If you’re looking for things to do in Crownsville, Maryland, there are several options. You can enjoy Quiet Waters Park, the Anne Arundel County Fair, or the Crownsville State Hospital. These activities and events can be fun for everyone. Crownsville also hosts the Maryland Renaissance Festival several weekends throughout the summer. You can learn more about the places in Crownsville by reading this article. We hope that you enjoy this article and that you come back soon to visit!
Quiet Waters Park
If you are looking for a unique place to spend your weekend or vacation, consider visiting Quiet Waters Park in Crownsville, Maryland. This park features 340 acres of beautiful natural shoreline and is close to major US cities. The park is also accessible via major roads, so you can easily visit it.
The park includes a Visitor Center and a gazebo where local artists display their work. It also features seasonal concessionaire rentals and an ice rink. The park is home to over 180 species of birds. Some of these species include the Bald Eagle, Horned Grebe, Common Loon, and smaller woodland songbirds like the Red-throated and Red-necked Grebe.
Anne Arundel County Fair
If you’re visiting Crownsville, MD, make sure to visit the Anne Arundel County Fair, a yearly tradition that takes place from Sept. 16-20. The fair features carnival rides, live animal exhibits, and square-dancing. You can also watch a talent show and see a woodcarver create large works of animal-themed art. Kids are welcome at the fair, and admission is free with an adult.
There are many places to visit in Crownsville, and the fair is a fun family outing for all ages. The fair features competitive exhibits, live entertainment, and outdoor movies. There’s also a Kids’ Court where children can jump on inflatable moons and get face painted. The fair is open daily, but hours vary.
Crownsville State Hospital
Crownsville State Hospital is the site of one of Maryland’s earliest public mental health facilities. Founded in 1888, the hospital specialized in treating patients suffering from mental illness. Its facilities included a psychiatric ward, day treatment and school mental health outreach programs. The hospital also supported local mental health clinics and gave free medications to patients. The hospital had a diverse staff, with many doctors of various backgrounds. It also offered training in psychiatry and psychology, dance therapy, and pastoral counseling.
The hospital housed many criminals, the mentally ill, the mentally retarded, and alcoholics. It also treated those with tuberculosis and syphilis. Some patients died of medical complications. It is also alleged that doctors tested drugs on patients without their consent. In addition, the hospital buried dead patients in numbered graves. It also sent hundreds of cadavers to Baltimore for medical research.
In addition to the civil rights activists, the facility was also the site of civil disobedience. In the case of the Elkton Three, they were arrested after refusing to sit down in the Bar H Chuck House in Elkton, Maryland. They had been denied services based on their race. They were charged with trespassing. Despite the arrests, they continued to protest and began a hunger strike while incarcerated. They were eventually sent to Crownsville after 12 days of hunger strikes.
At one time, the hospital employed two doctors and five nurses. By the 1950s, the hospital had over 1,800 patients. Among the patients were 93 people with malaria, ten people with shock, 56 with malaria/penicillin, and 33 people undergoing lobotomies. Its staff consisted of mostly white staff members until 1948.
The hospital became closed in 2004. Former employees fear that the hospital will be demolished. They are keeping an eye on the demolition plans. In the meantime, many of the buildings contain murals painted by patients during art therapy sessions. The hospital is often guarded by security officers. However, the murals that adorn the walls of the buildings are still visible.
The hospital’s facilities were basic, but adequate. The death rate at Crownsville was higher than in the nearby Spring Grove State Hospital. The death rate was disproportionately high for colored patients. In spring 1958, nearly six hundred patients had jobs as dental assistants, receptionists, librarians, and hospital aides. The deaths due to TB tended to be much higher at Crownsville.
In 1917, Dr. Lewis performed 67 autopsies at the hospital. His specialty was in pathology and neuropathology, and he graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, in 1914. He later studied psychology at Johns Hopkins University. He is considered the first practicing psychoanalyst in the United States. The autopsy reports of his patients are stored in the Maryland State Archives.
