| St. Clement's Island State Park | |
|---|---|
 Commemorative cross and rebuiltBlackistone Lighthouse | |
  St. Clement's Island State Park Location in Maryland | |
| Location | Saint Mary's County, Maryland, United States |
| Coordinates | 38°12′40″N76°44′44″W / 38.21111°N 76.74556°W /38.21111; -76.74556[1] |
| Area | 62 acres (25 ha)[2] |
| Elevation | 10 ft (3.0 m)[1] |
| Established | 1962 |
| Administered by | Maryland Department of Natural Resources |
| Designation | Maryland state park |
| Website | Official website |
St. Clement's Island Historic District | |
 | |
| Nearest city | Leonardtown, Maryland |
| Area | 1,499 acres (607 ha)[3] |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001484 |
| Added to NRHP | April 10, 1972 |
St. Clement's Island State Park is a publicly owned historic preservation and recreational area that encompassesSt. Clement's Island, an uninhabitedPotomac Riverisland lying one-half mile southeast ofColton's Point,St. Mary's County,Maryland. Thestate park features a 40-foot stone cross dedicated to the beginnings offreedom of religion in the United States as well as a reconstruction of the historicBlakistone Island Light.[4] It is the central feature of theSt. Clement's Island Historic District that was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1972.[5]
The park preserves the site of the March 23, 1634, landing ofMaryland's first colonists, who had sailed fromCowes on theIsle of Wight inEngland four months earlier.[6][7] On March 25, the colonists celebrated a mass of thanksgiving for their safe arrival and this date is commemorated annually asMaryland Day.[8][9] The island was a convenient, temporary base of operations for the 150 settlers as they negotiated with theYaocomicoNative Americans for land for a permanent settlement. They named the island in honor ofPope Clement I, patron saint of mariners. It was the site of the firstRoman CatholicMass celebrated in theBritish-American colonies, said byJesuit FatherAndrew White.
The island measured "not above 400 acres" at the time of the settlers' landing, according to White's account of the journey.[10] Five years later, in 1639, the Surveyor General measured the island and found that it was about 80 acres.[11] It formed part of St. Clement's Manor, which was granted by theSecond Lord Baltimore toThomas Gerard in 1639.[12] Gerard subsequently became a major landholder and political figure in Maryland andVirginia. After the island became the property of Gerard's daughter Elizabeth, the wife of Nehemiah Blackistone, it became known as Blackistone Island.[3]
After the Blackistone family took ownership in 1669, the island remained in the family for 162 years. It was taken over by theUS Navy in 1919, at which time a landing strip and piers were built and the island's buildings and trees were removed.[13] In 1962, the property was designated as a state park when it was leased from theFederal government and its name reverted to St. Clement's Island.[14] The name change was made official by the Board of Geographic Names in 1965.[1]
The island's 40-foot stone cross was erected in 1934 in celebration of Maryland's 300th anniversary, recognizing the location as one of the foundation sites of religious toleration in theUnited States.[14]
A replica of theBlakistone Island Light was completed in 2008 through the efforts of the St. Clement's Hundred community organization.[14] The original lighthouse occupied the island from 1851 until 1956 when it was destroyed by fire.[13]
The island is only accessible by private boat or via awater taxi that operates seasonally from theSt. Clement's Island Museum in Colton's Point.[14] Activities on the island include hiking, picnicking, fishing, and hunting.[4]
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