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89-580: Maryland Route 54 ( MD 54 ) and Delaware Route 54 ( DE 54 ) are adjoining state highways in the U.S. states of Maryland and Delaware . Route 54 runs 41.84 mi (67.33 km) from MD 313 in Mardela Springs, Maryland , east to DE 1 in Fenwick Island, Delaware . In addition to two segments in which the highway is completely in Delaware and two segments in which

178-602: A Catholic convert who sought to provide a religious haven for Catholics persecuted in England. In 1632, Charles I of England granted Lord Baltimore a colonial charter , naming the colony after his wife, Henrietta Maria . In 1649, the Maryland General Assembly passed an Act Concerning Religion , which enshrined the principle of toleration . Religious strife was common in Maryland's early years, and Catholics remained

267-596: A center left-turn lane and continues past more development. As the highway approaches the town of Fenwick Island , it becomes two lanes again and crosses two tidal ponds on an elevated causeway before it crosses The Ditch between Assawoman Bay to the south and Little Assawoman Bay to the north. After passing to the north of the Fenwick Island Light , Route 54 reaches its eastern terminus at DE 1 (Coastal Highway) in Fenwick Island, one block west of

356-507: A university , library system , music and dance conservatory , and art museum . Cumberland was Maryland's second-largest city in the 19th century. Nearby supplies of natural resources along with railroads fostered its growth into a major manufacturing center. The Progressive Era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries brought political reforms. In a series of laws passed between 1892 and 1908, reformers worked for standard state-issued ballots (rather than those distributed and marked by

445-642: A M4.8 earthquake from Tewksbury in central New Jersey was felt slightly throughout Maryland. Ocean Highway Ocean Highway was a designation established early in the 20th century for a combination of roadways and water-crossings for motor vehicles which would generally traverse as close as possible to the Atlantic Ocean along the East Coast of the United States from Jacksonville, Florida to North Brunswick, New Jersey . The Ocean Highway concept predated

534-544: A century, carried on by the descendants of William Penn and Lord Baltimore—the Calvert family , which controlled Maryland, and the Penn family , which controlled Pennsylvania. The border dispute with Pennsylvania led to Cresap's War in the 1730s. Hostilities erupted in 1730 and escalated through the first half of the decade, culminating in the deployment of military forces by Maryland in 1736 and by Pennsylvania in 1737. The armed phase of

623-460: A charter from King Charles I for the territory between Massachusetts to the north and Virginia to the immediate south. After Baltimore died in April 1632, the charter was granted to his son, Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore (1605–1675), on June 20, 1632. Officially, the new "Maryland Colony" was named in honor of Henrietta Maria of France , wife of Charles I. Lord Baltimore initially proposed

712-588: A fast and expeditious long distance route. Eight states participated in the program at its inception: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. Formed as an opportunity to promote tourism of the various beaches up and down the Atlantic Coast, the Ocean Highway promotions began in the 1930s. The Ocean Highway began in Jacksonville, Florida , where it headed to

801-652: A few residential subdivisions, passing north of the Assawoman Wildlife Area . DE 54 Alt. turns east onto Kent Avenue and crosses the Assawoman Canal , where it curves north and passes residential development before ending at DE 26 at Bethany Beach. DE 54 Alt. was designated by 2006. Major intersections The entire route is in Sussex County . Maryland Maryland ( US : / ˈ m ɛr ɪ l ə n d / MERR -il-ənd )

890-537: A highly diversified economy spanning manufacturing, retail services, public administration, real estate, higher education, information technology, defense contracting, health care, and biotechnology. Maryland is one of the most multicultural states in the country; it is one of the six states where non-Whites compose a majority of the population , with the fifth-highest percentage of African Americans , and high numbers of residents born in Africa , Asia , Central America , and

