St. Inigoes, Maryland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St. Inigoes, Maryland
Unincorporated settlement
St. Inigoes, Maryland Location in Maryland Show map of Maryland St. Inigoes, Maryland Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Maryland
County	St. Mary's
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	20684
Area codes	301, 240

St. Inigoes, also known as St. Inigoes Shores, is a small, country community in St. Mary's County, Maryland. It is located at the southern tip of the county. The area is known for farming, fishing, and crabbing, but it is slowly changing to include more homes.

St. Inigoes is bordered on its west side by many small water inlets. These connect to the St. Marys River. This river then flows into the Potomac River and finally into the Chesapeake Bay.

This community is part of the very first colonial settlement in Maryland. It is also one of the earliest colonial settlements in North America. St. Inigoes is home to the oldest Catholic church in the United States, which started in the 1640s. The St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church is still active today.

St. Inigoes also has a small naval base called Webster Field. You can also find the Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes here. It is also the site of a monument for the USS Tulip from the American Civil War. The community has a small shopping area with a general store, a pool hall, and a gas station. There is also a public waterfront park and boat launch.

History of St. Inigoes

Maryland's First Colonial Settlement

St. Inigoes was part of Maryland's first colonial settlement. This was along with nearby St. Mary's City. Jesuit priests came with the first Maryland settlers. They started their first farm and mission in St. Inigoes. They brought 20 workers and soon began growing tobacco. This helped fund their mission.

Archaeologists found old ruins of the St. Inigoes manor house in the 1980s. The house was destroyed by a fire in 1872. They found items from the missionaries who lived there.

Searching for Governor Calvert's Grave

Experts believe that Leonard Calvert, Maryland's first colonial governor, is buried in St. Inigoes. The most likely spot is on Webster Field. This is a small U.S. Naval facility by the water. Several digs have been done, but the grave has not yet been found.

Some members of the Calvert family were buried in lead coffins. It is not known if Leonard Calvert was buried this way. He died suddenly from disease. This happened after a time of religious conflict in the colony. Soon after his death, one of the first laws for religious tolerance was made. This helped bring peace back to the colony.

North America's Oldest Catholic Parish

St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church in St. Inigoes is the oldest Catholic parish in English-speaking North America. In 1637, the Jesuits were given the St. Inigoes plantation. This included 2,000 acres on the mainland and 1,000 acres on St. George's Island. St. Inigoes was one of the first places in America to have laws for religious tolerance.

In 1784, Father James Walton ordered enslaved people to build a new church. This was after the American Revolutionary War. In 1785, Father John Carroll laid the first stone. The church is now a historic site. It has a graveyard that dates back to 1641.

The parish also includes one of the nation's oldest African American Catholic communities. This community is also strong in nearby Ridge.

Relics from the Ark and Dove Ships

The church holds items from the original Ark and Dove ships. These ships brought the first settlers to the Maryland colony.

Ruins of Fort St. Inigoes

A fort called St. Inigoes Fort once stood in Western St. Inigoes. It overlooked the St. Marys River. This fort was important for protecting water access to St. Marys City. The city was threatened by groups from other Maryland settlements and Virginia. Over time, the shoreline eroded. The fort collapsed into the St. Marys River before the 1800s.

Cannons from Fort St. Inigoes

The fort site is now underwater. A few cannons were found in the 1820s. One cannon is now on display at Historic St. Marys City. It is near St. Mary's College of Maryland. The cannon has been treated to stop it from rusting. You can visit this area and see the cannon anytime.

War of 1812: Secret Messages and British Raiders

St. Mary's County was a key area during the War of 1812. British troops often troubled local people. Even though they were outnumbered, the people of St. Mary's County fought back for 18 months.

In 1813, a secret message service ran through St. Inigoes. It started from a hidden American intelligence group in Point Lookout. Messengers rode in relays, avoiding British troops. They carried information about British ship movements to Washington, D.C.. This service stopped when the British took Point Lookout later that year.

On October 30, 1814, the British ship HMS Saracen was in the Saint Mary's River. A group from Saracen landed at St. Inigoes. They took things from the Jesuit mission and plantation, including St. Ignatius Church. When they returned, the captain of Saracen sent a message. He returned what was taken and apologized to the priests and people of St. Inigoes.

Historic Plantations

Notice St. Inigoes in the upper right. Map of Maryland Jesuit Plantations, from the 17th-19th centuries.

St. Inigoes was home to several plantations before the Civil War. Some still have ruins of former slave quarters. One plantation, "The Villa," was run by a local Jesuit group. In the 1700s, visitors noted that Catholic clergy relied on enslaved people. They also documented the harsh conditions on these plantations.

Most of these historic sites are on private land. They are not open to the public. There are no public places to learn about this part of local history.

Another former plantation, Cross Manor, is also on private land. It was listed as a historic landmark in 1998.

Naval Facility

St. Inigoes is home to Webster Field. This is a small naval base and airfield. It is used to develop electronic aviation equipment. Webster Field is connected to Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Lexington Park.

Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes

Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes is near the naval facility. Its job is to rescue people, enforce laws, teach safety, and protect people in the water. It works under Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capitol Region. It also helps the PAX River Naval Air Station if needed for wartime duties.

USS Tulip Monument

St. Inigoes also has the USS Tulip monument. It is a short walk from Cross Manor Road. The USS Tulip was a Union gunship. It exploded off the coast of St. Inigoes in 1864 due to a boiler accident. Forty-nine sailors died, and only eight survived. The monument is known as the smallest U.S. federal cemetery. The Tulip was first made for the Chinese navy. The U.S. Navy bought it in 1863 for use in the Civil War.

St. Inigoes Landing Park

There is a small public park and boat landing on Beachville Road. It is managed by St. Mary's County. The park has picnic and barbecue areas. Fishing and crabbing are allowed in certain spots. Overnight camping is not allowed.

Commercial Fishing

St. Inigoes has boat landings and docks on its coves and creeks. These support "watermen" who fish for oysters and crabs. However, the number of these traditional fishermen is shrinking. Since the 1990s, the crab and oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay have declined. This has greatly affected the fishing community.

Farming in St. Inigoes

The farming community in St. Inigoes is very old. Some local farm families have lived here for hundreds of years. These include people of English, Irish, and African-American backgrounds. Some farms are on land that was once part of larger plantations. They still grow tobacco, corn, and soy crops every year.

Local Accent

St. Inigoes is one of the few places in St. Mary's County where older families still have hints of the original English and Irish settlers' speech. It is similar to the Smith Island accent. The local speech also has unique words and phrases from St. Mary's County. The local African-American accent also has unique forms. These accents are slowly disappearing. This is due to the decline of fishing, more homes being built, and new people moving in.

Community Development

The population of St. Mary's County has grown. This has brought changes to St. Inigoes. The number of small housing developments has increased since the late 1980s. Many of these are along the waterfront. They often include private docks for boats. New residents include Navy families, college staff and students, and people who travel to Washington, D.C. for work. Some traditional watermen and their families still live among the newer homes.

Rob of the Bowl Novel

A novel called Rob of the Bowl: A Legend of St. Inigoe's was published in 1838. It was written by John Pendleton Kennedy. The story takes place in 17th-century St. Inigoes and St. Mary's City. It is a historical fiction book. It describes some real historical events that happened in the Maryland Colony. The book is set during the struggle for religious tolerance and religious freedom in the early colony.