Anne Arundel County was created in 1650 (Chapter 8, Acts of 1650, April Session) and was formed as an original County. The County was named for Anne Arundell was the maiden name of the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Between 1654 and 1658 it was known as Providence, likely after the word for the protection and governance of God. The County Seat is Annapolis. The courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1704, with the loss of all but three court record volumes. Deeds before 1699 were lost, but there are five volumes of re-recorded deeds.
Anne Arundel is the most centrally located county in the state, bordered to the north by Baltimore County, to the east by the Chesapeake Bay, to the south by Calvert County and to the west by the Patuxent River, Prince George's and Howard counties. Providence, the first settlement, was established on Greenbury Point in 1649 by a group of Puritans fleeing persecution in Virginia. The county was legally established the following year and named in honor of Lady Anne Arundel, wife of Cecilius Calvert, second Lord Baltimore, and founder of the Maryland Colony.
In 1695 the colonial seat was moved from St. Mary's City to Annapolis. Annapolis has served not only as the state capital but as the nation's capital when the Continental Congress met in the city from November 1783 to August of 1784. The dome of the State House still dominates the skyline here. Maryland government still meets in the oldest State House in continuous legislative use. See also County History for more historical details.
Anne Arundel County Cities Include Annapolis. (Unincorporated areas are also considered as towns by many people and listed in many collections of towns, but they lack local government.)Towns Include Highland Beach. Communities Include Beverly Beach, Churchton, Davidsonville, Eastport, Fairhaven, Friendship, Gambrills, Galesville, Germantown, Gibson Island, Hanover, Harmans, Harundale, Harwood, Jacobsvile, Linthicum Heights, Lothian, Owensville, Riverdale, Russett, Sherwood Forest, Sudley, Tracey's Landing, West River, Winchester-on-the-Severn, Woodland Beach.
Various organizations, such as the United States Census Bureau, the United States Postal Service, and local chambers of commerce, define the communities they wish to recognize differently, and since they are not incorporated, their boundaries have no official status outside the organizations in question. The Census Bureau recognizes the following census-designated places in the county: Arden-on-the-Severn, Arnold, Brooklyn Park, Cape St. Claire, Crofton, Crownsville, Deale, Ferndale, Fort Meade, Glen Burnie, Green Haven, Herald Harbor, Hillsmere Shores, Jessup, Lake Shore, Linthicum, Londontowne, Maryland City, Mayo, Millersville, Naval Academy, Odenton, Parole, Pasadena, Pumphrey, Riva, Riviera Beach, Selby-on-the-Bay, Severn, Severna Park, Shady Side, South Gate
PLEASE READ!! Please call the clerk's department to confirm hours, mailing address, fees and other specifics before visiting or requesting information because of sometimes changing contact information. The courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1704, with the loss of all but three court record volumes. Deeds before 1699 were lost, but there are five volumes of re-recorded deeds.
Government records of Anne Arundel County are available in original, microfilm and digital formats from the Maryland State Archives The Official County website is located at http://www.aacounty.org/. See also Courthouse History. NOTE: The record dates below are from the earliest date to present time.
Anne Arundel County Register of Wills/ Clerk of Orphan's Court has Probate Records from 1777 and is located at the Circuit Court House, Church Circle P.O.Box 2368, Annapolis, MD 21404 The Register of Wills is responsible for appointing personal representatives to administer decedents estates and for overseeing the proper and timely administration of these proceedings. We also perform the following duties: assist and advise the public in the preparation of all required forms; maintain and preserve the permanent record of all proceedings; serve as the Clerk to the Orphans Court; track estates and refer delinquent matters to the Court; determine and collect inheritance taxes and probate fees/court costs; audit accounts of personal representatives and guardians; and, verify compliance with court orders.
Anne Arundel County Circuit Court Clerk has Land Records from 1653 and Marriage Records from earliest to 1919 and is located at 7 Church Circle, P. O. Box 71,
Annapolis, Maryland 21404-0071;
Phone: 410-222-1397 The Clerk's responsibilities include supervising Clerk's office personnel in the civil, criminal, courtroom clerks, business license, marriage license, land records, and juvenile units.