979-528: A minority, albeit in greater numbers than in any other English colony. Maryland's early settlements and population centers clustered around waterways that empty into the Chesapeake Bay . Its economy was heavily plantation-based and centered mostly on the cultivation of tobacco . Demand for cheap labor from Maryland colonists led to the importation of numerous indentured servants and enslaved Africans . In 1760, Maryland's current boundaries took form following

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1068-515: A series of newspaper editorials. Maryland's urban and rural communities had different experiences during the Great Depression . The " Bonus Army " marched through the state in 1932 on its way to Washington, D.C. Maryland instituted its first income tax in 1937 to generate revenue for schools and welfare. Passenger and freight steamboat service, once important throughout Chesapeake Bay and its many tributary rivers, ended in 1962. Baltimore

1157-523: A small portion of the state's northeast corner (which drains into the Delaware River watershed). So prominent is the Chesapeake in Maryland's geography and economic life that there has been periodic agitation to change the state's official nickname to the "Bay State", a nickname that has been used by Massachusetts for decades. The highest point in Maryland, with an elevation of 3,360 feet (1,020 m),

1246-610: A state tobacco buy-out program in the 1990s. In an effort to reverse depopulation due to the loss of working-class industries, Baltimore initiated urban renewal projects in the 1960s with Charles Center and the Baltimore World Trade Center . Some resulted in the break-up of intact residential neighborhoods, producing social volatility, and some older residential areas around the harbor have had units renovated and have become popular with new populations. Maryland has an area of 12,406.68 square miles (32,133.2 km ) and

1335-470: A tool to gain popular support. The two years from 1644 to 1646 when Claiborne and his Puritan associates held sway were known as "The Plundering Time". They captured Jesuit priests, imprisoned them, then sent them back to England. In 1646, Leonard Calvert returned with troops, recaptured St. Mary's City, and restored order. The House of Delegates passed the "Act concerning Religion" in 1649 granting religious liberty to all Trinitarian Christians. In 1650,

1424-698: A variety of topography within its borders, contributing to its nickname America in Miniature . It ranges from sandy dunes dotted with seagrass in the east, to low marshlands teeming with wildlife and large bald cypress near the Chesapeake Bay, to gently rolling hills of oak forests in the Piedmont Region , and pine groves in the Maryland mountains to the west. Maryland is bounded on its north by Pennsylvania , on its north and east by Delaware , on its east by

1513-592: Is Hoye Crest on Backbone Mountain , in the southwest corner of Garrett County , near the border with West Virginia, and near the headwaters of the North Branch of the Potomac River. Close to the small town of Hancock , in western Maryland, about two-thirds of the way across the state, less than 2 miles (3.2 km) separates its borders, the Mason–Dixon line to the north, and the northwards-arching Potomac River to

1602-484: Is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States . It borders Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to its east, and the national capital of Washington, D.C. to the southwest. With a total area of 12,407 square miles (32,130 km ), Maryland is the ninth-smallest state by land area , and its population of 6,177,224 ranks it

1691-425: Is comparable in overall area with Belgium [11,787 square miles (30,530 km )]. It is the 42nd-largest and 9th-smallest state and is closest in size to the state of Hawaii [10,930.98 square miles (28,311.1 km )], the next smallest state. The next largest state is Maryland's neighbor, West Virginia , which is nearly twice the size of Maryland [24,229.76 square miles (62,754.8 km )]. Maryland possesses

1780-487: The 19th-most populous state and the fifth-most densely populated . Maryland's capital is Annapolis , and the most populous city is Baltimore . Maryland's coastline was first explored by Europeans in the 16th century. Prior to that, it was inhabited by several Native American tribes, mostly the Algonquian peoples . As one of the original Thirteen Colonies , Maryland was founded by George Calvert , 1st Baron Baltimore,

1869-532: The Aberdeen Proving Ground , and the Edgewood Arsenal were established. Existing facilities, including Fort McHenry , were greatly expanded. After Georgia congressman William D. Upshaw criticized Maryland openly in 1923 for not passing Prohibition laws, Baltimore Sun editor Hamilton Owens coined the "Free State" nickname for Maryland in that context, which was popularized by H. L. Mencken in

