Laurel Tutors Come To You

Midway between Washington D.C. and Baltimore, the city of Laurel, Maryland benefits from its proximity to those metropolitan areas as well as being about 25 miles from Chesapeake Bay. Originally founded as a company town named Laurel Factory, it centered around a cotton mill established by Nicholas Snowden and employing as many as 500 workers at its height. During the Civil War the residents of the town were almost equally divided in their loyalty to either the Union or Confederacy and although Maryland was a slave state it did not secede from the United States. It wasn’t until 1870 that Laurel Factory was officially incorporated as a city with the name shortened to Laurel in 1875.

Nineteenth century Laurel is still well preserved in the historic downtown neighborhoods centered around Montgomery and Prince George Streets. Built in 1888 the Victorian style Phelps House was the home of Edward Phelps, Laurel’s mayor at the time, and today looks much as it did when first built. Even older, the Talbott Mansion was once the main house of an 800-acre plantation and the home of Thomas Jefferson Talbott (1804-1869). The history of African-Americans in Laurel is also represented across town in an area known as “The Grove.” St. Mark’s United Methodist Church was built in 1921 and its belfry still houses one of the oldest bells in Maryland. Nearby St. Mark’s is the site of an early baseball field used by African-American teams in the days before desegregation and the ground breaking inclusion of Jackie Robinson as the first African-American to play in the Major Leagues.

Further afield, the Montpelier Mansion is a national historic landmark constructed around the time of the American Revolution. Built by the influential Snowden family the property today includes a museum, library and hosts various educational programs. The mansion is an excellent example of the Georgian architecture which was so popular at the end of the eighteenth century. In April, the grounds come alive with the annual Montpelier Festival of Herbs, Teas and the Arts which features food and art vendors, tea served in the East Wing of the mansion, and a “Blast in the Past” history playground for kids.

It’s likely that a Grade Potential Tutor can help you catch up with your studies so you can enjoy not only the local history of Laurel but also the many attractions and activities in the area. For horse lovers, a trip to historic Laurel Park race track is a must. Built in 1911 it has hosted continuous racing for over 100 years. Over the years the track and grandstand have undergone several changes making it a modern showcase for the thoroughbred athlete. Superstars such as War Admiral, Whirlaway, Secretariat and Affirmed have won races on the Laurel track. The famous Seabiscuit prepped for his famous match race against War Amiral at Laurel. The track has often been overshadowed by its more famous neighbor, Pimlico, on the outskirts of Baltimore, which hosts the Preakness, the second leg of American racing’s Triple Crown.