Our Towns and Communities

TOWN OF LA PLATA

Welcome to the Town of La Plata! La Plata offers the best of both worlds: the pace of rural life along with the opportunities and amenities of urban living. Rich with history and charm, La Plata serves as the county seat of Charles County. Founded in the 1870’s, it was the mighty railroad industry that put rural La Plata on the map leading to its eventual incorporation in 1888.

According to local legend, the Town of La Plata was given its name by Colonel Samuel Chapman, whose family owned 6,000 acres of land that would become the areas of La Plata and Port Tobacco. In his travels, the Colonel was so impressed with the La Plata River in Argentina that he decided to name a portion of his own property “La Plata” after the river.

Since La Plata's inception, it has grown into a beautiful and charming town with hundreds of small businesses and several of the county's major employers including Charles County Government, Charles County Board of Education, University of Maryland Charles Regional Medical Center, The Facchina Group of Companies, and The Wills Group.

La Plata is a thriving art community. Visitors and residents can enjoy the arts ranging from a number of galleries, the Port Tobacco Players Theater, Roctoberfest, Summer Concerts, public art murals, and the Charles County Arts Alliance Artsfest.

Great things continue to happen in La Plata. La Plata holds the distinction of being the First Bird City in Maryland as designated by the state's Maryland Bird Conservation Partnership. Additionally, La Plata is a Tree City USA, Main Street Maryland affiliate, Keep La Plata Beautiful Affiliate, Priority Funding Area, a Sustainable Community, and a Southern Maryland Heritage Area.

Home to over 10,000 people, La Plata is unique and authentic, built upon strong community ties. It combines historic charm with contemporary interest, showcasing a pleasing variety of restaurants, shops, services, and entertainment making it the perfect place to dine, shop, and live. Stop by and visit - you just might find La Plata the perfect place to call home!

Population: 9,631 Established: 1870s Incorporated: 1888 Town Hall Address: 305 Queen Anne Street. La Plata, MD 20646 Town Hall Phone: 301-934-8421 Website: www.townoflaplata.org

TOWN OF INDIAN HEAD

The Town of Indian Head is the best of small town living with big city amenities just up the road. It is a charming waterfront community, nestled on the banks of the Potomac River and Mattawoman Creek, and it is only minutes from downtown Washington, DC. The town has miles of waterfront and hiking trails as well as acres of parkland, playgrounds, and picnic areas.

The Town of Indian Head is proud of its Native American history. It was incorporated in 1920 and it occupies land that was once part of the territory of the Algonquin Indians. The origin of the name Indian Head originates from the term “Indian Headlands”, as the entire lower end of the peninsula was occupied by Native Americans and was an Indian Reservation.

Residents of the Town of Indian Head can connect through planned community events year-round and utilize playgrounds and picnic areas scattered through the town. Our visitors enjoy events on the Village Green, biking and hiking on the Indian Head Rail Trail, cultural events at the Black Box Theater (Center for the Arts), and the serene waters of the Mattawoman Creek and the Potomac River which are ideal for kayaking and fishing.

Town businesses provide products and services to a population of more than 4,000 residents and 4,118 Naval Support Facility employees. They benefit from a skilled workforce and strategic location. The town also provides many benefits to its local businesses through its designation as a HUB Zone, Opportunity Zone and Sustainable Community. The Naval Support Facility has been an important part of the town since 1890 and they continue to be a valued partner to the town to this day.

The town has recently had exciting development taking place. The Boardwalk and Living Shoreline project, approximately 1,200 linear feet of elevated timber boardwalk and a living shoreline including sand and marsh plantings, will provide residents and visitors with a timber nature walk providing beautiful views of the Potomac River. Mid-Atlantic Development recently built the College of Southern Maryland Velocity Center which is the anchor tenant for the “Velocity Park”. There is also new development across from this development that will house Bomb Tech Association, an important partner to the Naval Support Facility. The town also has new housing developments adding to its already varied housing options.

With our diverse population, new development, miles of waterfront and acres of parkland, the Town of Indian Head is truly a great place to live, learn, work and play.

Population: 4,000+ Incorporated: 1920 Town Hall Address: 4195 Indian Head Highway, Indian Head, MD 20640 Phone #: 301-743-5511, 301-753-8110 Website: www.townofindianhead.org

VILLAGE OF PORT TOBACCO

Port Tobacco’s heritage predates the arrival of European settlers by a thousand years. It was home to the Potopaco Indians from whom the village derives its name. In 1727, Port Tobacco was established as the seat of government for Charles County. During the colonial period, it became the second largest seaport – after Baltimore – in Maryland. The merchants of Port Tobacco developed a large trading system with Scotland and England, bringing goods from around the world to the area.

Many notable Revolutionary figures came from Port Tobacco, and George Washington visited on several occasions. He stayed overnight in the village on April 19, 1760. During the Civil War, Port Tobacco was a center of activity for smugglers and Confederate spies. George Atzerodt, one of the conspirators of the Lincoln assassination who was tried and hung, resided in town at the Chimney House (c.1780), which still exists today as a private residence.

In 1989, Port Tobacco Village was added to the National Register of Historic Places as an Historic District, and several buildings in the Village are individually recognized as well. Among these buildings is the Burch House. The house – bought in 1874 by Washington Burch, a former slave who established a school for African American children – is open to tourists seeking a glimpse of how life was lived after the Civil War.

Today, the Village of Port Tobacco – the smallest municipality in Maryland – is a quiet residential community with prominent historic structures dating back to before the creation of our nation. The quaint town is surrounded by farmland and national, state and local parks that offer a rural yet picturesque destination for contemplative tourism and recreation. Welcome to the Village of Port Tobacco, an ideal location for a visit into America’s past.

Population: 23 Established: 1727 Incorporated: 1850 Town Hall Address: P.O. Box 334, Port Tobacco, MD 20677 Town Hall Phone: (301) 747-1780 Website: www.porttobaccovillage.org