Most of Charlotte Hall was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1970. Below: 3 old photos and papers and maps from 1894 on.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Charlotte Hall is more historic than 51% of U.S. towns. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Charlotte Hall’s overall grade.
Few Maryland towns list much on the Register (a typical Maryland town has 0.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Charlotte Hall’s 119 sits above most of its state (85% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 14 historic buildings outnumber those of 78% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on two of the three inputs, so a change in either one moves the letter more than it would with three. The pre-1940 share is a Census survey estimate (±4.0 points).
Founding year: our sources. Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Charlotte Hall’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Charlotte Hall. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.
1894Wicomico sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Charlotte Hall.
Places that used to be
Old corners and places now gone
Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.
Hamlets and corners on the map
Melody AcresNewmarketOaksThompson Corner
Gone or out of use
Charlotte Hall Military Academyschool
US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
The story so far
Charlotte Hall, in brief
Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Charlotte Hall yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.
Charlotte Hall is a census-designated place (CDP) in Charles and St. Mary's counties, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,420 at the 2010 census. The Maryland Veterans Home for disabled veterans, is located on the site of the former Charlotte Hall Military Academy. The Academy site was declared the Charlotte Hall Historic District, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Since 1940, a sizable Amish farming community has existed nearby, along with numerous strip mall businesses along Maryland Route 5 continuing into the adjacent community of Mechanicsville. A former large sprawling flea market complex was demolished in 2024. A U.S. Veterans Affairs clinic is…
Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 1,420 to 1,388 (-2%).
Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.
Timeline
Charlotte Hall, 1847 to 1920
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Charlotte Hall is more historic than 51% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Charlotte Hall?
One place: the Charlotte Hall Historic District (listed 1975).
How old are the homes in Charlotte Hall?
2% of Charlotte Hall’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±4.0 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1970.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1910
2016
2009
2009