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1958-454: The Atlantic Ocean and one block north of the town of Ocean City on the other side of the state line. The section of Route 54 east of US 113 in Selbyville serves as a main route to Fenwick Island and sees congestion in the summer months. Route 54 east of US 113 also serves as part of a primary hurricane evacuation route from the Fenwick Island area to points inland while

2047-611: The Atlantic Ocean , and on its south and west, across the Potomac River , by West Virginia and Virginia . The mid-portion of its border with Virginia is interrupted by Washington, D.C. , which sits on land that was originally part of Montgomery and Prince George's counties and including Georgetown, Maryland , which was ceded to the United States federal government in 1790 to form the Washington, D.C. Chesapeake Bay nearly bisects

2136-658: The Baltimore riot of 1861 , the first bloodshed in the Civil War. Of the 115,000 Marylanders who joined the military during the Civil War, around 85,000, or 77%, joined the Union army , while the remainder joined the Confederate Army . The largest and most significant battle in the state was the Battle of Antietam on September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg . Although a tactical draw, the battle

2225-604: The Caribbean . The state's central role in U.S. history is reflected by its hosting of some of the highest numbers of historic landmarks per capita. The western portion of the state contains stretches of the Appalachian Mountains , the central portion is primarily composed of the Piedmont , and the eastern side of the state makes up a significant portion of Chesapeake Bay . Sixteen of Maryland's twenty-three counties, and

2314-531: The Great Dismal Swamp on the border of North Carolina and Virginia before reaching the city of Norfolk, Virginia . At this point, the Ocean Highway shifted from US 17 to U.S. Route 13 , and followed that route through Virginia Beach before coming to a ferry across the Chesapeake Bay . From here, the Ocean Highway ran the length of the Eastern Shore of Virginia before coming into Maryland . In Maryland,

2403-465: The Industrial Revolution , driven by its seaports, railroad networks, and mass immigration from Europe. Since the 1940s, the state's population has grown rapidly, to approximately six million residents, and it is among the most densely populated U.S. states. As of 2015 , Maryland had the highest median household income of any state, owing in large part to its proximity to Washington, D.C., and

2492-586: The settlement of a long-running border dispute with Pennsylvania. Many of its citizens played key political and military roles in the American Revolutionary War . Although it was a slave state , Maryland remained in the Union during the American Civil War , and its proximity to Washington D.C. and Virginia made it a significant strategic location . After the Civil War ended, Maryland took part in

2581-712: The 20 years after the Revolutionary War . Across the Upper South the free black population increased from less than 1% before the war to 14% by 1810. Abolitionists Harriet Tubman and Frederick Douglass were born slaves during this time in Dorchester County and Talbot County , respectively. During the War of 1812 , the British military attempted to capture Baltimore, which was protected by Fort McHenry . During its bombardment

2670-562: The 40th parallel would pass close to New Castle, Delaware when it falls north of Philadelphia , the site of which Penn had already selected for his colony's capital city. Negotiations ensued after the problem was discovered in 1681. A compromise proposed by Charles II in 1682 was undermined by Penn's receiving the additional grant of what is now Delaware. Penn successfully argued that the Maryland charter entitled Lord Baltimore only to unsettled lands, and Dutch settlement in Delaware predated his charter. The dispute remained unresolved for nearly

2759-556: The Calvert family and Lord Baltimore regained proprietary control and re-enacted the Toleration Act. After England's Glorious Revolution in 1688, Maryland outlawed Catholicism. In 1704, the Maryland General Assembly prohibited Catholics from operating schools, limited the corporate ownership of property to hamper religious orders from expanding or supporting themselves, and encouraged the conversion of Catholic children. The celebration of

Route 54 (Maryland–Delaware) - Misplaced Pages Continue

2848-514: The Catholic sacraments was also officially restricted. This state of affairs lasted until after the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). Wealthy Catholic planters built chapels on their land to practice their religion in relative secrecy. Into the 18th century, individual priests and lay leaders claimed Maryland farms belonging to the Jesuits as personal property and bequeathed them in order to evade

