Lexington Park

History

Native American peoples inhabited the area as early as 3500 B.C. At the time of the arrival of the first colonists, the area was inhabited by various tribes and polities such as the Piscataway Confederacy, Yaocomico, Mattawoman, Pamunkey, Mattaponi and Nanjemoy. The area was expanded into by "planters" (mostly tobacco farmers) who moved into the area as the original settlement in St. Mary's City grew. Early plantations were first farmed by indentured and free labor, but in the late 1600s slavery began to establish itself in Maryland and the character of farming changed due to this. Wealth was concentrated in very few hands and small free farmers and laborers were pushed out or "down" (into poverty) due to competition with slave labor. Before the establishment of the Patuxent Naval Air Station, there were tobacco farms in what is now Lexington Park, or the base proper, and also crabbing, fishing and oyster harvesting communities in the waterfront areas. Many residents of these communities had roots going back more than 300 years in the area. Many were pushed out by eminent domain land seizures during World War Two, in order to create the new military base. Memories of this loss are still strong among older county residents. The economic boost brought by the base was welcome, but many never felt sufficiently compensated for the loss of their centuries-old homes, landholdings and fishing and farming community. Nearby, Dashiell Hammett, noted novelist, was born on May 27, 1894. "Lexington Park" came into being in 1943 with the establishment of the Patuxent Naval Air Station during World War II, and was named for the recently sunk aircraft carrier. Prior to this Lexington Park was called "Jarboesville". John Glenn, Alan Shepard, and many noted astronauts trained…

Geography

Lexington Park is located at (38.258906, −76.450592). According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of , of which is land and (1.24%) is water. Lexington Park has a humid subtropical climate under the Köppen climate classification, with hot, humid summers and mild winters.

Race & ethnicity