Friday, December 23, 2011

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

George Washington Unclothed

Horatio Greenough's semi-naked statue of George Washington personifying Zeus is on the second floor of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History near the elevators.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Anna Ella Carroll

Maryland's Most Distinquished Lady
Anna Ella Carroll has been called a feminist heroine, military strategist and unacknowledged member of Lincoln's cabinet and a self-promoting fraud.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Can I Die on Your Porch?

William D. Scott at Saint Rose of Lima Catholic Church
in Gaithersburg Maryland 

William D. Scott was a 21-year-old Confederate cavalryman from Greebrier County, Virginia (now West Virginia). When the Cloppers found him wounded on their porch in 1864, he asked, "Can I die on your porch?".

Sunday, October 2, 2011

The La Plata Tornado -- 1926

In the Heart of Charles County 
Originally on Charles Street (Rt. 6) near Somerset Street, this marker is now on Willow Lane, the approach to Milton M. Somers Middle School from Charles Street in La Plata.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

A Freedman's Home

The Gilmore Farm in the Shadow of James Madison's Montpelier

This was George and Polly Gilmore's farm in the second half of the 19th century. Both George and Polly were born into slavery at James Madison's Montpelier. The Gilmore family lived here until the 1930's.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Parson Weems

Mason Locke Weems
The first biographer of Washington and the origin of the cherry tree tale.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

How Beautiful is Death

The Aquila Randall Monument in Dundalk


This small monument was erected in 1817 by the comrades of Aquila Randall who at age 24 was killed defending Baltimore at the battle of North Point on September 12, 1814. It stands on North Point Road in Dundalk near Old Battle Grove Road.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

The Conojacular War


This 1924 memorial marks the location of Thomas Cresap's 1730 home "Pleasant Garden" on the Conojohela flats along the Susquehanna river near present day East Prospect, Pennsylvania.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

The Bladensburg Dueling Grounds


We find this 1955 historical marker on Bladensburg Road at the Maryland/D.C. line just east of the IHOP at 38th Street. It declaims the "Dark and Bloody Grounds" where 19th century Washington gentlemen came to shoot each other.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

The Smallest Church in 48 States

Our Lady of the Pines, Silver Lake, West Virginia

This tiny Catholic church is said to be the smallest in 48 states.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Belfort Meteorological Observatory

and the Baltimore Rescue Mission

Along East Baltimore Street, at the corner with Central Avenue, in the Jonestown neighborhood of Baltimore, we find this intriguing building. It identifies itself as Belfort.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Fenwick Island Lighthouse

Eastern end of the Transpenisular Line

This stone at the base of the Fenwick Island lighthouse marks the eastern end of the Transpeninsular Line, the southern boundary of Delaware with Maryland.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Friday, May 13, 2011

Surratt's Boarding House

Wok 'n Roll

The Lincoln assassination conspirators met at Mary Surratt's Boarding House on H Street in Washington.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

The Post Mark'd West

The Base Point on the Mason Dixon Line
Site of Post Mark'd West set up by Mason and Dixon June 12, 1764
This post used as base point in the survey of Mason Dixon Line 1763 - 1767

Sunday, May 1, 2011

The Cabin John Bridge


The Cabin John Bridge carries MacArthur Blvd. across Cabin John Creek and the Cabin John Parkway. It also carries part of Washington's water supply.