Whether
you have crossed states or just suburban boundaries, we welcome you
to Charles County. Charles County has been Southern Maryland's hidden
gem for nearly 350 years. Once visitors begin turning the uncovered
stones, they discover a rich abundance of history, culture, outdoor
activities, and fabulous seafood!
Benedict
A
chief port on the Patuxent River, Benedict was one of the first designated
ports established by the 1683 Act for Advancement of Trade. Storehouses
flourished near the wharves and ship building began earnestly in the
late 1600s. Between 1817 and 1937, steamboats carrying freight and passengers
stopped at Benedict en route to Baltimore and ports on the Rappahannock
and Potomac rivers.
Benedict was the landing
site in August 1814, for 4,500 British troops who marched to the nation’s
capital. After capturing and burning the city, the troops returned to
Benedict carrying their wounded and supplies. Two of the British soldiers
who died were buried at Old Fields Chapel cemetery in Hughesville.
During the Civil War,
Camp Stanton was established in Benedict for recruiting and training
a black infantry to serve in the Union Army.
Today, this waterfront
community offers visitors a fine variety of fresh seafood at its riverside
restaurants. If venturing by boat, you can tie your boat alongside the
pier. If traveling by car, the journey offers a parade of antique markets,
farms and fresh produce stands, and nurseries where you can take home
some of the best of Charles County. By land or sea, you’re sure to enjoy
spectacular scenery and delicious local crabs, oysters, and fish.
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•
Benedict
Marina & Restaurant, 301-274-2882
• Ray's
Pier, 301-274-3733
Bryantown
Historic District
Located along the Zekiah Swamp, Bryantown was bustling with federal
troops searching for John Wilkes Booth after assassinating President
Abraham Lincoln. Sites to visit include the Old Bryantown Tavern and
St. Mary’s Catholic Church where the grave of Dr. Samuel A. Mudd can
be found in the cemetery.
FOLKLORE:
"I love Halloween...it's my favorite time of the year."
says Bryantown resident Nancy Goodier, who looks forward to the costumed
night with the anticipation of a school child and whose home, which
dates back to 1812, is rumored to be haunted by a Confederate soldier
from the Civil War who visits the male owners of the house.
"Only
the male owners of the house have seen the ghost," Goodier said. "They
say (the ghost) looks as though he's looking for something."
The
spectre has been described as a bearded man wearing a Confederate
officer's uniform, complete with plumage in his hat and spurs on his
riding boots. The man stands at the bottom of the stairs, looks upward,
smiles, then disappears. Although Goodier says she has not seen the
ghost, cabinets firmly closed at night have been found open in the
morning.
The
home, which was once known as the Bryantown Tavern, was a military
depot for Union forces during the Civil War, where prisoners were
questioned and President Lincoln's assassin –John Wilkes Booth– reportedly
visited.
Some
believe the Confederate soldier may have been the suitor to one of
the tavern keeper's daughters.
Goodier
said another odd occurrence happened when a woman from New York traveling
through Bryantown stopped at her house, saying that in a past life
she had hidden a rag doll behind a wall. The woman left, and Goodier
said that a wall in the old structure would have to be knocked down
to see if the story was true.
Try
the Friday Fish Sandwich for lunch famed throughout the county at Bryantown
Store.
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Cobb
Island
Cobb Island offers boaters friendly marinas at the junction of the Potomac
and Wicomico Rivers. It offers all visitors great meals, often caught
locally off the shores, at some of the best Southern Maryland crabhouses
and family restaurants.
Just
up the road from Cobb Island is Swan Point Yacht and Country Club, an
18-hole championship golf course. Reminiscent of the great courses found
in the Carolinas, golfers coexist with deer, eagles, and osprey. The
natural setting and beauty of this first-class course also offers a
gracious clubhouse as well as a waterfront pool, tennis courts, and
a marina.
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 |
• Captain
John's Crabhouse,
301-259-2315. Great view and a full-service menu. Private room for
groups |
| |
•
Fish
Tales,
301-259-2600 |
| |
•
Shymansky's
Dockside, 301-259-2221. Unbeatable Cream of Crab Soup. |
|
•
Swan
Point Yacht & Country Club, 301-259-0047. Those interested
in making tee times should call 301-259-0047, ext. 17 |
Indian
Head
Indian
Head was incorporated in 1920. One source cites that its name came from
a legend relating to the Algonquin Indian tribe. Another story claims
that the town was named Indian Head because it resembles an Indian’s
head from the air.
•
Citrus, 301-375-6000
• Grinders Seafood, 301-743-7344
• Marsh Hall, 301-375-7111
• Secrets Restaurant & Lounge, 301-743-6700
Indicates preferred providers and members of the Charles County Visitors Bureau.
Benedict
. Bryantown . Cobb
Island . Indian Head . La
Plata
Marshall Hall . Nanjemoy
. Pope's Creek . Port
Tobacco . Waldorf