Below is a list of online resources for Anne Arundel County Court Records. Email us with websites containing Anne Arundel County Court Records by clicking the link below:
Maryland Immigration & Emigration Records - Immigration records help the family historian to understand the movements of their ancestry as they relocated to different parts of the world.
Click Here to Search Maryland Birth, Marriage & Death Records! - Birth, marriage, and death records are connected with central life events. They are prime sources for genealogical information. Look also for baptism, christening, and burial records in this collection.
Division of Vital Records Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, 6550 Reisterstown Rd., Reistertown Road Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21215; (410) 764-3038 or (800), 832-3277,
Fax: (410) 358-0738. The Division of Vital Records of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issues certified copies of birth, death, fetal death, and marriage certificates for events that occur in Maryland. The Division also provides divorce verifications. The Division provides information on procedures to follow for registering an adoption, legitimation, or an adjudication of paternity. Anne Arundel County Health Department has Births, Death and marriage records after 1919;
3 Harry S. Truman Parkway,
Annapolis, Maryland 21401;
Phone: 410-222-4462
Birth Certificates: The state of Maryland began issuing certificates for births since Aug 1898. Birth certificates for individuals born in Maryland after 1939 are also available for same day service at local health departments in all jurisdictions except Montgomery County, Baltimore City, and Baltimore County. The State of Maryland Archives has Birth certificates since 1875 for Baltimore City and 1898 for Maryland counties.
Cost: $12.00 per certificate, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Death Certificates:The state of Maryland began issuing certificates for deaths since since 1969. Within 30 days of a death, copies of the record may also be obtained from the local health department in which the funeral director filed the death certificate, with the exception of Baltimore City and Baltimore County health departments. You must apply in person at the appropriate local health department. The State of Maryland Archives has Death certificates prior to 1969.
Cost: $12.00 per certificate, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail.
Marriage Certificates: The state of Maryland began issuing certificates for marriage since since Jan 1, 1990. The State of Maryland Archives has Marriage certificates since 1640.
Marriage Certificates are availible since before Jan 1, 1990 from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the license was issued.
Cost: $12.00 from the Division of Vital Records, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail. Contact the Maryland Archives and the Clerk of the Circuit Court for fees.
Divorce Certificates: The Division of Vital Records issues verification only since Jan 1961. Certified copies should be available from the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the divorce was granted. Fees vary.
Cost: $12.00 from the Division of Vital Records, payment is payable to the Division of Vital Records. If no record is found or no copy is made, state law requires that we keep $12.00 for a searching fee. Please do not send cash in the mail. Contact the Clerk of the Circuit Court for fees.
Order Online: You can also order Order Electronically and get the certificates within 2-5 days by ordering below
Processing Time: Allow 3 to 6 weeks for the search
by mail for Birth, Marriage, Divorce or Death Records. MAIL or 2-5 Days when you order ELECTRONICALLY.
Order In Person: Birth certificates for individuals with valid, government-issued photo identification who were born in Maryland are available for same day service at the Division of Vital Records in Baltimore. Same day service is also available at local health departments in all jurisdictions except Montgomery County, Baltimore City, and Baltimore County for individuals born after 1939. Order By Mail: Turn around is estimated at 3 to 6 weeks from the day the request is received. However, people are urged to allow sufficient time for delivery for all birth/death records. Mail a check or money order of $12.00 for each certified certificate. Do not send cash. Mail to the following address: The Division of Vital Records, 6550 Reisterstown Road, Reisterstown Road Plaza, Baltimore, MD 21215. Please include return address on envelope and application form.
The Maryland State Archives maintains many records that are invaluable for biographical and genealogical research. These include birth records, adoption records, marriage records, divorce records, and death records, and some indices to these records.
The Anne Arundel County Department of Health certifies birth and death certificates.
Birth Certificates may be obtained for a $20.00 fee at the Health Services Building, 3 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. To obtain a birth certificate:
Present a valid photo identification card (must be a picture ID) Fee: $20.00 cash or check made payable to Controller, Anne Arundel County
Must have been born in the state of Maryland between 1943 to present
Death Certificates may be obtained by Funeral Directors only at the Health Services Building, 3 Harry S. Truman Parkway, Annapolis, Monday - Friday 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. The charge is $20.00 per certificate.