2937-721: The Chesapeake Bay via the Little Creek Ferry (replaced by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel in 1964) to reach Virginia's Eastern Shore , and move north up the Delmarva Peninsula to Maryland and Delaware. After 1964, the former Little Creek Ferry equipment was transferred to the Delaware Bay , and the Cape May-Lewes Ferry was introduced, offering another choice for crossing into New Jersey and following

3026-582: The Constitution of 1864 with the Constitution of 1867 . Following the end of Reconstruction in 1877, Democrats devised means of disenfranchising blacks, initially by physical intimidation and voter fraud, later by constitutional amendments and laws. Blacks and immigrants, however, resisted Democratic Party disfranchisement efforts in the state. Maryland blacks were part of a biracial Republican coalition elected to state government in 1896–1904 and comprised 20% of

3115-568: The Maryland sections were still marked as MD 467 and MD 455. The whole highway was marked as Route 54 in 1969. In addition to the concurrency with DE 26, Route 54 has been concurrent with DE 20 and DE 30 . DE 20 was extended east of Dagsboro to terminate in Fenwick Island along with Route 54 by 1994. DE 20's eastern terminus was rolled back to its present location in 2005. Despite this, some DE 20 shields are posted along Route 54 between that route's eastern terminus and Fenwick Island. DE 30

3204-1161: The Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern , and Southern regions of the country. What is now Maryland was originally inhabited by tribes such as the Piscataway (including the Patuxent ), the Nanticoke (including the Tocwogh , the Ozinie and other subdivisions), the Powhatan , the Lenape , the Susquehannock , the Shawnee , the Tutelo , the Saponi , the Pocomoke and the Massawomeck . George Calvert, 1st Baron Baltimore (1579–1632), sought

3293-592: The Ocean Highway followed US 13 and passed through the city of Salisbury . Continuing into Delaware , the road passed through Dover before coming to Hares Corner , where the Ocean Highway split from US 13 and joined U.S. Route 40 . The Ocean Highway crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey and continued to the northeast on U.S. Route 130 . It passed through the Camden and Trenton areas before ending in North Brunswick . There were several spurs that existed off

3382-509: The Piedmont in the Coastal Plain, though it straddles the border between the two regions. Earthquakes in Maryland are infrequent and small due to the state's distance from seismic/earthquake zones. The M 5.8 Virginia earthquake in 2011 was felt moderately throughout Maryland. Buildings in the state are not well-designed for earthquakes and can suffer damage easily. As well as this, notably

3471-584: The Puritans revolted against the proprietary government. "Protestants swept the Catholics out of the legislature   ... and religious strife returned." The Puritans set up a new government prohibiting both Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism . The Puritan revolutionary government persecuted Maryland Catholics during its reign, known as the "plundering time". Mobs burned down all the original Catholic churches of southern Maryland. The Puritan rule lasted until 1658 when

3560-406: The United States as a united, sovereign and national state . It also became the seventh state admitted to the Union after ratifying the new federal Constitution in 1788. In December 1790, prior to the move of the national capital from Philadelphia in 1800, Maryland donated land selected by first President George Washington to the federal government for its creation. The land was provided along

3649-415: The city of Baltimore, border the tidal waters of the Chesapeake Bay estuary and its many tributaries, which combined total more than 4,000 miles of shoreline. Although one of the smallest states in the U.S., it features a variety of climates and topographical features that have earned it the moniker of America in Miniature . In a similar vein, Maryland's geography, culture, and history combine elements of

Route 54 (Maryland–Delaware) - Misplaced Pages Continue

3738-448: The conflict ended in May 1738 with the intervention of King George II, who compelled the negotiation of a cease-fire. A provisional agreement had been established in 1732. Negotiations continued until a final agreement was signed in 1760. The agreement defined the border between Maryland and Pennsylvania as the line of latitude now known as the Mason–Dixon line . Maryland's border with Delaware

