Colonial

Parts of Charles County's Zekiah Swamp are every bit as inhospitable as the name suggests, choked with tick-infested woods and boot-sucking wetlands. But as archaeologists are discovering to their delight, in the late 16th and early 17th centuries Zekiah was a growth center for the young Maryland colony. The site of a 1674 courthouse was found last summer. Excavations this month have uncovered what might be traces of the "summer house" that Gov. Charles Calvert built to dodge his political enemies.

A new breed of American small-batch distiller is staking a claim to rum. The burgeoning growth made small-batch rum the focus of the American Distilling Institute's national conference this year. "There's a whole new generation, from the Eastern Seaboard to Hawaii, who are making great rum," said institute president Bill Owens. The 12 active small-batch rum distilleries operating in the United States might seem like pioneers, but rum (aka Nelson's blood, kill-devil, demon water) is part of America's heritage.

When Henry Harford (1758-1834) inherited the ownership of the Maryland colony in 1771, he gained control of the vast wealth of the Calvert family. Soon, however, he lost claim to his land, including 5,600 acres along the Gunpowder River, when the Maryland General Assembly ruled that British subjects could no longer own property. A teenager at the time, Harford was not in a position to join the enthusiastic Colonial rebels in his namesake county, and his status as the illegitimate son of Frederick Calvert, the sixth Lord Baltimore, weakened his claim for compensation.

It's been more than two decades since Jacques Brel, the singer and songwriter, passed away, but his story-melodies so full of iconoclastic irony still tug strongly at the heartstrings.That message came through loud and clear as I watched Brel's muse put seven talented Colonial Players through their emotional paces Thursday night in the production of "Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris."I think "Brel" is actually a 19th century Romantic song-cycle masquerading as a theatrical revue.

What the folks with shovels found under the dark, damp soil was a gold mine of 250-year-old bricks."This is going to be big," someone said, and the gathered archaeologists nodded in agreement.How big is still up in the air, but experts from landmark national historic sites such as Colonial Williamsburg are rushing to Anne Arundel County to observe the excavation and to learn from the extraordinary find.The archaeological discovery is a sprawling 1760s brickyard that is possibly the source of the bricks used to build historic Annapolis.

EVERY STATE deserves to have a piece of the history that Maryland has enjoyed for centuries: a Liberty Tree of its own.And now, Maryland can be proud that a confluence of history and genetics makes that possible.The majestic tulip poplar on the campus of St. John's College in Annapolis is the sole survivor among the Liberty Trees that American revolutionaries gathered under in each colony to protest British rule with song and oratory.The British saw Liberty Trees as threatening, powerful symbols after Thomas Paine's prose glorified the sprawling giants in 1775.

Five years ago, Lloyd and Carol Taylor had a problem. The couple, living on the Eastern Shore about 10 miles east of Chestertown, wanted to live in an authentic Colonial home with period appointments. But there was a catch...They didn't want to move out of the area if they did find such a home and, if they did build with authenticity, they didn't want to sacrifice such amenities as good insulation, new plumbing and modern appliances.What they wanted, essentially, was a new home that had the look and feel of an old home.

See the historic village of Jerusalem come to life as the Colonial Craftsmen Weekend is held in Kingsville on Saturday and Sunday. There will be 18th-century demonstrations of craft-making and cooking, and participants will be in 1770s garb as part of a living history encampment. Talk with historians and see blacksmiths at work, while the children go on a treasure hunt. There will also be guided hikes of Jerusalem Village, and food and drink will be sold.Colonial Craftsmen Weekend will take place Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Jerusalem Mill, Gunpowder Falls State Park, 2813 Jerusalem Road in Kingsville.

Anne Arundel County prosecutors have dropped all charges against the owner of one of Southern Maryland's largest auto auction houses and are reworking much of their probe into whether Colonial Auction Services fleeced numerous local government and nonprofit agencies.The probe, which once focused exclusively on Colonial's owner, Melvin E. Richards, now includes at least one employee whose Calvert County home was raided by investigators this month, prosecutors and Richards' lawyer confirmed.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Tom Watson has won eight major championships. He is the 11th-winningest player in PGA Tour history. He played in four Ryder Cups and was winning captain in 1993.But there was Watson yesterday, shedding tears on the 18th green after winning the 52nd Colonial.It wasn't just the victory for Watson. It was the place in which he did it. It was the way he did it. It was the point in his life, and career, at which he did it.Watson, at the age of 48 years, eight months, 20 days, supplanted Colonial's most legendary figure, Ben Hogan, as the tournament's oldest winner.

