Highland Beach

Highland Beach is a residential town with a defining place in Maryland’s Black history. The town’s own account begins in 1892, when Charles and Laura Douglass were refused service at the nearby Bay Ridge resort because of their race. A connection with the Brashears family led to a land purchase the following year and the creation of a Chesapeake summer community. Incorporation in 1922 made Highland Beach Maryland’s first African American municipality.

The Douglass family connection

Charles was Frederick Douglass’s son. He built Twin Oaks for his father, but Frederick died in 1895 before the cottage was completed. The building later became the Frederick Douglass Museum and Cultural Center, whose work covers the family’s life and the histories of Highland Beach and neighboring Venice Beach. The property was acquired by the state and county in 1995 and transferred to the town as a memorial.

Learn before planning a visit

Highland Beach remains residential, with its own town government and citizens association. Its current official notices say the beach is closed to the general public and the museum is closed for repairs and renovations. The town links to the museum’s virtual resources, which are the appropriate starting point for exploring this history now. This is not a public beach outing or an open-house museum stop; any future in-person visit should follow an explicit announcement from the town or museum.