Below is a list of online resources for Anne Arundel County Vital Records. Email us with websites containing Anne Arundel County Vital Records by clicking the link below:
Search the Social Security Death Index for FREE - Search over 82 million death records and get genealogical information crucial to your family research. New content added weekly! Most comprehensive SSDI site online!
Research Death records In The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of historical Maryland newspaper articles about deaths. Search for local articles about an old family friend that died many years ago or a celebrity that committed suicide. Historical newspapers contain a wealth of information about the deceased.
Click Here to Search Maryland Voter Lists & Census Records! - Few, if any, records reveal as many details about individuals and families as do government census records. Substitute records can be used when the official census is unavailable.
Below is a list of online resources for Anne Arundel County Census Records. Email us with websites containing Anne Arundel County Census Records by clicking the link below:
Maryland Census, 1772-1890: This collection contains the following indexes: 1790 Federal Census Index; 1800 Federal Census Index; 1810 Federal Census Index; 1820 Federal Census Index; 1830 Federal Census Index; 1840 Federal Census Index; 1840 Pensioners List; 1850 Federal Census Index; 1850 Slave Schedules; 1860 Federal Census Index; 1860 Slave Schedules; 1890 Naval Veterans; Early Census Index.
Maryland Colonial Census, 1776: Granted by the King of England to George Calvert in 1632, Maryland was home to nearly 300,000 people before the Revolutionary War. This database is a transcription of a colonial census taken in 1776.
Genealogy Atlas has images of old American atlases during the years 1795, 1814, 1822, 1823, 1836, 1838, 1845, 1856, 1866, 1879 and 1897 for Ohio and other states.
You can view rotating animated maps for Maryland showing all the county boundaries for each census year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. You can view a list of maps for other states at Census Maps
You can view rotating animated maps for Maryland showing all the county boundary changes for each year overlayed with past and present maps so you can see the changes in county boundaries. The Maryland Department of Transportation has county maps the show the locations of churches, cemeteries, roads, ect... free for viewing or download here
Below is a list of online resources for Anne Arundel County Maps. Email us with websites containing Anne Arundel County Maps by clicking the link below:
Click Here to Search Maryland Military Records! - Military and civil service records provide unique facts and insights into the lives of men and women who have served their country at home and abroad.
The uses and value of military records in genealogical research for ancestors who were veterans are obvious, but military records can also be important to re-searchers whose direct ancestors were not soldiers in any war. The fathers, grandfathers, brothers, and other close relatives of an ancestor may have served in a war, and their service or pension records could contain information that will assist in further identifying the family of primary interest. Due to the amount of genealogical information contained in some military pension files, they should never be overlooked during the research process. Those records not containing specific genealogical information are of historic value and should be included in any overall research design.
Below is a list of online resources for Anne Arundel County Military Records. Email us with websites containing Anne Arundel County Military Records by clicking the link below:
Maryland Military Men, 1917-18: This database is a massive collection of military records for men who served in the war from Maryland.
Maryland Revolutionary War Records: This database is a collection of pension and bounty land claims on the state for military service in the war.
Maryland Soldiers in the Civil War, Vol. 1: With over 36,000 records of soldiers, sailors and marines in the Union Army and Navy from 1861 to 1865, this database is of interest to anyone with ancestors from Maryland who served in the Civil War.
Maryland Soldiers in the Civil War, Vol. 2: The second volume in a two-volume series, this volume embraces all of the sailors, marines and other troops from Maryland who served in the Union army or navy.
Southern Claims Commission from the State of Maryland (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents In the 1870s, southerners claimed compensation from the U.S. government for items used by the Union Army, ranging from corn and horses, to trees and church buildings.
Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783 from the State of Maryland (The National Archives): View, Print Copy & Save Original Documents in NARA publication M246 include muster rolls, payrolls, strength returns, and other miscellaneous personnel, pay, and supply records of American Army units, 1775-83.
Available at the Maryland State Archives with index is a Maryland tax assessment of 1783, which is “more complete” than the 1776 or 1778 “censuses”. Robert W. Barnes and Bettie Stirling Carothers abstracted the 1783 tax list of Baltimore County, Maryland but while it has some omissions, it serves as an index to photocopies of the originals published as Maryland Tax List 1783 Baltimore County from the collection of the Maryland Historical Society (Philadelphia: Historic Publications, 1970). The counties of Calvert, Cecil, Harford, and Talbot are covered by Bettie Carothers, comp., 1783 Tax List of Maryland (Part I: Cecil, Talbot, Harford, and Calvert Counties) (Lutherville, Md.: Pub. by compiler, 1977). Furthermore, there is a two part index to the 1783 list at the state archives, one by names of property owners, the other by names of the tracts.
