Wish you were here: Charles County in Post Cards - updated October 25, 2023

National Park Service Passport Stamp
Thomas Stone National Historical Site
Port Tobacco, Maryland

 I love to travel. When I was younger I collected post cards of the places I’d been, but after 40 some years of travel I’d filled albums and albums with post cards. So, I switched to refrigerator magnets, I figured they’re smaller, take up less space. I now need a second refrigerator. I also tried collecting stamps at all the National Parks I’ve visited in one of the NPS Passports; I’m on my second book. And then there’s the Christmas tree ornaments. I probably have enough for two good sized trees at this point.

When we think of Charles County we don’t tend to think of postcards. But all those motels along U.S. Route 301 once placed a complementary post card in each room. Eateries and bars had their own cards, as did the casinos, beaches, amusement parks, and historic homes and churches. I thought today I’d share some of the County’s more recent history as seen in post cards. One of the earliest novelty cards that I’ve run across is a generic post card proclaiming that “You certainly enjoy the air in...” fill in your favorite place to visit, which in this case is Indian Head, Maryland. This is a divided back card, which means it has a space for the writing the address on the right and for the message on the left. These first appear in 1907 after Congress passed enabling legislation. The card also has a white border, which first appeared in 1916 and continued to be produced to about 1930. The JPM postcard company was the printer, they were based in the United States and were printing novelty postcards during the 1920s.

 
The other postcard that I find interesting is a generic landscape with “Greetings from Waldorf, Maryland.” The card is a linen card with a white border; these first appeared in 1930. The card was produced by the NYCE Manufacturing Co. of Harleysville, Pennsylvania. They made hundreds of these cards, with the same view, for places all over the country. This can be seen from the next two identical post cards for Waldorf and a place in Michigan.

 

Early postcards of actual places in the county featured public buildings: the Girls’ Hall at McDonough Institute, the La Plata Hotel, and the Court House. The first of the two has a 1906 post mark and the second is post marked 1907. 

These were not divided back cards. One side was for the address and the other had the photo. People wrote their message around the photo.

The 200^th anniversary of George Washington’s birthday in 1932 occurred during the worst year of the Great Depression. Money was tight, but tableaus, parades, and patriotic gatherings were popular – as was the restoration of historic churches and homes associated with Revolutionary War heros. Post cards during this time period include one for Durham Church’s 1932 Bicentennial, with a 1932 post mark.

Two years later, the Smallwood Foundation began to print cards as part of their campaign to raise money to restore Smallwood’s Retreat. The front of each card featured a historic home in Charles County that was printed in sepia, probably before 1940.

 

After the Gov. Harry Nice Bridge opened in 1938, there was a long uninterrupted route between Baltimore and Richmond. The swath along what is now U.S. Route 301 became a gambling destination in 1949 when Charles County legalized gambling. Arundel, Calvert, and St. Mary’s Counties also had legalized gambling and between the four counties there were a total of 9,300 slot machines. By 1963, the four counties were earning revenue of approximately 24 million dollars annually. Charles County boasted 1,926 machines that were located in 214 businesses. Motels, restaurants, and casinos sprang up along U.S. Route 301, and the Waldorf area became known as “Little Vegas.”

The Waldorf Motor Court 1954
The Casino was downstairs and upstairs was a space where
headliners such as Frank Sinatra performed

The back of the above card described it as “...a modern tourist Court with 65 cabins featuring private garages, private bath, hot water and radiant heating.” The motel grew from a few cabins to a much larger motel. The photograph in the post card below was taken when there were 44 cabins. This motor court was recently razed.

 
Waldorf Motor Court with private garages.

There were a number of motels along U.S. Route 301. One of them that is still standing is in Bel Alton. The Thunderbird has been repurposed as apartments and the swimming pool is gone. The post card is a linen post card, which was printed between circa 1940 and 1950. 

 

One of the oddest places along U.S. 301 was the White Ladies Restaurant and Motel, which is now Jimmy’s Paddock in White Plains. The motel was started in the 1940s by two couples who originally came from an area of Prince George’s County along the boundary with the District of Columbia. The families ran the motel and restuarant until 1964. They sold the business to Jimmy of Jimmy’s Paddock on 1 July 1964, the day before President Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law. The law prohibited discrimination in public facilities, such as restuarants based on race, color, religion, or national origin. On paper this desegregated the White Ladies and other businesses along U.S. 301, although it took some time to accomplish.

White Ladies Restuarant and Motel
Linen Post Card from the 1940s

Until 1964, the motels and restaurants along U.S. Route 301 were all segregated. The three cards featured above were from establishements for whites only. The Blue Jay Motel in Waldorf was frequented by African Americans and other people of color, but Arthur Farrar also opened his motel one wintery night to a stranded white family. A story told by his family about this family is featured in the video “The Blue Jay Motel - The Story of Arthur Farrar.” The Blue Jay was in Waldorf and was listed in the Green Book from 1956 through 1964.

The Blue Jay Motel, 1950s

In addition to the casinos, there were beaches along the Potomac River. While Colonial Beach was across the river in Virginia, the State of Maryland owns the Potomac River all the way to the Virginia Shore. Casinos were built at the end of piers extending from the Virginia shore into the river, although gambling wasn’t legal in Virginia, once you set foot on the pier you were in Maryland. While families frolicked at the beach during the day, after dinner mom and dad could tuck the kids into their motel beds and head down to the casino for a nightcap and some slots. 

The entrance to the Monte Carlo was from Colonial Beach, Virginia
but once on the pier you were in Charles County, Maryland

Charles County also featured beaches and casinos along the other side of the Potomac River. For families venturing down the Potomac from Washington, D.C. in the summer months, the Wilson Line provided ready transport on the S.S. Mount Vernon, which made stops at Marshall Hall Amusement Park in Charles County as well as across the river at George Washington’s Mount Vernon for tours and picnics. It should be noted that until 1964, the steamlines were segregated, as were the amusement parks. Mount Vernon had restricted hours for African Americans.

1930's through 1950's Linen Post Card of the S.S. Mount Vernon

The Patuxent River also had its share of casinos. The Benedict Pier & Restaurant was open year round and was only 35 miles from Washington by road. According to the post card it featured: “cocktails, dining, dancing and Casino room. Docking facilities and boating also on a year round basis. In season for swimming and the picnic grounds...”

Benedict Pier and Restaurant on the Patuxent River.
The card has a 3 cent stamp, which places it between 1958 and 1963.

In April 1963, the Maryland State Legislature passed, and Governor Millard Tawes signed into law, a bill providing for the gradual abolition of slot machines in the state. All slots were banned after 1 June 1968. Many of the motels and restaurants along U.S. 301 closed down after the ban went into effect. Today only a few of these structures are left standing along U.S. Route 301 or in Benedict. Marshall Hall Amusement Park is closed and is now part of Piscataway National Park. All that remains of some of these places are the post cards left for customers in their motel rooms or for sale at gift shops. Many of the historic houses and churches are still standing. And I’m sure you can still buy silly novelty cards from gift shops in the county.