LEONARDTOWN, MD – The St. Mary’s County Historical Society, in partnership with St. Mary’s County Government is pleased to announce the digitization of the Lexington Manor Oral History Collection, which is now available to the public on the St. Mary’s County Historical Society website at: www.stmaryshistory.org.
“Digitizing this collection and making it publicly available allows everyone to explore the history of this area through the words of their friends, relatives, and neighbors,” said Historical Society Executive Director, Peter La Porte. “We are honored to work in partnership with St. Mary’s County Government and other community partners to ensure these stories are told.”
The Lexington Manor Oral History collection features eight interviews with former residents of the Lexington Park and Lexington Manor neighborhoods, both from their early days as WWII and post-WWII Navy housing for civilian contractors. Historians have called the neighborhood “the earliest example of modern community planning in St. Mary’s County” and connect the neighborhood to the larger story of affordable housing in Southern Maryland.
“St. Mary’s County Government is proud to be a part of this effort to preserve and share our local history,” said Commissioner President Randy Guy. “I encourage everyone in our community to check out this collection and take a virtual stroll down memory lane with voices from our own community as your guide.”
Digitization of the Lexington Manor Oral History Collection is part of the St. Mary’s County Historical Society’s “Through Countian Eyes” oral history and online exhibition project. The project aims to digitize multiple oral history collections held by the Historical Society and accompany them with online exhibitions situating the collections in their broader historical contexts. Additional exhibits are scheduled to be released during the Winter and Spring of 2024.
For more information, please contact the Historical Society at (301) 475 -2467.
Attached photo: Movie theater, Park Drugs, Smart Wear, Lexington Park Dry Cleaners, and Joy shop on Coral Place (courtesy of Dolores Park Lewis; St. Mary's County Historical Society).