The earliest tax records are to be found among the proprietary papers, dating from the 1630s. Some early tax records have been published, such as Raymond B. Clark, Jr., and Sara Seth Clark, comps., Baltimore County, Maryland, tax list, 1699-1706. At the Maryland State Archives is a tax list for St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County, 1764-66. Also here are the surviving 1798 U.S. direct tax records, for Anne Arundel County (indexed), Baltimore County and City, and the counties of Caroline, Charles, Harford, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, Saint Mary's, Somerset, and Talbot. Richard J. Cox edited Name Index to the Baltimore City Tax Records: 1798-1808 Of the Baltimore City Archives, (Baltimore: Baltimore City Archives and Records Management Office, 1981).
Below is a list of online resources for Anne Arundel County Tax Records. Email us with websites containing Anne Arundel County Tax Records by clicking the link below:
The Repositories
in this section are Archives, Libraries, Museums, Genealogical
and Historical Societies. Many County Historical and Genealogical
Societies publish magazines and/or news letters on a monthly,
quarterly, bi-annual or annual basis. Contacting the local societies
should not be over looked. State Archives and Societies are
usually much larger and better organized with much larger archived
materials than their smaller county cousins but they can be
more generalized and over look the smaller details that local
societies tend to have. Libraries can also be a good place to
look for local information. Some libraries have a genealogy
section and may have some resources that are not located at
archives or societies. Also, take a special look at any museums
in the area. They sometimes have photos and items from years
gone by as well as information of a genealogical interest. All
these places are vitally important to the family genealogist
and must not be passed over.
Below is a list of online resources for Anne Arundel County Genealogical Addresses. Email us with websites containing Anne Arundel County Genealogical Addresses by clicking the link below:
Anne Arundel Historical Society,
P. O. Box 385,
7101 Aviation Blvd. (NE corner, BWI Airport), Linthicum, MD 21090 - 0385,
(410) 768-9518
Maryland Genealogical Society, 201 W. Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-4674. Publishes the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin Quarterly.
The Maryland Historical Society, 201 W. Monument Street, Baltimore MD 21201-4674 Has published a quarterly magazine Maryland Historical Magazinefor over 90 years
Maryland Newspapers & Periodicals Records - Newspapers and periodicals are the diaries of local communities. They are excellent sources of family history details - often recorded nowhere else. Look for obituaries, marriages, legal notices, and more found in our Historical Newspaper Archives.
Click Here to Search Maryland Obituary Records! - This database is a compilation of obituaries published in U.S. newspapers, collected from various online sources. Obituaries can vary in the amount of information they contain, but many of them are genealogical goldmines, including information such as names, dates, places of birth and death, marriage information, and family relationships.
A search for church records should begin with Directory of Maryland church records (Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1987), arranged by county and giving a range of dates of available records for over 2,600 churches with mailing addresses. Also helpful are The First Parishes of the Province of Maryland (Baltimore: The Norman, Remington Co., 1923).
The largest collection of church records is at the Maryland State Archives, with a consolidated index, and many are at the Maryland State Archives, which has various original and microfilmed records, many with indexes. Some church records have been published in the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin or in individual books, such as those for St. Paul's in Baltimore and for many German churches in the western counties.
Although Catholicism is very important to the history of Maryland, the disenfranchisement of Catholics after the establishment of the Anglican church in 1692 largely contributed to the lack of record keeping prior to the Revolutionary War. One source for St. Marys County in the 1700s, however, is Catholic Families of Southern Maryland: Records of Catholic Residents of St. Mary's County in the Eighteenth Century (1980; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1985). Records of the German churches and the Society of Friends are very good. The latter were early settlers of Maryland, along with Anglicans and Catholics. Quaker records in Maryland, (Annapolis: Hall of Records Commission, 1966) is an excellent guide to the original and microfilmed Friends' records at the Maryland State Archives. Some Quaker records were published in Kenneth Carroll, Quakerism on the Eastern Shore (Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1970) and other records are at the Maryland Historical Society, the state archives, and the Friends Historical Library in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
The Maryland State Archives has indexes to cemetery records for various time periods. Some have been published in the Maryland Genealogical Society Bulletin and other journals and in individual works covering large parts of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, St. Marys, Somerset, Wicomico, and Worcester counties. A great number of grave marker inscriptions have been transcribed by members of the Maryland DAR and will be found at the Maryland Historical Society and the DAR Library in Washington, D.C. See also Historic graves of Maryland and the District of Columbia (1908; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1967).