3827-587: The creation of the Interstate Highway System beginning in the 1950s, and in many states the highways and byways of coastal routes from Florida to North Brunswick still carry the name. Unlike many of the earlier named roads such as the Lincoln Highway , Dixie Highway , and the National Auto Trails , the Ocean Highway was intended to promote tourism and leisurely drives, rather than primarily

3916-418: The current route along Millsboro Highway was proposed as a state highway by 1925. This segment of state highway was completed by 1931, along with the portions from south of Columbia to a point along the state line to the east of Delmar and between Selbyville and Williamsville. A portion of the route along the state line east of Delmar was paved as a county road. On July 1, 1935, the county-maintained portions of

4005-697: The eastern and western halves of Maryland were linked for the first time by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge , which replaced a nearby ferry service. Maryland's regions experienced economic changes following WWII. Heavy manufacturing declined in Baltimore. In Maryland's four westernmost counties, industrial, railroad, and coal mining jobs declined. On the lower Eastern Shore , family farms were bought up by major concerns and large-scale poultry farms and vegetable farming became prevalent. In Southern Maryland, tobacco farming nearly vanished due to suburban development and

4094-485: The eastern terminus. DelDOT has signed DE 54 Alternate (DE 54 Alt.) as an alternate route to the beaches. Improvements have been made to the route west of Fenwick Island, including building a causeway to reduce flooding and adding a center left-turn lane . Route 54 begins at an intersection with MD 313 in the town of Mardela Springs in Wicomico County, Maryland . MD 313 heads north from

4183-487: The election of a new pro-union governor and legislature, President Abraham Lincoln had a number of its pro-slavery politicians arrested, including the Mayor of Baltimore, George William Brown ; suspended several civil liberties, including habeas corpus ; and ordered artillery placed on Federal Hill overlooking Baltimore. In April 1861, Federal units and state regiments were attacked as they marched through Baltimore, sparking

4272-403: The electorate and immigrants comprised 15%, and the legislature had difficulty devising requirements against blacks that did not also disadvantage immigrants. The Progressive Era also brought reforms in working conditions for Maryland's labor force. In 1902, the state regulated conditions in mines ; outlawed child laborers under the age of 12; mandated compulsory school attendance; and enacted

4361-509: The electorate. Compared to some other states, blacks were better established both before and after the civil war. Nearly half the black population was free before the war, and some had accumulated property. Half the population lived in cities. Literacy was high among blacks and, as Democrats crafted means to exclude them, suffrage campaigns helped reach blacks and teach them how to resist. Whites did impose racial segregation in public facilities and Jim Crow laws, which effectively lasted until

4450-476: The first rail line to reach the Ohio River from the eastern seaboard. The state remained in the Union during the American Civil War , due in significant part to demographics and Federal intervention. The 1860 census, held shortly before the outbreak of the civil war, showed that 49% of Maryland's African Americans were free . Governor Thomas Holliday Hicks suspended the state legislature, and to help ensure

4539-409: The hamlet of Bunting , the highway intersects DE 54 Alt. (Bunting Road), an alternate route from Selbyville to the town of Bethany Beach . Route 54 passes through Williamsville and begins to pass beach-related suburban development as the highway crosses Drum Creek and Roy Creek before intersecting the east end of DE 20 (Zion Church Road). Past this intersection, the route gains

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4628-414: The highway along the southern edge of Sussex County before designating it DE 54. The Maryland State Roads Commission (now MDSHA) immediately reciprocated by designating its portions MD 54. Route 54 east of Selbyville has become an important route for seasonal beach traffic headed to and from Fenwick Island and Ocean City , with suburban development lining the road between DE 20 and

