Judge & Juries History Documents Future Plans Leonardtown e-mail: townhall

"Courthouses are legacies bestowed by previous generations. Current courthouse occupants are brief parts of the building's history."
George W. Bush: Governor of Texas

  Leonardtown, then known as Seymour Town or Sheppard's old fields, was designated St Mary's County seat in 1708 by an act of the Maryland Assembly. In 1710 the first Courthouse was constructed and all county records were transferred from St Mary's City.

  The Assembly directed the County Surveyor to "make a fair plat" of Leonard town in 1728, and that plat is still intact (most other county documents were eventually destroyed when the Courthouse burned in 1831). British warships sailed into Breton Bay during the War of 1812 with the intent of razing the courts, but two county ladies, Mrs. Thompson & Mrs. Key, pleaded with Admiral Cockburn and dissuaded him from destroying the building.

  The second Courthouse was rebuilt on the same site and played a large part in county history. During the Civil War St. Mary's loyalties were split and there were many Confederate sympathizers (a number of whom were running guns across the Potomac River). Because of this, union troops seized the courthouse and a federal force of 150 men occupied the court grounds until the war's end.

  The Courts were completely renovated at the turn of the 20th Century and construction was completed in 1901, with segments of the 1830's structure still standing. The structure was last remodeled in 1956 and the jail was added at that time. The Saint Mary's County Courthouse is still located on the same historic site as it has been for nearly 300 years, and current plans call for extensive addition and renovation to begin in March, 1999.