Leonardtown

History

Records indicate that by 1654, county court was conducted at the house of John Hammond in the area known as "Newtown" or "Newtowne Hundred". During the late 17th century, it appears that court was held at various homes throughout Newtown, and that it was only in 1708 that an official town with a designated courthouse was established. It was during this same year that Phillip Lynes, then Mayor of St. Mary's City, Maryland's colonial capital, designated fifty acres of land at the head of "Brittons Bay" to be divided into 100 lots. He further ordered that one lot be set aside for a county courthouse to be built at an expense not to exceed 12,000 pounds of tobacco. At this time, Newtown was promptly renamed Seymour Town in honor of Governor John Seymour. Nearly 20 years later, Seymour Town was renamed again to Leonard Town in honor of Leonard Calvert, who was Maryland's first governor. In the decades that followed, Leonard Town became the place where local residents conducted their official business with the colony. Farm products were regularly shipped through the port. During the War of 1812, the British blockaded the Chesapeake Bay. 1,000 British Marines invaded the town. This crippled the Tidewater economy and subjected areas to repeated British plundering and destruction. By 1860, the town had approximately 35 dwellings within these corporate limits. It was home to the county's newspaper, two hotels and several stores. During the American Civil War, a Union Naval contingent occupied Leonardtown, searching all houses for weapons and supplies intended for shipment across the Potomac River to Virginia as Southern Maryland and the town's sympathies lay with the Confederacy. Leonardtown served as a busy port and steamboat landing. Until the passing of the steamboat era,…

Geography

Leonardtown is located at (38.295332, -76.637939). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Largest nearby schools

• Leonardtown High
  High · Leonardtown · 2,039 students · 22.7:1 ratio
• Great Mills High
  High · Great Mills · 1,779 students · 19.5:1 ratio
• Chopticon High
  High · Morganza · 1,682 students · 21:1 ratio
• Leonardtown Middle
  Middle · Leonardtown · 969 students · 17.6:1 ratio
• Margaret Brent Middle
  Middle · Mechanicsville · 935 students · 17.6:1 ratio
• Esperanza Middle
  Middle · Lexington Park · 875 students · 16.8:1 ratio
• Evergreen Elementary School
  Elementary · California · 736 students · 17.1:1 ratio
• Benjamin Banneker Elementary
  Elementary · Loveville · 590 students · 14.8:1 ratio