National Register of Historic Places listings in Prince George's County, Maryland facts for kids
Welcome to Prince George's County, Maryland! Did you know that this area is home to many amazing places that are super old and important? These special spots are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This list helps protect buildings, sites, and areas that tell us a lot about American history.
In Prince George's County, there are over 100 places on this list! Six of them are even more special and are called National Historic Landmarks. This means they are super important to the history of the entire United States. Let's explore some of these cool historic places!
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Historic Homes and Mansions
Prince George's County has many beautiful old houses that were once homes to important people or show us how people lived long ago.
Grand Old Houses
- Ashland: This lovely home in Upper Marlboro was built in 1866-1867. It's designed in a style called Victorian Italianate, which means it has fancy details and a grand look, like buildings from Italy.
- Belair Mansion: Located in Bowie, this Georgian-style house was built around 1745. It was once the home of Samuel Ogle, who was the governor of Maryland a long, long time ago. Today, it's a museum you can visit!
- Bellefields: This grand Georgian manor house in Croom was built around 1720. Imagine living in a house that's over 300 years old!
- Bostwick: In Bladensburg, you can find this brick house built in 1746. It was the home of Benjamin Stoddert, who was the very first Secretary of the Navy for the United States.
- Compton Bassett: This brick Georgian house in Upper Marlboro was built around 1783. It's a great example of homes from the time when America was just becoming a country.
- Content: This unique house in Upper Marlboro was built in three parts, with the oldest section dating back to 1787. It shows how homes grew over time.
- His Lordship's Kindness: Also known as Poplar Hill, this huge Georgian mansion in Rosaryville was built in the 1780s. It's now a museum where you can learn about its past.
- Montpelier Mansion: Near Laurel, this Georgian-style home was built between 1781 and 1785. It's another amazing house that's now open to the public as a tourist attraction.
- Riversdale: In Riverdale Park, this large Georgian mansion was built between 1801 and 1807. It's a fantastic example of early American architecture.
Homes with Special Stories
- Abraham Hall: This building in Beltsville, built in 1889, was once a lodge hall and a school. It's an important part of the history of African-American communities in Prince George's County.
- Butler House: In Oxon Hill, this house was built in 1853 and is another important site related to African-American history in the county.
- Thomas J. Calloway House: This house in Lanham, built in 1910, is also recognized for its connection to African-American history in the area.
- Darnall's Chance: This brick house in Upper Marlboro, built around 1742, is now a museum. It's known as Darnall's Chance and offers a look into colonial life.
- Surratt House: Located in Clinton, this house has a dramatic story! It was owned by Mary Surratt and was a stop for John Wilkes Booth after he shot President Lincoln. Today, it's a museum where you can learn about this famous historical event.
Important Sites and Districts
Not all historic places are single buildings. Some are entire areas or special sites that hold a lot of history.
Historic Districts
- Baltimore-Washington Parkway: This historic road stretches from the D.C. border up towards Baltimore. It's part of a larger group of parkways that were designed to be beautiful drives in the National Capital Region.
- Broad Creek Historic District: This area near Fort Washington is bounded by Oxon Hill Road, Maryland Route 210, Livingston Road, and the Potomac River. It's a whole district with historical importance.
- Calvert Hills Historic District: In College Park, this neighborhood was developed in the early 1900s. It's a great example of middle-class homes from that time.
- College Heights Estates Historic District: This district in University Park is roughly bounded by Adelphi Road, the University of Maryland, University Park, Van Buren Street, and Wells Parkway.
- Fairmount Heights Historic District: This district, sometimes misspelled "Fairmont," is a historic community in Fairmount Heights.
- Greenbelt Historic District: In Greenbelt, this area is a famous example of the "Garden City Movement" in the United States. This was a way of planning cities to include lots of green spaces and a sense of community. It's a National Historic Landmark!
- Hyattsville Historic District: This residential neighborhood in Hyattsville shows off designs from the late 1800s and early 1900s.
- Mount Rainier Historic District: This community in Mount Rainier features many single-family homes built between 1900 and 1940.
- North Brentwood Historic District: This is the very first African American community in Prince George's County to become an official town. It was developed between 1891 and 1950.
