Saving a Special Place and Honoring the Chesapeake’s Black History

In August, the City of Annapolis, Maryland, and Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation (BOCF) co-hosted a property deed transfer ceremony in partnership with federal and state officials, Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture, The Conservation Fund (TCF) and Chesapeake Conservancy to complete the acquisition of a 5.17-acre waterfront parcel on the Chesapeake Bay important to Black history, culture and heritage. 

Elktonia Beach, now an Annapolis City public park, is the last remnant of the original 180-acre property purchased by Fred Carr in 1902. Nearby Sparrow’s and Carr’s beaches were privately owned and operated by Fred Carr’s daughters, Elizabeth Carr Smith and Florence Carr Sparrow. The “Beaches” (1930s-1970s), as they were called, represented the heart of Black entertainment throughout the mid-Atlantic region and welcomed Blacks during a time of segregation. 

The State of Maryland contributed $4.87 million to purchase the property through multiple funding sources, including the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Program Open Space and other funding sources. Additionally, BOCF received a $1.2 million Parks & Playgrounds Infrastructure Grant from the state through the efforts of State Sen. Sarah Elfreth to purchase the waterfront park. The efforts of U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin obtained an additional $2 million in federal funding through the National Park Service to complete planning and design work for the park. Chesapeake Conservancy is proud to partner with TCF and BOCF, the latter of which worked tirelessly for 15 years to the new park a reality.