Back in 1992, Jim and Toni Johns purchased a split-level home in Columbia. What they really wanted was an American Colonial design, more in keeping with their love of the period and all that evokes a Williamsburg feel. But they settled on the split-level for two reasons: They loved the street name - Keepsake Way - and, more importantly, the fact that the home was built on beautifully wooded property abutting 400 acres of state-owned parkland that would never be developed. And so it was settled.

Parts of Charles County's Zekiah Swamp are every bit as inhospitable as the name suggests, choked with tick-infested woods and boot-sucking wetlands. But as archaeologists are discovering to their delight, in the late 16th and early 17th centuries Zekiah was a growth center for the young Maryland colony. The site of a 1674 courthouse was found last summer. Excavations this month have uncovered what might be traces of the "summer house" that Gov. Charles Calvert built to dodge his political enemies.

Two years ago, Jeff Little decided he had enough of the sheep and goats and big barns on his farm in Churchville, Harford County. "I agreed with him," said his wife, Kim Little. "I told him to find me an old stone house in Darlington." And so Jeff Little did an Internet search and found Kaziah's Diary. The three-story stone colonial was certainly in scenic Darlington and certainly old, dating to 1810. However, it was also obscured from the road by thick overgrowth and was, quite decidedly, in need of a total top-to-bottom restoration.

For years, Betsy Lehmann worked at Ladew Gardens as a tour director. During those years, Lehmann, a resident of Phoenix, built associations with people and organizations in Harford County. So when she was asked to take over the gift shop at the Hays House in Bel Air, she agreed. "I love old homes, I love Colonial America, and I love teaching young people about our history," Lehmann said. "So I took the job." Later she became the co-chairwoman of Hays House. In that capacity, she helps organize and works at various activities throughout the year.

Nearly two years removed from her last major - and three weeks since announcing her retirement - and still four months before her 38th birthday, Annika Sorenstam addressed the media yesterday, quaint and polite as ever. As she prepared for the final McDonald's LPGA Championship of her brilliant career, Sorenstam explained that walking away from the game was made easier knowing that she's leaving LPGA in good hands. "I think the tour is as good as it's ever been," Sorenstam declared. And though she's probably right, I'm not sure it really matters.

A new breed of American small-batch distiller is staking a claim to rum. The burgeoning growth made small-batch rum the focus of the American Distilling Institute's national conference this year. "There's a whole new generation, from the Eastern Seaboard to Hawaii, who are making great rum," said institute president Bill Owens. The 12 active small-batch rum distilleries operating in the United States might seem like pioneers, but rum (aka Nelson's blood, kill-devil, demon water) is part of America's heritage.

Nov. 23 1765 Frederick County became the first colonial entity to repudiate the British Stamp Act. 1936 Life, the photo- journalism magazine, was launched.

When Henry Harford (1758-1834) inherited the ownership of the Maryland colony in 1771, he gained control of the vast wealth of the Calvert family. Soon, however, he lost claim to his land, including 5,600 acres along the Gunpowder River, when the Maryland General Assembly ruled that British subjects could no longer own property. A teenager at the time, Harford was not in a position to join the enthusiastic Colonial rebels in his namesake county, and his status as the illegitimate son of Frederick Calvert, the sixth Lord Baltimore, weakened his claim for compensation.

JAMESTOWN, VA. My daughter, Isabelle, loves great stories -- especially the ones that are full of gloom. Her favorite movie scene is from Cinderella, when the main character's stepsisters rip apart her lovely pink dress just before the ball, followed closely by one from The Little Mermaid, when Ariel despairs after her father destroys all the knick-knacks the young mermaid collected from the forbidden human world. Of course, a Disney vacation might seem perfect for such a 4-year-old, but I was convinced it would be too pleasant for her dramatic tastes.

Strange but true: It took Annapolis until 1936 to commission a map of the city in Colonial times. In January of that year, as the Great Depression was beginning to lift, a group of history buffs decided to take a closer look at the past. And so the Corporation for the Restoration of Colonial Annapolis announced its first commission. It was the preparation of an accurate map of pre-Revolutionary Annapolis, showing all the 18th-century landmarks. But the future was not neglected. The officers made a policy decision that Annapolis should not be frozen in time, like Virginia's Colonial Williamsburg.