Welcome to Historic LondonTowne
ABOUT THE COMMUNITY
London Towne was created in 1683 and was an important tobacco port in colonial days. It also served as a ferry crossing on the main north-south route for the colonies, connecting Charleston, South Carolina with Boston, Massachusetts.The original town was laid out on 100 acres, overlooking the South River. By the 1720s, the town was a thriving port town that competed and rivaled nearby Annapolis and Williamsburg, VA in terms of economic activity.
The original Anne Arundel County courthouse was located in London Towne from 1685 until 1695, when the court moved to Annapolis, including the cage, whipping post, stocks and pillory.
The prominence of London Towne began to fade in the mid-1700s due to lack of trade during the American Revolutionary War. Once a vibrant town, consisting of 30 to 40 occupied lots and an estimated population of 300 people, London Towne began to disappear from the landscape. Only a few buildings lasted into the 20th century, one of which is the impressive brick building, known as the William Brown House, built circa 1760 as an upscale tavern for travelers crossing the South River by ferry.
It wasn’t until the late 19th and early 20th century that the town began a slow revival as a vacation destination for surrounding areas. By the end of World War II and its following industrial explosion that lead to a post-war economic prosperity, the sleepy community started to become a popular water-oriented vacation spot dotted with small weekend/summer cottages.
Today, the London Towne community consists of more than 2,000 residential & business properties that are part of the London Towne community association. The community is divided into five sections. Each Section is responsible for management and improvement of their designated community properties within a geographic area. Each Section elects its' own officers, Board of Director members and committee representatives.
Within this community, there are five beaches of Woodland Beach, nine boat docking areas, three boat launch areas, numerous parks and playgrounds, a community hall, the Londontowne Marina, a volunteer fire department, a police department and home to the museum, event venue/conference hall and live archaeological exploration site of the Historic London Towne and Gardens museum.