Maryland’s Board of Public Works has approved over $5.2 million in funding to help buy and preserve historic land along the Chesapeake Bay.
And that 5.17-acre property will become the newest Annapolis park.
The land is near Carr’s and Sparrow’s beaches, which were popular with the region’s Black community during segregation, when they were prohibited from visiting other beaches.
Carr’s Beach, in fact, was the site of shows by such legends as Chuck Berry, the Temptations, Tina Turner, Little Richard and Billie Holiday.
“My mother and many African Americans visited Carr’s Beach between the 1940s and 1960s to enjoy concerts and recreation,” Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford said in a statement Wednesday, “and I am pleased that we will be providing new opportunities for future generations to make lasting memories.”
Rutherford also said he was proud that the land and its history will be preserved.
The state, the City of Annapolis, Blacks of the Chesapeake and the Chesapeake Conservancy have entered into an agreement with The Conservation Fund to acquire the property for around $7 million through a patchwork of funding.
The mostly wooded property contains over 300 feet of beach area — with direct waterfront access to the Bay.
