Citizens are invited to revel in Calvert County history during Lower Marlboro Freedom Day, a celebration to commemorate the freedom of those who escaped enslavement with the help of the British during the War of 1812.
The daylong celebration will be held Saturday, Oct. 8, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with events at Lower Marlboro United Methodist Church, located at 6519 Lower Marlboro Lane in Owings, and Lower Marlboro Hall, located at 3911 Lower Marlboro Road in Owings.
Festivities include a walking tour, speakers, entertainment, fishing, food and exhibits. Join ranger staff from Maryland State Parks for free fishing at the pier. Fishing licenses will be required for individuals over the age of 16.
For more information, contact Natural Resources Division Chief Karyn Molines at 410-535-5327 or email [email protected].
As the War of 1812 raged into the summer of 1814, British troops sailed up the Patuxent River in a bid to take Washington, D.C. While stopped at the port of Lower Marlboro – modern-day Owings – to commandeer supplies, the British offered freedom to local enslaved men and women in exchange for their service to the British war effort. Fourteen people won their freedom, an event which is now commemorated as Lower Marlboro Freedom Day.
Lower Marlboro Freedom Day is sponsored by residents of Lower Marlboro; Calvert Nature Society; Calvert County Parks & Recreation Natural Resources Division; Calvert County Planning & Zoning; All Saints Episcopal Church; Calvert County Chapter of the NAACP; Calvert County Historical Society; Calvert Library; Calvert County Historic District Commission; Maryland State Archives; Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture; Mt. Harmony – Lower Marlboro United Methodist Church; Jefferson Patterson Park & Museum; Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory; and Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
