Anne Arundel County Free School

The Anne Arundel County Free School is a historic schoolhouse in Davidsonville with two floors and six rooms in a colonial style. The building displays the simple construction methods of that era and now operates as a museum to show visitors how early education worked.

The building was founded in 1746 after Maryland passed a free public school law in 1723. The school continued to operate for more than 165 years before closing in 1912.

The building shows how education was organized in the early colonial period and what role public schools played in the community. Walking through the rooms gives a sense of how children and young people were taught and why schooling mattered for people building a new society.

The museum opens for school groups and on Sunday afternoons, so it's worth checking hours ahead of time. A new gravel pathway now leads from the road to the building entrance, making it easier to approach the historic structure.

This is the only remaining schoolhouse built under Maryland's 1723 school law, making it a rare surviving example of early American education infrastructure. The site offers an authentic view of how schooling actually looked in the early republic.

Location: Anne Arundel County

Inception: 1724

Address: 1298 Lavall Drive

Website: http://aacps.org/aacps/boe/commu/freeschool

GPS coordinates: 38.97860,-76.62690

Latest update: December 13, 2025 12:21