trans•por•ta•tion
(noun) the action
of taking or carrying
(people or goods)
from one place to
another by vehicle,
aircraft or ship
Waterways, Landings, and River Crossings— The earliest arteries of transportation were local
waterways, and the first settlements and subsequent
towns were established on major waterways. Landings
were established at the tobacco inspection stations,
and at other locations on the Patuxent and Potomac
Rivers. During the nineteenth century, steamboats
traveled along these watercourses, stopping at old
landings like Trueman Point. Bridges were built across
the Patuxent River near the Duvall sawmill, the town of
Queen Anne, and Hill's Landing among others. These
traditional landings and crossings are represented in
the twentieth-century truss bridges, Duvall Bridge and
Governors Bridge, which replaced earlier spans.
Taverns—At strategic points along major roads,
and especially in principal towns and river crossings,
taverns were established. These businesses catered to
the needs of travelers and provided gathering places
for the exchange of news and opinion. Several early
taverns still stand: The George Washington House,
Rossborough Inn, Piscataway Tavern, Hardy's Tavern,
Horsehead Tavern, and Mary Surratt House.
Railroads—The way of life in Prince George's County was significantly changed
with the construction of two major railroad lines: the Baltimore and Ohio line in
1835, and the Baltimore and Potomac line in 1872. Reminders of the importance of
these rail lines survive and are represented by the Bowie railroad buildings, Chew's Bridge, and the remnants of the Chesapeake Beach railway bridge across the Patuxent River near Mt. Calvert.
Aviation—Prince George's County can boast the oldest continually operating airfield in the world at the College Park Airport, where Wilbur Wright conducted military flight instruction in 1909. Opened in 1941 by John Greene, Columbia Air Center was the first and only black-owned and -operated airport in the county.
Special activities, programs, and events are held at our Historic sites throughout the year. Click here for our Calendar of Events.
Photos are courtesy of their respective websites.
Anacostia Trails Heritage Area (ATHA)
c/o City of Hyattsville
4310 Gallatin Street
Hyattsville MD 20781 301-887-0777
Additional Resource
Founded in 1997, ATHA (Anacostia Trails Heritage Area) is dedicated to preserving, renovating, enhancing and publicizing the rich history, unmatched cultural facilities/offerings and recreational sites filled with nature's beauty within Prince George's County. The 84 square miles of historic, cultural, recreational, and environmental sites in our portion of Prince George's County offer something for everyone.
Beaverdam Creek Bridge
Maryland 201
Greenbelt MD 20770
1927, an excellent example of ornamental stone-clad concrete arch bridges in the state of Maryland; detailing of the masonry work suggests an attempt by the builder to harmonize the bridge with its surroundings. The bridge is assumed to have been built by the federal government due to its location near the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, but no documentation has been uncovered to support this assumption.
Bostwick
3901 48th Street
Bladensburg MD 20710
Additional Resource
Bostwick is one of only four pre-Revolutionary War structures still standing in Bladensburg, Maryland. It was a grand home, built for Christopher Lowndes who was a leading citizen and local merchant in Bladensburg. His trading company imported spices, building materials, dry goods, and slaves. He also owned a shipyard where ocean-going vessels were constructed as well as a ropewalk that manufactured the cordage necessary for shipping lines.
Bowie Railroad Station/Huntington Museum 
8614 Chestnut Avenue
Bowie MD 20715
301-809-3089
Additional Resource
Located in historic Old Bowie, the station was relocated from its original site across the railroad tracks and restored in the 1990s. The Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Company built the first station in 1872 at the junction of rail lines into Washington, DC, and southern Maryland. The lines were later integrated into the Pennsylvania Railroad Company system. The Town of Bowie (originally Huntington City) grew up around the train station. The existing museum buildings were constructed in the early 1900s, but closed in 1989. The Railroad Museum is supported by the City of Bowie and the Huntington Heritage Society.
