Why Isn’t St. Mary’s City The Capital Of Maryland? The History Behind Maryland’s First Capital

ST. MARY’S CITY, Md. — For sixty-one years, St. Mary’s City was the capital of Maryland.

Founded in 1634 along the St. Mary’s River, it was the first permanent settlement in the colony and the seat of government for Maryland’s early colonial leaders. Today, however, the capital stands nearly seventy miles away in Annapolis. What happened?

The answer lies mostly in geography, but was also heavily influenced by a combination of politics and religion.

St. Mary’s City was established by Leonard Calvert and the first Maryland colonists when they arrived aboard the Ark and Dove in March 1634. The settlement quickly became the center of government for the new colony and remained so for more than six decades. During that time, Maryland’s legislature met there, laws were enacted there, and some of the colony’s most important events unfolded there. It was also the site of Maryland’s famous experiment in religious toleration, an extraordinary idea in a century marked by religious conflict.

Yet St. Mary’s City Had One Major Disadvantage: Location.

When Maryland was founded, most English settlements were concentrated along the lower western shore of the Chesapeake Bay. As the colony expanded, population increasingly shifted northward and eastward. St. Mary’s City, situated near the mouth of the Potomac River at the southern tip of the colony, became inconvenient for many colonists to reach. By the late seventeenth century, it was no longer geographically central to Maryland’s population.

Geography alone, however, did not seal its fate.

The decisive turning point came during the Protestant Revolution of 1689. Maryland had been founded under the Catholic Calvert family, the Lords Baltimore. After England’s Glorious Revolution overthrew King James II, Maryland’s Protestant Association seized control of the colony. The Calverts temporarily lost control, and Maryland became a royal colony governed directly by the Crown (William and Mary).

In 1694, Royal Governor Francis Nicholson and the Maryland General Assembly decided to move the capital from St. Mary’s City to Anne Arundel Town, a growing settlement on the Severn River. The new location was more centrally situated, easier to reach by water, and politically aligned with the new Protestant government. Many of Maryland’s leading Catholic families, who had dominated St. Mary’s City, were viewed with suspicion after the political upheaval. The move therefore reflected not only practical concerns but also the changing political and religious balance of power within the colony.

The transfer occurred in 1694 and early 1695. Soon afterward, Anne Arundel Town was renamed Annapolis in honor of Princess Anne, who would later become Queen Anne of England in 1702.

The name itself reflects the political and religious changes taking place in Maryland at the time. Anne Arundel County had been named decades earlier for Anne Arundell, the wife of Cecil Calvert, whose Catholic family founded the Maryland colony. Annapolis, however, was named for Princess Anne, a Protestant heir to the English throne and sister of Queen Mary II.

The consequences of moving the capital to Annapolis were dramatic for St. Mary’s City.

Unlike some other colonial capitals that continued to grow after losing political importance (New York, Charleston, Philadelphia), St. Mary’s City rapidly declined. Government officials departed. Businesses followed. Buildings were abandoned or repurposed. The old buildings disappeared and much of the town eventually reverted to farmland. By the eighteenth century, Maryland’s first capital had largely disappeared from the landscape.

Because St. Mary’s City was never heavily redeveloped, archaeologists have been able to uncover remarkably intact evidence of Maryland’s earliest years. Today, Historic St. Mary’s City stands as one of the most important archaeological sites in North America and serves as a reminder that Maryland’s story began not in Annapolis, but along the quiet banks of the St. Mary’s River.

Today, Annapolis and Historic St. Mary’s City remain linked by a shared heritage. One continues to serve as Maryland’s capital. The other preserves the place where Maryland’s story began.

Each welcomes visitors from across the state and beyond. Each helps tell the story of Maryland’s people, their struggles, their achievements, and their enduring connection to the land and the Chesapeake Bay.

To discover more local legends, maritime history and fascinating tales from the region’s past, visit Spooky Solomons Tours at SpookySolomons.com

About The BayNet Expert Series
This article is part of The BayNet Expert Series, which highlights local professionals, historians, nonprofits and community leaders who share their knowledge and expertise with Southern Maryland readers.

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