4717-407: The highway is completely in Maryland, Route 54 follows the Delaware/Maryland state line between the twin towns of Delmar, Maryland , and Delmar, Delaware , and the highway's intersection with MD 353 and DE 26 . One section of the state line portion of Route 54 is maintained by the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT) while three sections of the highway that follow

4806-407: The highway remains in Delaware. A short distance north of the state line, the road intersects Whitesville Road. In Gumboro , DE 26 continues north while Route 54 turns east onto Cypress Road. Route 54 crosses Bald Cypress Branch and the Pocomoke River , then passes through the Great Cypress Swamp . After crossing the swamp, the highway intersects US 113 (Dupont Boulevard) on

4895-402: The intersection as Sharptown Road and west as a short continuation of Delmar Road west to MD 313's terminus with U.S. Route 50 (US 50, Ocean Gateway). Route 54 heads east as two-lane undivided Delmar Road, passing south of Mardela Middle and High School . The road parallels Barren Creek on the north toward the Delaware state line, crossing Mockingbird Creek . After passing

4984-421: The legal restrictions on religious organizations' owning property. The royal charter granted Maryland the land north of the Potomac River up to the 40th parallel . A problem arose when Charles II granted a charter for Pennsylvania . The grant defined Pennsylvania's southern border as identical to Maryland's northern border, the 40th parallel. But the grant indicated that Charles II and William Penn assumed

5073-542: The main Ocean Highway. In North Carolina, side route A ran from the main road in Elizabeth City east to Hatteras Inlet . In South Carolina, the Ocean Highway had five side routes. Side route B ran from Mount Pleasant toward Isle of Palms , side route C connected the road to Folly Beach , side route D ran northwest toward Summerville , side route E connected the route in Adams Run south to Edisto Beach , and side route F ran between Walterboro and Combahee River . In Georgia, side route G ran east to Sea Island . Over

5162-462: The name "Crescentia", the land of growth or increase, but "the King proposed Terra Mariae [Mary Land], which was concluded on and inserted in the bill." The original capital of Maryland was St. Mary's City , on the north shore of the Potomac River , and the county surrounding it, the first erected/created in the province, was first called Augusta Carolina, after the King, and later named St. Mary's County. Lord Baltimore's first settlers arrived in

5251-513: The name changes to East State Street, and meets MD 675 (Bi-State Boulevard), the old alignment of US 13 , in the center of the towns. Route 54 continues east and becomes West Line Road before it intersects US 13, which is known as Sussex Highway in Delaware and Ocean Highway in Maryland. At US 13, the highway leaves Delmar and DelDOT assumes maintenance for the highway. Route 54 continues east from US 13 as East Line Road through farmland and scattered residences along

5340-445: The nation's first workers' compensation law. The workers' compensation law was overturned in the courts, but was redrafted and finally enacted in 1910. The Great Baltimore Fire of 1904 burned for more than 30 hours, destroying 1,526 buildings and spanning 70 city blocks. More than 1,231 firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control. With the nation's entry into World War I in 1917, new military bases such as Camp Meade ,

5429-517: The new colony in March 1634, with his younger brother the Honorable Leonard Calvert (1606–1647), as first provincial Governor of Maryland . They made their first permanent settlement at St. Mary's City in what is now St. Mary's County . They purchased the site from the paramount chief of the region, who was eager to establish trade. St. Mary's became the first capital of Maryland, and remained so for 60 years until 1695. More settlers soon followed. Their tobacco crops were successful and quickly made

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5518-413: The new colony profitable. However, given the incidence of malaria , yellow fever , and typhoid , life expectancy in Maryland was about 10 years less than in New England . Maryland was founded to provide a haven for England's Roman Catholic minority. Although Maryland was the most heavily Catholic of the English mainland colonies, the religion was still in the minority, consisting of less than 10% of

5607-439: The north of the original alignment, using pre-cast concrete segments. The project, which cost over $ 15 million, was slated to be finished in August 2003. In 2010, a $ 10 million project began to add a center left-turn lane along with bike lanes and sidewalks to the portion of Route 54 between DE 20 and Mallard Lakes, a section of road that was targeted for safety improvements due to rapid development; this project