Brandywine Maryland
20613
William H. Early named the town of Brandywine as property he owned in the mid-19th century. It is thought to be named from the Battle of Brandywine in Pennsylvania, and developed as a railroad town.
Calvert Hills
Calvert Hills MD 20737
Calvert Hills is a small section of College Park situated between the famed Cafritz property and the Old Town of College Park. In 2003, the neighborhood was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The neighborhood's defining feature is the old trolley trail, a raised berm that was recently upgraded with a $90,000 grant from the State of Maryland.
Chew's Bridge
6900 Van Wagner Road
Upper Marlboro MD 20772
1898, 90-foot-long wood and iron bridge supported by upright posts constructed of iron Phoenix sections. Built to span the tracks of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad, and connect two parts of Judge Chew's Ellerslie farm; only known bridge surviving from the early years of this railroad line; owned by Consolidated Rail Corporation.
Coffren Store
10007 Croom Road
Upper Marlboro MD 20772
c. 1853, 1860 two-story frame store building with catslide roof retains original interior elements of store and post office; Built for John Coffren, who served as postmaster and storekeeper in third quarter of 19th century.
College Park Aviation Museum
1985 Corporal Frank Scott Drive
College Park MD 20740
301-864-6029
Additional Resource
he College Park Aviation Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is located on the grounds of the world's oldest continuously operating airport. The airport, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was founded in 1909 when Wilbur Wright came here to give flight instruction to the first military aviators. Visitors to the museum step into an open one-and-a-half-story exhibit space, which highlights the display of unique aircraft and artifacts and tells the story of the airport's many aviation firsts. The museum gallery contains historic and reproduction aircraft associated with the history of the airfield, as well as hands-on activities and interpretive areas for children of all ages. Changing exhibits and new programs every month keep visitors coming back for more.
Darnall's Chance House Museum
14800 Governor Oden Bowie Drive
Upper Marlboro MD 20722
301-952-8010 Additional Resource
Darnall's Chance was built in 1742 by James Wardrop, a Scottish immigrant who amassed a fortune as a merchant and entrepreneur in the bustling port town of Upper Marlboro. In 1745, he married Lettice Lee, daughter of Phillilp Lee, ancestor of the Maryland branch of the illustrious Lee family of Virginia.
George Washington House
4302 Baltimore Ave
Bladensburg MD 20710
301-699-6204
Additional Resource
c. 1760, 2 1/2 story side-gabled brick structure with two-story porch, and rear wing of frame construction. Built originally as a store, part of commercial complex including tavern and blacksmith shop; served as tavern from mid-19th to mid-20th century. This old building, dating back to 1732, was once an inn along a major north-south route in the town of Bladensburg, Maryland. It was reported to be a stopover for George Washington when travelling between his Mount Vernon home and Philadelphia or New York.
Governors Bridge 
17800 block Governors Bridge Road
Bowie MD 20715
301-627-6074
Additional Resource
1912, single-span steel Pratt truss bridge connecting Prince George's and Anne Arundel Counties. One of two surviving early truss bridges in Prince George's County, built at site of important colonial crossing.
GSFC Magnetic Test Site
10100b Good Luck Road
Beltsville MD 20705
1966, 60-foot square building constructed of nonmagnetic materials. Unique facility for testing large satellites and calibrating spacecraft magnetometers; essential for operation of U.S. manned and unmanned space program; part of
Goddard Space Flight Center.
Hyattsville Post Office
4325 Gallatin Street
Hyattsville MD 20781
1935, 1 1/2 story Colonial Revival style brick building with large round-arch windows, central cupola, and lower flanking wings; interior murals with agricultural theme. Excellent example of Colonial Revival architecture; lobby is decorated with six important murals by painter Eugene Kingman.
Laurel Historical Society and Museum
817 Main Street
Laurel MD 20707
301-725-7975
Additional Resource
Located in a former mill-workers' home, this museum houses collections of books, photographs, tools, personal artifacts, textiles, and oral histories. Its main floor is the site of exhibits devoted to the history of Laurel and the surrounding community. Downstairs is devoted to the gift shop, additional exhibits, and an audio-visual area. The 2,590-square-foot brick and stone building was erected in the early 1840s by mill owners to house their employees.
