Annearrundell County Free School Museum
1298 LaVall Drive
Davidsonville, MD 21035
(410) 721-4449
Information For
The Annearrundell County Free School was established in 1723. It is perhaps the oldest remaining one-room schoolhouse in Maryland. Guests of all ages visiting the Free School Museum can experience educational practices from the 1700’s, when books and paper were scarce, and educational practices from the 1800’s, when Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic were the basics of the curriculum. The Free School Museum has several displays, including artifacts found on the property, a collection of textbooks used over 150 years ago, and toys that children might have played with in colonial times. The site has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983.
Tours and visits on other days and dates can be made by contacting Millie DeSomone at FreeSchoolTours@aarspa.org
Virtual Experiences:
Take a virtual tour of the Annearrundell County Free School Museum by visiting this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNGslwDJ8HY
- Field Trips
- Free Admission
Hours of Operation
The Annearrundell County Free School Museum Open House season occurs during the spring and Summer. The site is open the second Sunday of April, May, June, July, and August from 1:00-4:00 pm.
School Programs
At the Annearrundell County Free School Museum, docents costumed as schoolmasters and/or schoolmarms provide a variety of field trip experiences for elementary, middle, high school, and college students. The docents review the history of the building and the history of education in Maryland. The docents have students compare how the education and learning in the 21st century is different from education and learning over the past 300 years. The docents teach age-appropriate lessons as the lessons would have been taught in the 1700’s without books or paper. The docents teach age-appropriate lessons as the lessons would have been taught in the 1800’s with McGuffey Readers and slates for writing. Students interact with the various educational artifacts housed in the building including those from an archeological dig and toys from the colonial period. Most tours range from 2 to 3 hours. There is no charge. Contact Millie DeSomone at FreeSchoolTours@aarspa.org for additional information and for arrangements.