Members of the public can see what the early days of education in Anne Arundel County were like at an open house of the Annearrundell County Free School from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 28.
The event is being held in conjunction with the celebration of the 300th anniversary of passage of the Free School Act by the Maryland Colonial Assembly on October 26, 1723. The building, located at 1298 Lavall Drive in Davidsonville, is the oldest remaining one-room schoolhouse in Maryland.
“This building literally formed the foundation for education in Anne Arundel County and helped form that foundation for the entire state,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Mark Bedell said. “It is a testament to the early days of teaching and learning in our county, and a museum that honors the rich history of Maryland schooling.
Members of the Anne Arundel Retired School Personnel Association maintain the building, which features wooden desks and other materials from the days when students were educated in it. The structure, which now serves as a museum, was erected under the supervision of Capt. Thomas Gassaway on 150 acres of land using carpenters, stone masons, indentured servants, and enslaved people. By 1746 – 30 years before the American Revolution – John Wilmot, himself a former indentured servant of Capt. Gassaway – had become the first schoolmaster.
Among the former students of the school is Johns Hopkins, who studied there before going on to found one of the nation’s most prestigious universities.