LEXINGTON PARK, Md. — Community members and local officials gathered Saturday, March 29, to celebrate the unveiling of a new mural honoring Tulagi Place, once the heart of Lexington Park’s commercial and social life. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, hosted by the St. Mary’s County Arts Council, marked the public debut of the mural painted by local artist Tom Rogers of Flying Rabbit Art.
The event was hosted in partnership with the St. Mary’s County Chamber of Commerce.
The event took place at the south wall of the Three Notch Theatre, which faces into Lexington Manor Passive Park—an 80-acre community space near the intersection of Great Mills Road and Route 235. The park, established in 2021, is part of an ongoing revitalization effort to promote community pride and engagement in Lexington Park.
Rogers was selected to create the mural through a public voting process supported by the Maryland State Arts Council, the Southern Maryland Folklife Center, and the St. Mary’s County Department of Recreation & Parks. His mural pays tribute to Tulagi Place, once a bustling center of commerce and community life, especially during the 1940s when Lexington Park rapidly developed to support the newly established Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
Before NAS Pax River, St. Mary’s County was a small, rural area with strong ties to the water industry. The arrival of the U.S. Navy transformed it into a hub of military and industrial activity. Tulagi Place became the focal point of this transformation, offering shopping, dining, and essential services like the post office and library.
Today, Lexington Park is known for its diversity and rich history. Although the original Tulagi Place site has been sold for redevelopment, the mural seeks to preserve its memory and celebrate the area’s evolution over time.
The installation is one of several public art initiatives planned for Lexington Manor Passive Park, now designated as an “Arts Park.” The park features walking paths, fitness stations, a disc-golf course, a community garden, and regularly hosts local festivals and events.
The Tulagi Place mural is the latest effort to “beautify the southern wall of the Three Notch Theatre” and “celebrate the community’s past, present, and future,” according to a pre-event announcement by the St. Mary’s County Arts Council.
For more information about public art projects, visit www.smcart.org.
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