5696-426: The north on U.S. Route 17 , following that route until Virginia . It continued from Florida into Georgia and headed toward Savannah . Within the state of South Carolina , the Ocean Highway ran along the state’s coast, passing through Charleston and Myrtle Beach . In North Carolina , the highway served the cities of Wilmington , Jacksonville , New Bern , and Elizabeth City . The Ocean Highway passed through

5785-468: The north shore of the Potomac River from Montgomery and Prince George's counties, as well as from Fairfax County and Alexandria on the south shore of the Potomac in Virginia ; however, the land donated by the Commonwealth of Virginia was later returned to that state by the District of Columbia retrocession in 1846. Influenced by a changing economy, revolutionary ideals, and preaching by ministers, numerous planters in Maryland freed their slaves in

5874-675: The parties); obtained closed voting booths to prevent party workers from "assisting" voters; initiated primary elections to keep party bosses from selecting candidates; and had candidates listed without party symbols, which discouraged the illiterate from participating. These measures worked against ill-educated whites and blacks. Blacks resisted such efforts, with suffrage groups conducting voter education. Blacks defeated three efforts to disenfranchise them, making alliances with immigrants to resist various Democratic campaigns. Disenfranchisement bills in 1905, 1907, and 1911 were rebuffed, in large part because of black opposition. Blacks comprised 20% of

5963-507: The passage of federal civil rights legislation in the mid-1960s. Baltimore grew significantly during the Industrial Revolution , due in large part to its seaport and good railroad connections, attracting European immigrant labor. Many manufacturing businesses were established in the Baltimore area after the Civil War. Baltimore businessmen, including Johns Hopkins , Enoch Pratt , George Peabody , and Henry Walters , founded notable city institutions that bear their names, including respectively

6052-482: The principle of partus sequitur ventrem , by which children took the social status of their mothers, a principle of slave law that was adopted throughout the colonies, following Virginia in 1662. Many of the free black families migrated to Delaware, where land was cheaper. As the flow of indentured laborers to the colony decreased with improving economic conditions in England, planters in Maryland imported thousands more slaves and racial caste lines hardened. Maryland

6141-433: The road in Delaware were taken over by the state. By 1936, the roadway was paved between Williamsville and Fenwick Island. A portion of road to the west of Selbyville was paved by 1939. By 1942, the remainder of the road in Delaware between the Maryland border and south of Columbia and Gumboro and Selbyville were paved. The first non-concurrent portions of Route 54 to be numbered were in Maryland in 1939, when MD 467

6230-474: The section of Route 54 between US 13 and US 113 serves as part of a secondary hurricane evacuation route from the coastal areas. Route 54 has an annual average daily traffic count ranging from a high of 15,984 vehicles at the Old Stage Road intersection in Delmar to a low of 812 vehicles at the Cemetery Road intersection west of Selbyville. By 1920, what is now Route 54 in Delaware existed as an unpaved county road. The portion of

6319-476: The song " The Star-Spangled Banner " was written by Francis Scott Key ; it was later adopted as the national anthem. National Road, later renamed U.S. Route 40 , was authorized in 1817 as the federal highway, and ran from Baltimore to St. Louis . The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O), the first chartered railroad in the United States, opened its first section of track for regular operation in 1830 between Baltimore and Ellicott City , and in 1852 it became

6408-555: The south. Portions of Maryland are included in various official and unofficial geographic regions. For example, the Delmarva Peninsula is composed of the Eastern Shore counties of Maryland, the entire state of Delaware , and the two counties that make up the Eastern Shore of Virginia , whereas the westernmost counties of Maryland are considered part of Appalachia . Much of the Baltimore–Washington corridor lies just south of

