It was once the Capital of both the Colony and the State, and one of the first planned cities in colonial America. It's named after Queen Anne, and her royal badge, with a crown over the entwined thistle of Scotland and Tudor rose of England, is on the Annapolis flag to this day. So it goes back a long way.
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Before the Yellow/White house was this lovely building. |
But that's enough of the history lesson. If you're desperate for more, here it is.
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So are they saying quite a lot of important things happened here? |
The most remarkable thing about Annapolis is that it's still here at all. Unlike a lot of other older places it's been saved from the developer, and a jolly good job too.
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Original houses - and they haven't been moved anywhere - at all. |
It was the creation of The Historic Preservation Commission in 1968 that made all the difference. If someone wants to make changes to the place, the Commission must review and approve all applications before a building permit can be issued. We take this sort of thing for granted in the UK with our planning laws, but here it's not usually so strict.
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Made with a good old fashioned 18th century spirit level. Not sure about the numbering on the door. |
To implement such a scheme in the sixties must have required a formidable amount of foresight, but the result is a testament to the people who had the vision.
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The Maryland flag would look good at a jousting tournament. |
It hosts a US boat show every year, which must help the revenues in the town. Also, being so close to Washington must be a bonus. Being less than an hour from the Capital, well heeled workers can escape to the more relaxed ambience of this old harbour town.
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The Alex Hayley Kunte Kinte Memorial. Alex's ancestor arrived as a slave here, inspiring his book, Roots. |
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It's good to see he's doing his bit for commerce... |
It's said that it has over four million visitors a year; Lord alone knows how this small town copes. It's also famously the location of the USA Naval Academy, but that sits outside the oldest part of town and doesn't intrude.
Walking the streets, we both commented on the plethora of wires and cables strung along the streets - not really in keeping with the 18th century.
I'm sure that to most Americans they're invisible, something they've grown up with and don't notice anymore. In the UK just about all street power lines are buried, and we find this aerial tangle a bit of an assault on the eye.
But later, in the museum, we discovered that a campaign is underway to put the power lines in sensitive streets underground.
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The future of the past is wireless. |
As far as we're concerned it will be money well spent. After all, there is a difference between price and value.
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No wonder the ambiance here is chilled. |
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