Charles County

Charles County, one of the original counties of the province, was created by an Order in Council of 1658. It is not to be confused with an earlier Charles County (1650-1653) known as Old Charles County. The county is bordered to the north by Prince George's County, the east and southeast by the Patuxent River and St. Mary's County, and the south and southwest by the Potomac River. The county was named for Charles Calvert, son and heir of Cecilius Calvert, Second Lord Baltimore.

Tobacco has long been a staple of Charles County's economy. The sing-song chant of the tobacco auctioneer is a familiar sound in towns such as Hughesville, Waldorf, and La Plata, which serve as tobacco auction centers. Charles County abounds in reminders of its colonial past. Its rich history is reflected in the numerous historic sites in the county, including Habre de Venture, the home of Thomas Stone, a signer of the Declaration of Independence; Retreat, the home of Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, member of the Continental Congress and signer of the U. S. Constitution; Mount Carmel Monastery, the first convent founded in the original United States; and St. Catherine, the home of Dr. Samuel Mudd. Two Maryland governors, John Hoskins Stone and William Smallwood, and John Hanson, president of the United States under the Articles of Confederation, have called Charles County home.