The Queenstown Colonial Courthouse in Queen Anne’s County served as the first seat of government in one of Maryland’s original counties. Rich in history, the courthouse still stands today, offering visitors a glimpse into the colonial past.

European settlers began arriving in the area by the 1640s, many migrating from nearby Kent Island. In 1707, just a year after the founding of Queen Anne’s County, they officially established Queen Anne’s Town—later known as Queenstown—and constructed the county’s first courthouse in 1708, marking it as the original seat of government.

The courthouse holds a prominent place in Maryland’s early history. In 1765, William Paca, a future signer of the Declaration of Independence, was admitted to practice law. That same year, he and Samuel Chase led Maryland’s resistance to the British Stamp Act. Paca’s political career continued to rise—he was elected to the State Legislature in 1771 and appointed to the Continental Congress in 1774.

In 1773, the boundaries of Queen Anne’s County changed when parts of it and neighboring Dorchester County were carved out to create Caroline County. As a result, the county seat was relocated in 1782 to a more central location, later named Centreville. That same year, William Paca was elected governor of Maryland.

Over the next two centuries, the Queenstown courthouse evolved to meet the needs of the times. Between 1782 and 1977, the building served a variety of purposes, including a private residence, warehouse, drugstore, grocery store, restaurant, beer parlor, post office, antique shop, and town office. In 1977, the Queenstown Board of Town Commissioners acquired the property and established the Queenstown Historic Preservation Committee. Thanks to the efforts of more than 400 individuals and businesses, a full two-year restoration was completed. The grand reopening on May 5, 1979, was attended by U.S. Chief Justice Warren Burger, Maryland Governor Harry Hughes, and Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Elizabeth.

Today, the restored Colonial Courthouse offers visitors a window into 18th-century civic life. Exhibits include local artifacts such as Colonial-era pottery fragments, pipe stems, and arrowheads left by Indigenous peoples who lived in the region for thousands of years. Situated beside a creek that feeds into the Chester River and eventually the Chesapeake Bay, Queenstown was—and remains—an ideal location for fishing, farming, and trade.

The Queenstown Colonial Courthouse is open for tours the first Saturday of each month May – October  10:00 am – 2:00 pm and by appointment. Please visit www.historicqac.org or email hsc@qac.org for more information.

If you would like your county featured in Fun Facts, please get in touch with Amanda Grosskrueger at agrosskrueger@mdcounties.org.