Carr's Beach, founded in 1926, was a beachfront resort on the

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula, including parts of the Ea ...

that catered to

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

patrons during segregation. Located just south of

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

, Carr's Beach was established as a recreational area during the Jim Crow-era when African-Americans were denied entry into 'Whites-only' establishments. Other nearby beachfront resorts used for this purpose included Sparrow’s Beach, Elktonia Beach, Bembe Beach, Highland Beach, Venice Beach, Oyster Harbor, and Arundel-on-the-Bay. Carr's Beach was a stop on the Chitlin' Circuit and hosted musical acts like

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, guitarist and songwriter who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and de ...

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

, and

Ike & Tina Turner Ike & Tina Turner was an American musical duo consisting of husband-and-wife Ike Turner and Tina Turner. From 1960 to 1976, they performed live as the Ike & Tina Turner Revue, supported by the Kings of Rhythm and backing vocalists, the Ikettes. ...

. The resort ceased operations in 1974. In August 2022, the City of Annapolis acquired Carr's Beach to preserve it as a park.

Establishment and expansion

Frederick Carr, who had been formerly enslaved, and his wife, Mary Wells Carr, purchased of waterfront property on the

Annapolis Neck peninsula Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of W ...

in 1902. The couple hosted boarders and events. In 1926, they established Carr's Beach, a Chesapeake Bay beachfront resort for African American patrons. Due to segregation laws at the time, African Americans were barred from using 'Whites-only' beaches nearby. Frederick and Mary's daughter, Elizabeth Carr Smith, operated Carr's Beach. Her sister, Florence Carr Sparrow, established a neighboring resort called Sparrow's Beach in 1931. Elizabeth Carr Smith died in a car accident in 1948. Her son Frederick and businessman William L. “Li’l Willie” Adams created Carr’s Beach Amusement Company. Adams and Elizabeth Carr Smith's heirs invested $150,000 in Carr's Beach expanding it to include a midway and a venue called Club Bengazi.

Operations

1926 - late 1960s

Carr's Beach hosted visitors seeking waterfront recreation and live entertainment. Musical acts that performed at Carr's Beach included Chuck Berry, James Brown,

Cab Calloway Cabell "Cab" Calloway III (December 25, 1907 – November 18, 1994) was an American jazz singer and bandleader. He was a regular performer at the Cotton Club in Harlem, where he became a popular vocalist of the Swing music, swing era. His niche ...

, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday,

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the "Ar ...

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, and

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, and Ike & Tina Turner. Events at Carr's Beach were often broadcast on radio by Hoppy Adams (Charles W. Adams, Jr.), a disk jockey at Annapolis radio station, WANN (1190 AM).

Late 1960s

Carr's Beach was purchased and operated by new owners in the late 1960s. The resort, along with similar resorts catering to African American patrons, became less popular after the end of segregation. Between the late 1960s and 1973, Carr's Beach continued operations and presented performers like

Led Zeppelin Led Zeppelin were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1968. The band comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist-keyboardist John Paul Jones (musician), John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham. With a he ...

and Rare Earth. In 1973,

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American guitarist, composer, and bandleader. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa composed Rock music, rock, Pop music, pop, jazz, jazz fusion, orchestra ...

became the last musical act to perform at the resort. Carr's Beach closed in 1974.

Legacy and preservation

A mural commemorating Carr's Beach was unveiled in Annapolis on May 22, 2021. The mural, designed by artist Comacell Brown, is located on an exterior wall of StageOne at Park Place, a venue of the Maryland Cultural and Conference Center. In August 2022, the City of Annapolis acquired five bay-front acres that included the remains of Carr's Beach, Sparrow's Beach, and Elktonia Beach. The acquisition was a result of collaborative efforts of the Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation, Chesapeake Conservancy, the City of Annapolis, the

State of Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

, and

The Conservation Fund The Conservation Fund is a U.S. nonprofit organization with a dual charter to pursue environmental preservation and economic development. From 2008–2018, it has placed more than 500,000 acres under conservation management through a program wh ...

. Elktonia-Carr's Beach Heritage Park will be established as a public park.

References

{{coord, 38.95640, -76.47165, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-MD, display=title Annapolis, Maryland Historic sites in Maryland African-American history in Annapolis, Maryland 1926 establishments in Maryland