Hollywood, Maryland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hollywood, Maryland is a Census Designated Place located within St. Mary's County, Maryland. It was named in 1867, when a storeowner at Thompson's General Store near the Uniontown section of Hollywood required a name for the post office inside the store. The storeowner was inspired by the gigantic holly tree planted in front of the store and named the post office Hollywood.

Hollywood is home to distinctive landmarks such as the congregation of St. John's Francis Regis Catholic Church, which was founded in 1690. The area also includes the nationally renowned Sotterly Plantation just off the banks of the Patuxent River. Sotterly was founded in 1710 by James Bowles, a wealthy planter, eventually changing hands to former Maryland Governor George Plater and through the 20th century to Louisa Satterlee and her husband. She was the daughter of J.P. Morgan. The town is also home to a recently demolished manor house, Resurrection Manor, which was thought to have been built in 1640 by Thomas Cornwalleys, the grandfather of the General Lord Cornwallis who surrendered to George Washington at the Battle of Yorktown during the American Revolutionary War.

The contemporary community of Hollywood now serves as a small rural community with minimal economic pursuits such as the extensive farms that produce soybean, corn, hay, grains, wheats, and formerly tobacco. It currently hosts an industrial park where corporations such as Northrop Grumman have a branch office located there. Hollywood is not an incorporated town, residing under the direct authority of the St. Mary's County, Maryland Commissioners.