Nottingham (82B-035) · Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, 1991), 69-71. 2 John Sherwood, “…On the Banks of the Patuxent,” Maryland Journal, 16 October

Nottingham (82B-035) Located in southeastern Prince George’s County, the community of Nottingham was established when the

General Assembly of the Province of Maryland passed the “Act for the Advancement of Trade and

Erecting Ports and Towns” in 1706 and 1707 in order to establish commercial centers along the rivers in

Maryland. In 1747, Nottingham was designated as an inspection site for tobacco. In order to protect the

quality of tobacco being shipped to England, all tobacco grown in Maryland had to pass through

inspections sites at Nottingham, Piscataway, Upper Marlboro, or Bladensburg before it was allowed to be

publicly sold.1 Between 1791 and 1801, Nottingham exported more than 8,340 hogsheads of tobacco.

2

These small landing communities grew as commercial activity was drawn to tobacco warehouses located

on the banks of rivers and nearby creeks.

Beginning in the late eighteenth century, Baltimore began to develop as a large port, with more farmers

using Baltimore for the inspection, sale, and shipping of their tobacco. As Baltimore grew, the smaller

river communities began to diminish as centers of commercial activity.3 The Patuxent River became more

shallow, which limited the size of ships that could navigate the waters. By the late nineteenth century,

Nottingham began to decline and the population steadily decreased as families relocated to other areas. A

devastating fire in 1901 destroyed most of the buildings in the small community, leaving only a few

extant structures.4

The 1861 Martenet map shows a small town situated on the banks of the Patuxent River. Within the town

there were several non-residential buildings, including the Stamp & Son Store and Post Office, a

blacksmith shop, and a hotel run by William Quinn.5 The 1878 Hopkins map shows some changes in

Nottingham. The map indicates the addition of a schoolhouse located in the northern part of the town, as

well as several warehouses on the river banks.6

There are two Historic Sites in Nottingham:

• PG: 82B-035-17, Turton-Smith House, 17414 Nottingham Road

• PG: 82B-035-20, E. Plater House, 17415 Watershed Drive

There is one Historic Resource in Nottingham:

• PG: 82B-035-16, Nottingham School House, 17410 Nottingham Road

1 Marina King, “The Tobacco Industry in Prince George’s County, 1680-1940,” in Historic Contexts in Prince

George’s County: Short Papers on Settlement Patterns, Transportation and Cultural History (Upper Marlboro, MD:

Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, 1991), 69-71. 2 John Sherwood, “…On the Banks of the Patuxent,” Maryland Journal, 16 October 1986.

3 King, “The Tobacco Industry in Prince George’s County,” 69-71.

4 Susan G. Pearl, “Early Towns in Prince George’s County, 1683-1787,” in Historic Contexts in Prince George’s

County: Short Papers on Settlement Patterns, Transportation and Cultural History (Upper Marlboro, MD:

Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, 1991), 1-6. 5 Simon J. Martenet, “Atlas of Prince George’s County, Maryland, 1861, Adapted from Martenet’s Map of Prince

George’s County, Maryland” (Baltimore: Simon J. Martenet C.E., 1861). 6 G.M. Hopkins, “Atlas of Fifteen Miles Around Washington, Including the County of Prince George Maryland”

(Philadelphia: G.M. Hopkins, C.E., 1878).

Nottingham (82B-035) 2

Windshield Survey A windshield survey of Nottingham was conducted in July 2007. Virtually nothing remains of the once-

bustling eighteenth-century port town. The survey district comprises approximately eleven primary

structures and several secondary buildings. The majority of buildings are late-twentieth-century infill,

some constructed as recently as 2002. There is only one remaining nineteenth-century building (the

Turton-Smith House), although several other residences were constructed immediately after the fire in

1901. The Colonial Revival is the predominate style in Nottingham, whether a vernacular or modern

interpretation. Most buildings sit close to the road and are oriented to face the Patuxent River. The

topography of Nottingham is gently sloping towards the river. The Patuxent River continues to erode the

banks of Nottingham.

One Historic Resource, Stamp’s Store & Post Office Site (PG: 82B-035-18), located at 17416

Nottingham Road, was demolished in 2002. A new single dwelling house was constructed on the site.

Historic District Evaluation In 1975, the “Nottingham Site” was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as an archaeological

site. The site is noted for its collection of materials from the Middle Archaic (ca. 6000 B.C.) through the

Late Woodland (A.D. 1600) periods. Also significant is the Middle Woodland Selby Bay and Late

Woodland component that may correspond to the village of Mattpament, which was shown on John

Smith’s 1608 map.

Nottingham represents several of Prince George’s County Heritage Themes including: Early Towns,

Landings and River Crossings, War of 1812, and Education. Despite these themes, Nottingham is not

eligible as a historic district. Nottingham’s historic significance is as an eighteenth-century port town.

However, there are no eighteenth-century buildings remaining in Nottingham to reflect this period of

significance. As the Patuxent became unnavigable and new transportation routes bypassed the village,

Nottingham no longer functioned as a port town, but as a small rural village. There is only one extant

building from the nineteenth century, and it alone does not convey the significance of an eighteenth-

century rural village. Several buildings from the early twentieth century remain, and the most significant

of these has been individually recognized as a local historic site. In addition, the few early-twentieth-

century buildings have been compromised by the late-twentieth and early-twenty-first-century structures.

Any archaeological potential for information has been compromised by the erosion caused by the

Patuxent River. In addition, the community fails to retain its integrity of location, design, materials,

workmanship, setting, association, and feeling. Because of these issues, Nottingham is not eligible for

listing as a local historic district, or as a National Register Historic District.

Individual Designation The Nottingham School, a one-room schoolhouse constructed circa 1911, is currently listed as a Prince

George’s County Historic Resource (PG: 82B-035-16). This building should be considered for evaluation

as a Prince George’s County Historic Site. It is representative of one of the few remaining one-room

schoolhouses in the county, dating from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Prepared by EHT Traceries, Inc.

November 2007


Nottingham, 2005 Aerial

= 2007 survey area


Nottingham, Martenet, 1861

= 2007 survey area


Nottingham, Hopkins, 1878

= 2007 survey area


Nottingham, 1938 Aerial

= 2007 survey area


North elevation, 17309 Tanyard Road (EHT Traceries, 2007)


Looking southeast, E. Plater House (PG: 82B-035-20), 17415 Watershed Drive (EHT Traceries,

2007)


Looking northeast, 17500 Watershed Drive (EHT Traceries, 2007)


Looking south, 17416 Nottingham Road (EHT Traceries, 2007)


Looking northeast, Nottingham School House (PG: 82B-035-16), 17410 Nottingham Road (EHT

Traceries, 2007)


Looking northeast at Patuxent River (EHT Traceries, 2007)


Looking southeast, Turton-Smith House (PG: 82B-035-17), 17414 Nottingham Road (EHT

Traceries, 2007)

Documents

Nottingham (82B-035) · Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, 1991), 69-71. 2 John Sherwood, “…On the Banks of the Patuxent,” Maryland Journal, 16 October