Marlboro Hunt Club
5902 Green Landing Road
Upper Marlboro MD 20772
410-268-6969
Additional Resource
c. 1855, 1880 and 1920s, two-story board-and-batten structure expanded from original central three-bay section to nine bays in length; 19th-century French hunt-scene wallpaper. Originally a small domestic structure at mid-19th century steamboat landing on Patuxent River; became hunt club in 1880s, visited by Theodore Roosevelt and other prominent gentlemen hunters".
Mount Calvert Historical & Archaeological Park 
16302 Mount Calvert Road
Upper Marlboro MD 20772
301-627-1286
Additional Resource
Mount Calvert is one of the most significant historical and archaeological sites in Prince George's County. Ten interpretative wayside signs and the exhibit "The Confluence of Three Cultures" describe the archaeology of 8,000 years of American Indian presence, the development of colonial Charles-Town (the county's first seat of government from 1696-1721), and an early American tobacco plantation.
Mount Rainier 
1 Municipal Place
Mount Rainier MD 20712
Additional Resource
Mount Rainier is the historic Route 1 gateway community from Prince George's County to Washington, DC at the District's northeastern boundary. In the early 20th century the suburb that was to develop on the Baltimore and Ohio railroad line (built in the 1830s) was Mount Rainier. It is home to a vast number of Sears houses and Craftman-style homes, many of which have been restored.
Mount Rainier Filling Station
3220 Rhode Island Avenue
Mount Rainier MD 20712
c. 1934 1 story brick filling station with drive-thru supported on 2 rectangular columns; flat roof concealed behind tiled mansard.
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Goddard Visitor Center ICES Drive
Greenbelt MD 20771
301-286-2000
Additional Resource
The hub of all NASA tracking activities, Goddard is also responsible for the development of unmanned sounding rockets and research in space and earth sciences (including NASA's Mission to Planet Earth). Through interactive educational exhibits, visitors explore Goddard Space Flight Center with a focus on 1958 to the present. Collections include space-flight artifacts and photographs. Model-rocket launchings, a gift shop, and special group tours are available.
Old Town College Park Historic District
College Park, MD 20740
Additional Resource
The Old Town College Park Historic District extends from the dates 1889 to 196 5 and is a representative example of the many residential subdivisions that emerged as the suburbs of Washington, D.C., expanded with the advent of the streetcar and automobile at the end of the nineteenth century and in the early- to mid-twentieth century.
Piscataway Tavern
2204 Floral Park Road
Clinton MD 20735
c. 1750; 2 1/2 story gable-roof frame house, attached to older 1 1/2 story section. Operated as tavern and store by Thomas Clagett; important element in 18th-century town of Piscataway.
5008 Queensbury Road
Riversdale Park MD 20737
301-927-6381
Additional Resource
The Town was incorporated in 1920 as Riverdale, drawing the name from Riversdale, the plantation owned by the Calvert family that is at the center of the town. In a referendum held August 8, 1998 it was voted to rename the town to Riverdale Park, effective September 7, 1998. The United States Postal Service, however, still refers to the incorporated town of Riversdale Park as well as some of the surrounding unincorporated area to the east as "Riversdale".
6634 St. Barnabas Road
Oxon Hill MD 20745
301-567-4433
Additional Resource
St. Paul's is thought to be he oldest black congregation in Prince George's County. The original church was constructed in 1888. In 1915, the present sanctuary, a small front gabled building with pointed arch towers and a three-story corner tower, was built. The original church was destroyed in the 1920s and replaced by a series of church additions. The church's congregation preceded the construction in 1888. Traveling clerics in the late 18th century preached to a group of freed blacks in Oxon Hill who had built their own meetinghouse. This group is believed to have a connection to the African American Methodist congregation that in 1867 acquired the land on which St. Paul's was built.
