About the
St. Clement’s Hundred

Our Story

The St. Clement’s Hundred was formed in 1991 to help preserve St. Clement’s Island, the original landing site of the first Marylanders.

While the state had already begun preservation efforts, the St. Clement’s Hundred focused the community’s desires and worked with the state government to keep up those efforts.

As a result of a small bequest from Josephine Mattingly, granddaughter of Josephine McWilliams Freeman, Lighthouse keeper, the St. Clement’s Hundred took on the task of building a replica of the original Blackistone Lighthouse.

Funds for the rebuilding project were raised with the help of its many donors, while major funding support was provided by the Maryland General Assembly and the St. Mary’s County Commissioners.

Using original plans, the Lighthouse replica began construction in the spring of 2007. At completion in 2008, the Lighthouse once again opened its doors to the community. Yet, the Lighthouse was still missing something — a Bell Tower. In summer 2010, the replica Bell Tower was completed and once again the sound of a fog bell could be heard.

While St. Clement’s Island is a Maryland State Park and the Lighthouse facility is owned by the state of Maryland, the St. Clement’s Hundred has taken complete responsibility for the maintenance and upkeep of the Lighthouse facility and making it accessible to the public.

Our Purpose

The purpose of the Hundred is to promote knowledge of the historical significance of St. Mary’s County, and specifically of St. Clement’s Island and the Blackistone Lighthouse. To accomplish this purpose, the Hundred will stimulate gifts, contributions, and funding to restore and maintain the Island, the Blackistone Lighthouse, the Blackistone Lighthouse Bell Tower, and the Memorial Cross.

The Hundred will work in partnership with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources on the physical maintenance of the Island and its grounds and will work in partnership with the St. Clement’s Island Museum and any other appropriate organization to gather, preserve, and disseminate information about the Island and its significance in Maryland history.

What We Do

The St. Clement’s Hundred is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) organization preserving and promoting the knowledge and historical significance of the Blackistone Lighthouse, St. Clement’s Island and St. Mary’s County.

Nearly 400 years have passed since the Ark and the Dove arrived at St. Clement’s Island. During that time, the island and its structures have taken on many forms. Today, the Island’s remaining 40 acres boast a replica of the original Lighthouse, a reconstructed Bell Tower, and a 40-foot Cross erected to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the landing of the Ark and Dove, whose passengers were fleeing persecution and seeking religious freedom in the new world.

We are dedicated to preserving the Lighthouse, Cross, Bell Tower, and the Island itself for generations to come.