprehensive public high school in Great Mills, Maryland, United States. It serves students in grades 9–12 in the mixed rural and suburban area at the confluence of the Potomac River, Patuxent River, and Chesapeake ...

serves the lower end of the county, including the town (census CDP) of

Lexington Park Lexington Park was the name of a former minor league baseball park in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was the home of the St. Paul Saints from 1897 through 1956, when it was replaced by the first version of Midway Stadium. Lexington Park was commiss ...

. The area is site of some of the oldest agricultural settlements in Maryland, as well as English speaking North America. It had many links to the original Maryland colony in

St. Mary's City St. Mary's City (also known as Historic St. Mary's City) is a former colonial town that was Maryland's first European settlement and capital. It is now a large, state-run historic area, which includes a reconstruction of the original colonial se ...

. It is also now a suburb of

and the

Patuxent River Naval Air Station Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States naval air station located in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River. It is home to Headquarters, Naval Air Sys ...

History

Early Colonial era: 17th century

The area was part of the original

agricultural expansion Agricultural expansion describes the growth of agricultural land (arable land, pastures, etc.) especially in the 20th and 21st centuries. The agricultural expansion is often explained as a direct consequence of the global increase in food and ene ...

after the initial settling of the first Maryland Colony in

, which is located several miles south of Great Mills. Early planters established farms in the area by the mid to late 17th century.

Civil War: Medal of Honor winners

Two

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

winners hail from Great Mills. William H. Barnes and

James H. Harris James H. Harris (1828 – January 28, 1898) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War. He earned the highest military decoration in the United States—the Medal of Honor—for his actions at the Battle of Chaffin's Farm. He was Afric ...

were both free African-American farmers who grew up in Great Mills and served as soldiers in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. They are both specifically mentioned and memorialized (including being discussed and depicted in a special permanent display) at the United States Colored Troops Memorial Statue which is just north of Great Mills in

Lexington Park, Maryland Lexington Park is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States, and the principal community of the Lexington Park, Maryland Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,626 at th2010 census History Nati ...

. The site is also a memorial to the more than 700 African-American soldiers and sailors from St. Mary's County, Maryland who served in the Union forces during the American Civil War (this is also discussed in the educational display). Special celebrations are also held there each year.

Modern town area

Like most Maryland towns it has no local government, due to a history of strong county governance throughout the state as a whole. The legal term for this is "unincorporated area or township". The area is rapidly developing and is home to commuters who work in Lexington Park and the nearby military base, as well as

St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM) is a public liberal arts college in St. Mary's City, Maryland.Maryland State Archives, Online Manual, "St. Mary's College Of Maryland: Origin & Functions" http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/25univ/stmarys ...

several miles to the south. Some residents also commute to

Leonardtown, Maryland Leonardtown is a town in and the county seat of St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,563 at the 2020 census. Leonardtown is perhaps most famous for the national oyster-shucking championship that is held annually at the ...

. There are still farming, fishing and crabbing communities in the area, although all of these are under economic pressure. There is a public swimming pool adjacent. Great Mills Road, connecting the community with Lexington Park, has small shopping centers and small, low to middle-income housing developments. There is also a Big Park with office space, a playground, and space for sports.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in St. Mary's County, Maryland Unincorporated communities in Maryland