Anne Arundel County Free School
Encyclopedia
Anne Arundel County Free School is a historic school building at Davidsonville
, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
. The first Free School of Anne Arrundell County was established by an Act of the General Assembly of colonial Maryland in 1723. It was built somewhere between its contractual date of 1724 and 1746 when it was under full operation with John Wilmot as schoolmaster. The existing abandoned building is 49' x 18', and consists of six rooms on two floors. It was built "as near the center of the county as may be, and as may be the most convenient for the boarding of children." The county then included what is now Howard County
. It remained in operation until 1912 when the movement toward consolidation forced the closure of many early school buildings. It is the only surviving schoolhouse erected in Maryland in response to the Maryland Free School Act of 1723.
It may have served a prominent role in history as Johns Hopkins
likely attended the school from 1806 to 1809. Later, when Hopkins's abolitionist parents freed their slaves, he was forced to quit school and work in their tobacco fields. His great value for education later led to his founding of The Johns Hopkins University
.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1983.
The school is now a museum owned by the local board of education. It is open for school groups and seasonally on Sunday afternoons.
Davidsonville, Maryland
Davidsonville is an unincorporated community in central Anne Arundel County, Maryland, USA. It is a semi-rural community composed mostly of farms and suburban-like developments and is a good example of an "exurb." Davidsonville has relatively little commercial development and no high-density housing...
, Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County, Maryland
Anne Arundel County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. It is named for Anne Arundell , a member of the ancient family of Arundells in Cornwall, England and the wife of Cæcilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. Its county seat is Annapolis, which is also the capital of the state...
. The first Free School of Anne Arrundell County was established by an Act of the General Assembly of colonial Maryland in 1723. It was built somewhere between its contractual date of 1724 and 1746 when it was under full operation with John Wilmot as schoolmaster. The existing abandoned building is 49' x 18', and consists of six rooms on two floors. It was built "as near the center of the county as may be, and as may be the most convenient for the boarding of children." The county then included what is now Howard County
Howard County, Maryland
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*62.2% White*17.5% Black*0.3% Native American*14.4% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*2.0% Other races*5.8% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
. It remained in operation until 1912 when the movement toward consolidation forced the closure of many early school buildings. It is the only surviving schoolhouse erected in Maryland in response to the Maryland Free School Act of 1723.
It may have served a prominent role in history as Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins was a wealthy American entrepreneur, philanthropist and abolitionist of 19th-century Baltimore, Maryland, now most noted for his philanthropic creation of the institutions that bear his name, namely the Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the Johns Hopkins University and its associated...
likely attended the school from 1806 to 1809. Later, when Hopkins's abolitionist parents freed their slaves, he was forced to quit school and work in their tobacco fields. His great value for education later led to his founding of The Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1983.
The school is now a museum owned by the local board of education. It is open for school groups and seasonally on Sunday afternoons.
External links
- Anne Arundel County Free School - official site and visiting information
- Anne Arundel County Free School, Anne Arundel County, including photo from 1990, at Maryland Historical Trust