Below is a list of online resources for Anne Arundel County Cemetery & Church Records. Email us with websites containing Anne Arundel County Cemetery & Church Records by clicking the link below:
Find Obituaries in The World's Largest Newspaper Archive at NewpaperArchive.com! - Find thousands of Maryland obituaries to help you research your family history. Search for a Maryland newspaper obituary about your ancestor or a celebrity. Begin your search today and find death notices and funeral announcements printed in newspapers from Maryland.
Click Here to Search Maryland Family Tree Records! - The use of published genealogies, electronic files containing genealogical lineage, and other compiled sources can be of tremendous value to a researcher.
When view family trees online or not, be sure to only take the info at face value and always follow up with your own sources or verify the ones they provide. Below is a list of online resources for Anne Arundel County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information. Email us with websites containing Anne Arundel County Family Trees, web forums and other family type information by clicking the link below:
Genealogy Encyclopedia: General Abbreviations, Early Illnesses, Nickname Meanings, Worldwide Epidemics, Early Occupations, Common Terms, Censuses Explained, Free Genealogical Forms
Nichols and Related Families of Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virgina.
Maryland Family & Local History Records - The Family & Local Histories Collection lets you read journals, memoirs, and other first-hand historical narratives right on your computer. Gathered from some of the world's finest libraries, these materials may provide hard-to-find town, county, and state information; tax records and wills; military, church, and court records; as well as photographs, stories, and maps.
The first European settlers arrived in present-day Anne Arundel County in 1649. Seventeen years earlier, King Charles I signed the Charter of Maryland granting the colony to Cecil Calvert, the second Lord Baltimore. Cecil Calvert and his father, George, who died two months prior to the charter, envisioned the colony as both an economic enterprise and a place where fellow Roman Catholic royalists could escape the religious strife that was increasingly prevalent in England. After the death of his father, Cecil Calvert was materially aided in his enterprise by his father-in-law, Thomas Arundell, first Baron Arundell of Wardour. A wealthy and influential Catholic, he was able to fulfill his dream of establishing a colony in North America through his son-in-law. In 1642 the English Civil War broke out between the Roman Catholic royalists supporting Charles I and the Protestant Parliamentarians. Cecil Calvert, whose patronage came exclusively from the monarchy, became understandably concerned about his ability to maintain control over his colony. To solidify his position, he took several steps that would prove pivotal in the history of the Maryland Colony and what would soon become Anne Arundel County.
In 1649, the year Charles I was beheaded, the Maryland General Assembly enacted "An Act Concerning Religion" which legislated some degree of religious protection to all Christians. He also replaced the Catholic Acting Governor Thomas Greene with the Virginia Protestant William Stone with the understanding that Stone would help populate his colony. Stone approached a group of nonconformist Virginia Puritans and offered them land and guaranteed freedoms in Maryland. In December of 1649 the first European settlement in Anne Arundel County was founded by these Puritans on the north shore of the Severn River opposite present-day Annapolis. It was called Providence.
Personal tragedy was also a part of 1649 for Cecil Calvert with the death of his beloved wife of twenty-one years, Anne Arundell. In 1650 the Maryland General Assembly created Anne Arundell County and named it after her. The County seal still in use is a slight variation on the Coat of Arms of the Lords' Baltimore. London Town was the original seat of County government.
From 1650 through 1695, a series of religious, regional and political struggles occurred in Maryland. In March of 1655, the Battle of the Severn was fought at the mouth of the Severn River and on land either at Horn Point (present-day Eastport) or across the river at Hidden Point.