- Old Town College Park: This historic area in College Park is roughly bounded by Yale and Columbia Avenues, Calvert Road, and the University of Maryland campus.
- Oxon Cove Park and Oxon Hill Farm: This property in Oxon Hill was once a plantation, then a large farm, and is now a farm museum. It shows how farming has changed over time.
- Piscataway Village Historic District: This district near Clinton is bounded by Piscataway Creek, Piscataway Road, and Livingston Road.
- Riverdale Park Historic District: This area was one of the first "railroad suburbs" northeast of Washington, D.C., starting in 1889. People could live here and take the train to work in the city.
- St. Thomas' Episcopal Parish Historic District: This district near Upper Marlboro includes the historic St. Thomas' Church and surrounding areas.
- Suitland Parkway: Like the Baltimore-Washington Parkway, this road is also part of the National Capital Region's parkway system, designed for scenic drives.
- University Park Historic District: This neighborhood in University Park is another example of a middle-class, single-family residential area developed in the early 1900s.
- Upper Marlboro Residential Historic District: This district in Upper Marlboro includes several historic homes and streets, showing the town's development.
- West Riverdale Historic District: This diverse neighborhood in Riverdale Park includes the former Eugene Leland Memorial Hospital.
Archaeological and Special Sites
- Accokeek Creek Site: This site near Accokeek was once a village surrounded by a fence, occupied by people from about A.D. 1300 to 1630. It's a National Historic Landmark!
- College Park Airport: Established in 1909, this is the world's oldest airport that has been open continuously! Imagine all the history of flight that has happened here.
- Fort Washington Park: Overlooking the Potomac River, the original fort here was completed in 1809. It's a National Historic Landmark and an important site for understanding military history.
- National Archives Archeological Site: This restricted site in College Park holds remains from prehistoric settlements dating back to 4000-1500 B.C.
- Nottingham Site: This restricted site near Upper Marlboro might be the village of Mattpament, which was shown on John Smith’s map from 1608!
- Piscataway Park: East of the Potomac River, this park is home to Marshall Hall and the National Colonial Farm. It's a National Register site.
- Spacecraft Magnetic Test Facility: Located at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, this unique facility was built in 1966 to test how spacecraft react to magnetic forces. It's a National Historic Landmark!
- Woodyard Archeological Site: This restricted site near Clinton was once home to a large brick mansion built in the 1700s.
Churches and Public Buildings
Many historic churches and public buildings also tell important stories about the community.
- Ammendale Normal Institute: This former school and novitiate (a place where people train to become religious brothers or sisters) in Beltsville was operated by the Congregation of Christian Brothers.
- Chapel of the Incarnation: This mission-style church in Brandywine was built between 1916 and 1917.
- Laurel High School: The original building for Laurel High School, located on Montgomery Street, is a historic site.
- Laurel Railroad Station: This passenger train station in Laurel was built in 1884 for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.
- Peace Cross: Also known as the World War I memorial, this cross in Bladensburg honors those who served in World War I.
- Ridgeley School: Located in Capitol Heights, this school has a significant history.
- Ridgley Methodist Episcopal Church: This church in Landover, built in 1921, is another important part of the African-American historic resources in the county.
- St. Ignatius Church: This Catholic church in Oxon Hill was built between 1890 and 1891.
- St. John's Church: In Fort Washington, this is the oldest church site in the county, dating back to 1692! The current church building was built in 1767-1768.
- St. Mary's Beneficial Society Hall: This multi-purpose building in Upper Marlboro was built in 1892 and is important to the African-American history of the area.
- St. Matthew's Church: This brick Episcopal church in Seat Pleasant is also known as Addison Chapel.
- St. Paul's Parish Church: This brick Episcopal church in Brandywine dates back to 1733.
- St. Thomas' Church: This brick Episcopal church in Upper Marlboro was built between 1742 and 1745.
- US Post Office-Hyattsville Main: This post office building in Hyattsville was built in 1935 in a style called Colonial Revival.
- George Washington House: In Bladensburg, this brick building was constructed in 1732 and was also known as the Indian Queen Tavern.