Religious Freedom

Travel along tree-lined backroads and through the rolling farmland of Southern Maryland—the cradle of American religious liberty—where historic churches stand as powerful reminders of the nation's earliest quest for freedom of worship. Along the way, take in the charm of red-brick colonial homes and historic estates, punctuated by the backdrop of the Potomac River.

To board a tiny ship and set sail across the broad unknown of the Atlantic, Maryland’s first English colonists must surely have been drawn by something magnificent, and indeed, they were. Maryland was a new world where new ideals might take hold. They gave up not just their old lives, but their whole known world to build a new home on Maryland’s shore.

In Historic St. Mary’s City, hailed as “the birthplace of religious toleration in North America,” settlers helped shape the foundation of American religious freedom—a vision in sharp contrast to the eventual employment of enslaved, unfree labor in the region. Today, you can follow in the wake of these pioneers through a tidewater land in places unspoiled by the winds of time along the Religious Freedom Byway.  This route is also part of the Great Chesapeake Bay Loop and visits places to enjoy and explore the bay.
 

Port Tobacco Loop

Including MD 6, MD 425 & MD 224

The byway begins in Port Tobacco, once a Potapoco Indian village where Jesuit Father Andrew White established a missionary outpost in the seventeenth century. One of the busier ports in Maryland, Port Tobacco traded with markets around the world. In addition to global goods, enslaved Africans were imported here for purchase and held in bondage in the surrounding community.

In Port Tobacco, visit historic Stagg Hall, which is open for weekend tours.The 18th century home is part of the Underground Railroad in Southern Maryland. Then, explore the Port Tobacco Courthouse and Jail, a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site, now a museum featuring tobacco exhibits and archaeological finds.

Continue west, stopping at the Christ Church Durham Parish. Though the parish dates to 1692, the current handsome red-brick structure was constructed in the 1730s.   Back on the Byway, travel leafy country roads that evoke the quiet of Maryland’s earliest days. Stop to stretch your legs with an easy hike or hunt for fossils at the Chiles Homestead Area of Douglas Point Special Recreation Management Area, which is part of the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail.

A short drive away is Mallows Bay where you can canoe or kayak (paddle boarding is not recommended) out to see a "Ghost Fleet," a diverse collection of shipwrecks of more than 200 known sunken vessels that have evolved into incredible habitats for birds, fish and other wildlife. A brochure with a self-guided tour of the fleet is available at the site and Atlantic Kayak offers guided paddle tours. Mallows Bay also has a nature loop hiking trail for those who prefer to stay on land.

Next, is Smallwood State Park, which houses the restored home of Gen. William Smallwood, a Revolutionary War hero and the fourth governor of Maryland. “Smallwood’s Retreat” is open seasonally (and by request on weekends) for tours.  A slaveholder and large landowner, Smallwood was one of the wealthiest men in Charles County–even six years after his death.

Smallwood State Park has camp sites, cabins, a marina with boat launching ramps, a picnic area, pavilions, playgrounds, nature trails and excellent fishing opportunities.

Freshwater fishing is available on a 23-acre lake inside the Myrtle Grove Wildlife Management Area. Then, as you head back to Port Tobacco, be sure to stop by the Mt. Carmel Monastery, which was established in 1790 as America’s first religious community for women.

The last stop on this portion of the byway is the 322-acre Thomas Stone National Historic Site, which is also part of an 830-mile Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail that stretches between the Chesapeake Bay and the Allegheny Highlands. Take a guided plantation tour to learn about Stone, who was one of four signers of the Declaration of Independence to hail from Maryland.

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