Celebrating our Past Celebrations:

The 1934 “Pageant” in St. Mary’s City

 

In 1934, Maryland threw itself a massive birthday party. To celebrate the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Maryland a series of commemorations took place over two years.

The first of these occurred in England at Cowes on the Isle of Wight where the colonists began their trip to the New World on St. Cecilia’s Day, November 22nd 1633. This event was “simulcast” in the US with a special commemoration at the War Memorial in Baltimore, the placing of a plaque at Cowes, and a presidential radio address from Franklin D. Roosevelt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second commemoration occurred at St. Clement’s Island on March 25, 1934 (Maryland Day) and included the installation of the large concrete cross that still stands today, an outdoor Catholic mass, and a range of political and patriotic orations. The grand finale of this season of celebrations was on June 15th and 16th in St. Mary’s City.

St. Mary’s City – June 1934

Dig Deeper into the 1934 Tercentennial Celebration.