Governor Stone's forces, under Lord Baltimore's orders, sailed up the Chesapeake Bay from St. Mary's City. His goal was to reestablish the authority of the Calverts over Providence, but the Puritans decisively defeated the Governor's forces and gained temporary control of the colony. Oliver Cromwell restored Cecil Calvert's control in 1657, but in 1688 King William III annulled the Calvert Charter and declared Maryland a royal colony. The General Assembly voted in 1694 to move the capital from St. Mary's City to "Anne Arundell Towne." In 1695 the town was renamed "Annapolis" in honor of then Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Mary. Annapolis became the economic, social and political center of the colony and the seat of government for Anne Arundel County. It remained the capital and seat of government when statehood was achieved on April 28, 1788.
Providence and other European settlements throughout the Chesapeake colonies relied upon tobacco as their main cash crop. The soils and climate were favorable, but tobacco had several limitations which proved important in the history of the County. It was a very labor intensive crop which forced farmers to rely on slaves and indentured servants. To meet the labor requirements, slavery was sanctioned by law in 1664. As crop rotation was not practiced during this period, the once fertile soils were rapidly depleted affecting the quality and quantity of the harvest. Even the most successful farmers suffered severe financial hardship during the periodic dips in the tobacco market and many marginal farmers were forced to relocate. Nevertheless, the population of the County tripled between 1700 and 1750 from 4,100 to 12,520.
During the period immediately following the Revolutionary War, Baltimore City with its superior port facilities became the economic center of the new state. Concurrently, the northern portion of the County began to develop an economy which was not based entirely on agriculture. Iron ore was mined starting in the eighteenth century. The raw ore was smelted in Glen Burnie at the Curtis Creek Mining, Furnace and Manufacturing Company and at Elkridge Landing (then part of the County). In 1840 the Annapolis & Elkridge Railroad was completed linking northern Anne Arundel County to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. This railroad and the ones that soon followed were crucial in the development of the area as a regional transportation center. The reliance on tobacco as the major cash crop was lessening throughout the County during the nineteenth century, but it took the socioeconomic changes brought on by the Civil War to finally force local farmers to diversify.
Both Annapolis and Baltimore were occupied by the Union Army during the Civil War to safeguard any attempt by Maryland to secede; pro-southern sentiments ran high throughout the State. Camp Parole was established near Annapolis as a prisoner exchange post for soldiers waiting to be exchanged or paroled. Some of those who succumbed to disease or injury were buried in the military cemetery on the corner of present-day West Street and Taylor Avenue.
Maryland's Fourth Constitution adopted on November 1, 1864 freed the remaining slaves throughout the State. As this labor source disappeared, farmers in the southern portion of the county increasingly shifted to crops such as corn, wheat, hay, and fruit though tobacco was, and is, still grown. Seafood and associated industries such as shucking houses also became significant factors in the economy of that area. Farmers in the northern portion of the County discovered that the prevalent sandy soils were ideal for truck farming. Eastern European families living in Baltimore were transported to the farms to harvest the fruits and vegetables. Initially, Baltimore was the primary market, but over time Anne Arundel County peas, beans, strawberries and cantaloupes became famous throughout the eastern seaboard. Canning and fertilizer plants were opened in northern Anne Arundel County in support of the truck farming.
In the late 1880's, recreation became a major business throughout the County with the opening of numerous summer resorts including Bay Ridge, "The Queen Resort of the Chesapeake." Readily available rail and steamboat access from Baltimore brought clientele to Bay Ridge and other smaller resorts developed on creeks in the northern portion of the County. The resort areas developed in Shady Side and Mayo in the south though popular were relatively small as there was no rail access from Baltimore and the Washington lines ran only to North Beach in the extreme southeast corner of the County. Additionally, paved roads were the exception, not the rule until the twentieth century. In 1893, Major Charles R. Douglass, the son of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, established Highland Beach as an exclusive resort for African Americans. Many prominent African Americans, including Booker T. Washington, Paul Laurence Dunbar and Mary Church Terrell, either visited or owned homes in the community.
