Historic London Town & Gardens

Where to Learn More About London Town History

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The best place to start learning about London Town’s history is in the “Discover London Town” exhibit on the lower level in the Visitor Center and the text panels in the Tenement, Carpenter’s Shop, and William Brown House.

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Resources on our Website

Our website contains and links to a vast amount of information about London Town’s history:

• History and Research: histories of the site and buildings.

• People of London Town: biographies of people who lived in London Town during the colonial period.

• Interactive Storybook: our “Children’s Lives at Colonial London Town” online storybook.

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Looking for something related to a particular topic, such as slavery, women's history, or ships? Try one of the following:

• Research folder: A collection of most of the research conducted by London Town staff, updated as often as possible.

• His Back Will Testify: Slavery and Racism in London Town: A history of slavery and institutional racism from the colonial era through Reconstruction.

• The Slave Ships: An overview of what we know (and don't know) about the slave trade to London Town.

• Convicts of London Town: Three convict servants give us a case study through which we can explore this little known class.

• Ye Jacobites By Name: Rebels of the Jacobite Uprising of 1715 are punished by service in London Town.

• The Hopewell Mutiny: The murder of a captain in the Chesapeake leads to kidnapping and a chase. A telling case of unfree labor at sea.

• Highwaymen of the South River: Rogue convict servants robbed travelers on the important South River Road just beyond the ferry.

• The Dreadful Hydra: The American Revolution in London Town: How the great conflict affected this small town.

• Civil War on the South River: A history of the South River and Anne Arundel County Almshouse from antebellum through Reconstruction.

• The Assassination of Captain Watkins: A Union veteran is murdered by a Confederate agent on the South River in the final days of the Civil War.

• London Town chronology (Excel file): A constantly updated list of every recorded event in London Town history.

• Chronology charts (Excel file): Some charts of events over time drawn from the London Town chronology.

• Maritime chronology charts (Excel file): Charts centered around maritime events.

• Runaway charts (Excel file): Charts about different types of runaway servants and slaves over time.

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External ​Online Resources

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Digital Maryland: We have worked with Digital Maryland to publish some of our archival documents online. This is an ongoing project so you will want to check the website periodically. 

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General info:

• London Town's YouTube channel

• Ceramics from the Edward Rumney/ Stephen West Tavern, London Town, Maryland, Circa 1725 by Al Luckenbach

• The Lost Towns Project's online archaeological papers collection

• History ​Myths Debunked blog

• Colonial Williamsburg Education Resource Library

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Colonial clothing and hygene:

• Clothing workshop led by Lacey Villiva during spring 2016 training

• 18th-Century Clothing, Colonial Williamsburg

• The Gross 18th Century: Calling bull**** on hygiene myths, Frock Flicks

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Colonial cooking:

• Food in Colonial America, Colonial Williamsburg

• Mount Vernon Recipes

• Jas. Townsend and Son, Inc. YouTube channel

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Onsite Libraries

Visit the library on the second floor of the William Brown House for books and vertical files on a wide variety of topics related to London Town's history and gardens. A few history books and interpretive methods books are also in the classroom on the lower level of the Visitor Center. Both of these spaces are usually locked, so you may need to have a staff person let you in.

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The Joan Cass Beck Collections

Archaeology Research Library - in the Lost Towns Project archaeology lab

• Historic and Prehistoric Archaeology

• Material culture identification and interpretation, including artifacts made of ceramics, glass, metal, and bone

• Conservation and care of artifacts

• Decorative arts

• Museum practices

• Themes discussed in Discover London Town!, a permanent exhibit housed in the visitor center adjacent to the lab, including maritime history, transportation, African-American heritage, slavery, taverns, foodways, and horticulture.

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Historic Preservation Research Library - This collection is at Cultural Resources Division of the Office of Planning and Zoning, Anne Arundel County Government, 2664 Riva Rd., 4th Floor, Annapolis, MD. (Call 410-222-7440 to make an appointment.)

• Historic preservation

• Architectural history

• Research on the Colonial period through 20th century

• Genealogical resources

• A full set of "Maryland Historical Magazine" from 1908 to the present

• Town planning and settlement

• Indentured servitude

• Cartography

• The Planning and Zoning Location will also house site files and documentation on the county's historic buildings, heritage sites, archaeological resources, cemeteries, along with historic maps of the county and surrounding region.