3401 Perry Street
Mount Rainier MD 20712
301-779-1978
Additional Resource
c. 1930, the 1-story yellow brick commercial building has a rectangular plan with a canted corner entrance bay; a flat roof with a Mission-style parapet caps the structure. The building's construction c. 1930 reflects the rapid expansion Mount Rainier experienced as a streetcar suburb during the first decades of the 20th century, it is an established feature of the neighborhood that is notable for its architectural qualities.
Croom Airport Road
Upper Marlboro MD 20772
301-627-6074
Additional Resource
In 1941, aviation history was made when the first black owned and operated airfield in the state of Maryland was licensed on the site at the end of Croom Airport Road. John W. Greene Jr., a pioneer in black aviation, was instrumental in developing the airfield in the state of Maryland which was originally called Riverside Field. It was occupied by the U.S. Navy during World War II and used for training missions. After the war, Greene reopened the airfield as Columbia Air Center. It offered a flying school, charter services, and facilities for major and minor repairs. The first black Civil Air Patrol squadron in the Washington, D.C. area, called the Columbia Squadron, was formed here. The site is located within Patuxent River Park which is owned anad operated by The Maryland-National Park and Planning Commission. This site is currently used for agricultural purposes and none of the buildings or runways that once stood on the site are extant; interpretive signage tells the story of the historic airport and provides a map of the airfield when it was in use.
Queen Anne Bridge Road
Mitchellville MD 20721
c. 1890, only surviving example of Pratt through truss built with Phoenix sections in Prince George's County. First bridge built at this location in 1755, replacing ferry. Second built in 1797 but swept away.
13301 Laurel-Bowie Road
Laurel MD 20708
301-725-6037
Additional Resource
Originally built in 1755, Snow Hill Manor was destroyed by fire in 1764 and rebuilt in 1798. One of the many homes in the Laurel area formerly owned by the distinguished Snowden family, Snow Hill Manor is situated on 15 acres of land. The two-story brick plantation house boasting late-Georgian architecture has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1974.
Suitland Parkway
Suitland MD 20746
Additional Resource
1937, 1943, 1944, 9 mile long, dual lane parkway w/concrete-arch bridges faced w/stone; connects Andrews Air Force Base with Bolling Air Force Base in Washington, D. C.. Planned before the outbreak of World War II, the project came to fruition with the entrance of the US into the war and the establishment of Andrews Air Force Base a few months later. Significant for its association with the war and the base.
18610 Trueman Point Road
Aquasco MD 20608
Additional Resource
1817 1932, Steamboat landing 1860 1930; remains of pilings still visible; warehouse no longer survives. Served as river port for Woodville (Aquasco) farmers throughout 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries; bought in 1817 by Captain George Weems who established riverboat landing.
Route 450 in Glenn Dale
Glenn Dale & Bowie MD 20769
301-699-2255
Additional Resource
The Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis (WB&A) Trail runs along the site of the former Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis Railroad. From 1908 through 1935, state-of-the-art electric commuter trains ran along this route through Bowie and Glenn Dale, carrying passengers between Washington, DC, and Baltimore.
Riverdale 20737
On December 23, 2002, the Town of Riverdale Park was granted two National Register Historic Districts-Riverdale Park (west of Taylor Road and north to Tuckerman Street on both sides of the B&O Railroad tracks) and West Riverdale (west of Route 1 to the Hyattsville border). The two districts were necessary because a historic connection could not be made between the two areas across Route 1.
6900 Block of Old Landover Road
Cheverly MD 20785
Early 20th Century Railroad tower on the Washington spur line of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Only remaining tower on line; built in same general location as Wilson Station, from which the National Equal Rights party marched in September 1884 when they nominated Belva Lockwood to be President of the United States.
Special activities, programs, and events are held at our Historic sites throughout the year. Click here for our Calendar of Events.
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