The increased industrialization in the County during World War II and the national movement towards suburban living that followed caused significant changes to occur in Anne Arundel County. Major employers such as National Plastics Corporation (now Nevamar) and Westinghouse relocated to the County. The Naval Academy, established in 1845 on the site of Fort Severn, continued to be a major employer. Fort George Meade was established during World War I to train troops for battle in France, but was greatly expanded during World War II. The influx of army personnel and the associated commercial enterprises transformed Odenton from a small rail stop to "Boom Town." Harundale Mall, one of the first enclosed shopping malls in the nation, was opened in 1958, reflecting the change in emphasis from Baltimore to more local commercial centers. Friendship International Airport (Baltimore-Washington International Airport), dedicated in 1950 by President Harry S. Truman, was considered the most advanced facility in the United States. In 1957 it was the East Coast terminus of the record-breaking transcontinental flight by the first Boeing 707 jetliner.
The population soared especially in the northern portion of the County as residential, commercial and industrial development continued at a record pace. The population of the County tripled in the decades between 1940 and 1960 from 68,375 to 206,634 with approximately 70% of the population living north of the South River. Charter government was formed in 1964. In 1968 the first Comprehensive Zoning plan was adopted in an attempt to direct and limit the phenomenal growth the County was experiencing.
Anne Arundel County continues to attract business and new residents because of its central location between Baltimore and Washington, its superior transportation networks, and the natural beauty and recreational opportunities its 533 miles of shoreline offer. The population of Anne Arundel County is projected to grow throughout the twenty-first century from 485,800 in 2000 to 563,000 in 2030.
Courthouse History
Just as the original twelve courthouse commissioners sought to construct a "modern edifice" in 1821, so did county officials in 1994 when they initiated construction of the state-of-the-art courthouse facility we see today, one that not only evokes the architectural character of historic Annapolis, but provides the citizens of Anne Arundel County with the very best of courthouse technology and the dispensement of justice. What follows is a history of the building from its origins:
The third oldest courthouse still in use in Maryland
The Anne Arundel County Courthouse is the third oldest courthouse still in use in Maryland. Begun in 1821 and completed in 1824, the earliest portion of the courthouse was built to provide a safe repository for County records and meeting rooms for the County Court and its officials, a use that has continued to this day. The changing needs of government and evolution of the court system, necessitated several building campaigns, first in 1892-95, then in 1923-24, 1939 and 1949-52, and finally in 1994-2000, with construction of the recent addition.
Architecturally, the 1892-95 alterations and additions to the courthouse still define its overall character. Designed by Jackson C. Gott, an important Baltimore architect, the alterations dramatically transformed the appearance of the restrained, almost flat Federal Style building into a more graceful, three-dimensional Georgian Revival structure, featuring the prominent entrance tower, corner pavilions and the second floor courtroom. The new 240,000 square foot addition, designed by Washington, D.C. architects Spillis, Candela & Partners, Inc., represents a sensitive expansion, which echoes architectural elements of the old courthouse and the surrounding historic district of Annapolis. However, it is distinctly modern, housing one of the most technologically advanced court facilities in the United States.
Origins of the Courthouse
The history of Anne Arundel's court system dates to the origins of the county in 1650. On July 30, 1650, seven county commissioners were designated to "appoint courts to be kept within and for said county." At first they were held in Annapolis, but by the late 1670s, they were meeting at an inn kept by John Larkin, located at "the Ridge," a few miles south of South River. Larkin's inn was also the site of meetings of the Maryland General Assembly and Council during this time period. By 1684, the county court had moved to London Town, a newly designated shipping port on the South River, where the first courthouse was built. Early land records for London Town describe the building as a "25 foot" structure, presumably constructed of wood, measuring 25 by 25 feet.
The Move to Annapolis
In 1695, the Maryland General Assembly passed "An Act for setting Anne Arundell County Court at the Porte of Annapolis within the same County." This coincided with the move of the state capital from St. Mary's City to Annapolis. In an effort to save the county the expense of constructing a new courthouse, the county court was given space in the new State House.
Built in 1697, the first State House was a two-story brick edifice measuring 46 by 22 feet. A portion of the loft was set aside for the County Clerk. For the next 126 years, the county courts used the State House and an associated building on State Circle for the administration of justice. This use was interrupted temporarily by the 1704 fire of the State House, which destroyed most of the county records.
A new State House was built, serving both the state and county governments until 1769 when the present State House was constructed. In that year, the General Assembly designated a building known as the Conference Chamber or Old Armory which stood adjacent to the State House, for use as the Anne Arundel County Courthouse. However, in 1819, the state terminated that arrangement, ordering the county to remove their records. Faced with the problem of not having a place for the courts to meet, Anne Arundel County citizens petitioned the Maryland General Assembly asking
"...has not Anne Arundel County as good a right to have its courthouse as any other county in the State?"
