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All the United States Maryland Indian Head Chapman State Park

Chapman State Park

A state park that once served as an important river crossing, and now offers protected lands for endangered plants and animals.

Indian Head, Maryland

Added By
Austin Graff
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Small beaches along the Potomac River   akgraff / Atlas Obscura User
Small beaches along the Potomac River   akgraff / Atlas Obscura User
View from Mount Aventine’s back veranda   akgraff / Atlas Obscura User
Sign about the historic ferry across the Potomac River   akgraff / Atlas Obscura User
View of Mount Aventine from the trail   akgraff / Atlas Obscura User
Mount Aventine   akgraff / Atlas Obscura User
A 1800s barn   akgraff / Atlas Obscura User
Old house near Mount Aventine   akgraff / Atlas Obscura User
Old structure near Mount Aventine   akgraff / Atlas Obscura User
Mount Aventine’s back veranda   akgraff / Atlas Obscura User
Back of Mount Aventine   akgraff / Atlas Obscura User
View of Mount Aventine from the back trail leading to the Potomac River.   akgraff / Atlas Obscura User
Old house on the property   akgraff / Atlas Obscura User
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About

Chapman State Park is located along the Potomac River a 30-minute drive south of Washington, D.C. Until 1914, the grounds were owned by the Chapman family. The state of Maryland purchased the property in 1998 and turned it into a public park.

Nathaniel Chapman, a wealthy Virginia planter, bought the land and plantation in 1751. On the property is Mount Aventine, a mansion built between 1800 and 1860 that served as the center of the plantation. For many decades, the Chapman family benefitted from labor done by enslaved people on the plantation grounds. During the Civil War, the Federal government used part of the plantation house as a signal station.

Chapman's Landing was one of several important ferry crossings that connected Virginia and Maryland, and the Chapmans ran a fishery and a ferry boat business on-site. The family had significant ties to George Washington and George Mason. 

The property has two trails leading to the Potomac River where you can find a marsh, the Chapman family cemetery, and several abandoned buildings like a tobacco barn from the 1800s, a house from the early 1900s, and an old farmhouse. 

Chapman State Park contains important habitats for a number of protected species. Its mix of coastal plain habitats contain an array of trees and plants, and the park has been highlighted by the National Audubon Society for its populations of forest-dwelling birds.

Related Tags

Parks Founding Fathers Birds Endangered Animals Plants Animals

Know Before You Go

There's a small gravel parking lot. Then hike up the clearly marked trail to the mansion. The mansion is open for tours thanks to the Friends of Chapman Park.

Community Contributors

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akgraff

Published

June 16, 2020

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Sources
  • https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/southern/chapman.aspx
  • http://www.friendsofchapmansp.org/
  • https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Documents/Chapman_map.pdf
  • http://www.friendsofchapmansp.org/index.php/history-of-mount-aventine/78-about-chapman
  • https://mht.maryland.gov/secure/medusa/PDF/Charles/CH-75.pdf
Chapman State Park
3452 Ferry Pl
Indian Head, Maryland, 20640
United States
38.617887, -77.115978
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

George Mason's Gunston Hall

Lorton, Virginia

miles away

Marshall Hall

Accokeek, Maryland

miles away

Treasury Building Column Section

Fort Belvoir, Virginia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Maryland

Maryland

United States

Places 239
Stories 15

Nearby Places

George Mason's Gunston Hall

Lorton, Virginia

miles away

Marshall Hall

Accokeek, Maryland

miles away

Treasury Building Column Section

Fort Belvoir, Virginia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Maryland

Maryland

United States

Places 239
Stories 15

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