INDIAN HEAD, Md. – The Pomonkey Historic District has received the prestigious honor of being added to the National Register of Historic Places. The designation, announced in Aug. 2024 by the National Park Service, completed a multi-year process to honor the Historic District.
The Pomonkey Historic District in Northwestern Charles County is a 78-acre district around the intersection of what is now Livingston (MD 227) and Metropolitan Church Roads. It was established in 1868 as a community for Free Black Americans. The district saw significant growth, from the establishment of fraternal organizations to the construction of major educational institutions for Black students, and the establishment of what is now Metropolitan United Methodist Church, during a time when America was heavily segregated due to Jim Crow laws.
“Pomonkey illustrates how freedmen and their heirs built major community institutions in a time of racial segregation,” the report stated. “The religious, educational, social, and commercial institutions extant in Pomonkey exemplify the success of this rural community in working collectively to advocate for and build institutions for the benefit of community residents.”
Before it became a place of refuge for Freed Blacks, Pomonkey was the home of the Pamunky Indian Tribe, which lived in what is now northwest Charles County. The Pamunkey tribe was allied with the Piscataway Indian Nation, and a community of Pamunkey community members and other native community groups remained in the area during the 1700s.
“The addition of the Pomonkey Historic District to the National Register of Historic Places is a powerful recognition of a resilient Black community that thrived in Charles County despite their challenges. This designation honors their enduring legacy, ensuring that their stories, struggles, and contributions are preserved and celebrated as an essential part of our county’s history,” stated Commissioner President Reuben B. Collins, II, Esq.
The Village of Pomonkey was featured in the 2022 Telly Award-winning series Deep “Roots, Many Branches”. The series, produced by the Charles County Government Media Services Division, featured reflections from the descendants of Pomonkey residents who shared their stories and explained its importance to the history of Charles County.