After two petitions, the Assembly authorized construction of a courthouse. They appointed twelve commissioners with the authority to purchase land and contract for construction of the building.
1821: A new courthouse is begun
Initially, $12,000 was borrowed for purchase of the Church Circle site and construction of the building. In 1821, a T-shaped plan building, housing a courtroom and offices for the Sheriff, Clerk and Register of Wills was finally begun. The design incorporated contemporary fire-proof construction features, including masonry groin-vaulted offices on the first floor, similar to those designed by the prominent architect, Robert Mills for the Charleston, S.C. Records Office, in 1822-27. However, in 1822, additional funds were requested to furnish and complete the building. By February 1823 the courthouse was in use when the Register of Wills moved the records into the new "fire proof office." By March of that year the Levy Court was meeting in the new building and finishing touches were completed in 1824.
In 1841, David Ridgely, Maryland State Librarian, described the courthouse in his Annals of Annapolis:
The Courthouse is quite a modern edifice, and stands on the south-west of the church circle. As you enter there is a spacious hall, on each side of which are two commodious offices. The one on the right hand is occupied by the register of wills, and the other by the clerk of the county. Immediately in the rear of the clerk's office, is the sheriff's, and at the end of the hall is the courtroom. This is a fine, spacious room, and well suited to the purposes to which it is appropriated. On the second floor are the jury rooms, surveyor's office, and rooms used by the commissioners of the county. The front roof of the building, compared with the rear, exhibits the appearance of wings. It is enclosed by a brick wall, surmounted by a neat wood railing.
The "modern edifice" referred to by David Ridgely was radically altered in 1892-1894 with the addition of the existing projecting pavilions, entrance tower and cupola. Flanking wings were added at the rear creating an H-shape plan. The courtroom was moved from the first floor to its present location on the second floor. Designed by Jackson Coale Gott, a Baltimore architect, these changes still define the architectural character of the courthouse.
but while it has some omissions, it serves as an index to photocopies of the originals published as Maryland Tax List 1783 Baltimore County from the collection of the Maryland Historical Society (Philadelphia: Historic Publications, 1970). The counties of Calvert, Cecil, Harford, and Talbot are covered by Bettie Carothers, comp., 
(Lutherville, Md.: Pub. by compiler, 1977). Furthermore, there is a two part index to the 1783 list at the state archives, one by names of property owners, the other by names of the tracts.
. At the Maryland State Archives is a tax list for St. Anne's Parish, Anne Arundel County, 1764-66. Also here are the surviving 1798 U.S. direct tax records, for Anne Arundel County (indexed), Baltimore County and City, and the counties of Caroline, Charles, Harford, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, Saint Mary's, Somerset, and Talbot. Richard J. Cox edited 
, (Baltimore: Baltimore City Archives and Records Management Office, 1981).
(Westminster, Md.: Family Line Publications, 1987), arranged by county and giving a range of dates of available records for over 2,600 churches with mailing addresses. Also helpful are 
(Baltimore: The Norman, Remington Co., 1923).
(1980; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1985). Records of the German churches and the Society of Friends are very good. The latter were early settlers of Maryland, along with Anglicans and Catholics. 
(Annapolis: Hall of Records Commission, 1966) is an excellent guide to the original and microfilmed Friends' records at the Maryland State Archives. Some Quaker records were published in Kenneth Carroll, 
(Baltimore: Maryland Historical Society, 1970) and other records are at the Maryland Historical Society, the state archives, and the Friends Historical Library in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania.
(1908; reprint, Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., 1967).
The history of Anne Arundel's court system dates to the origins of the county in 1650. On July 30, 1650, seven county commissioners were designated to "appoint courts to be kept within and for said county." At first they were held in Annapolis, but by the late 1670s, they were meeting at an inn kept by John Larkin, located at "the Ridge," a few miles south of South River. Larkin's inn was also the site of meetings of the Maryland General Assembly and Council during this time period. By 1684, the county court had moved to London Town, a newly designated shipping port on the South River, where the first courthouse was built. Early land records for London Town describe the building as a "25 foot" structure, presumably constructed of wood, measuring 25 by 25 feet.