6497-524: The state highway begins to follow the state line, with Sussex County, Delaware on the north side of the road and Wicomico County, Maryland on the south, and MDSHA maintenance begins. Route 54 immediately enters the twin towns of Delmar, Delaware , and Delmar, Maryland , and the highway's name changes to West State Street. The highway crosses the Delmarva Central Railroad 's Delmarva Subdivision track at-grade south of Highball Signal , where

6586-526: The state line are maintained by the Maryland State Highway Administration (MDSHA). Route 54 was first numbered in two segments in Wicomico County, Maryland , in the late 1930s. MD 467 was assigned to the segment around Mardela Springs while MD 455 was assigned to the state line road near Delmar. The Delaware portions of the highway remained unnumbered until the late 1960s, when DelDOT briefly assigned DE 32 to

6675-431: The state line. At Brittingham Road, maintenance jurisdiction returns to MDSHA. Around the intersection with Whitesville Road, Route 54 dips into Maryland for a short distance, then returns to following the state line until the intersection with MD 353 (Gumboro Road) and DE 26 (Millsboro Highway). At that intersection, Route 54 turns northeast and joins DE 26 in a concurrency . From this point,

6764-543: The state, and the counties east of the bay are known collectively as the Eastern Shore . Most of the state's waterways are part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, with the exceptions of a tiny portion of extreme western Garrett County (drained by the Youghiogheny River as part of the watershed of the Mississippi River ), the eastern half of Worcester County (which drains into Maryland's Atlantic coastal bays), and

6853-525: The stone marker indicating the intersection of the Transpeninsular Line with the southern end of the Mason–;Dixon Line , the highway enters the southwest corner of Sussex County, Delaware , where it intersects Columbia Road at Packing House Corner. Route 54 continues east until Old Racetrack Road, where the highway turns southeast toward the state line. At the intersection with Waller Road,

6942-467: The total population. In 1642, a number of Puritans left Virginia for Maryland and founded the city of Providence, now called Annapolis , on the western shore of the upper Chesapeake Bay . A dispute with traders from Virginia over Kent Island in the Chesapeake led to armed conflict. In 1644, William Claiborne , a Puritan, seized Kent Island while his associate, the pro-Parliament Puritan Richard Ingle , took over St. Mary's. Both used religion as

7031-474: The town of Bethany Beach . The alternate route heads northeast from DE 54 on two-lane undivided Johnson Road, passing through a mix of farmland and woodland and crossing Dirickson Creek . Upon crossing DE 20, DE 54 Alt. continues north along Bayard Road through more rural areas, crossing Bearhole Ditch and passing through the community of Bayard . The route turns east onto Double Bridges Road and continues northeast through forested areas along with

7120-468: The traditionally Southern and Tidewater culture that previously dominated most of the state. Agricultural tracts gave way to residential communities, some of them carefully planned such as Columbia , St. Charles , and Montgomery Village . Concurrently the Interstate Highway System was built throughout the state, most notably I-95 , I-695 , and the Capital Beltway , altering travel patterns. In 1952,

7209-507: The west edge of the town of Selbyville . Route 54 continues east into Selbyville as Cemetery Road and crosses the Snow Hill Line of the Maryland and Delaware Railroad at-grade. The highway turns south into Main Street to pass through the central business district. After intersecting the southern terminus of DE 17 (Bethany Road), Route 54 turns east onto Lighthouse Road. In

7298-643: The years, some of the routing has changed. For example, for many years, the routing to the north through Virginia after passing the eastern edge of the Dismal Swamp offered a choice. A westerly track followed U.S. Route 17 , passing through Portsmouth and crossing the James River Bridge and the George P. Coleman Memorial Bridge to travel northerly to the west of the Chesapeake Bay , while an eastern alternative used U.S. Route 13 to pass through Norfolk and crossed

7387-421: Was a major war production center during World War II . The biggest operations were Bethlehem Steel 's Fairfield Yard, which built Liberty ships ; and Glenn Martin , an aircraft manufacturer. Maryland experienced population growth following World War II. Beginning in the 1960s, as suburban growth took hold around Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, the state began to take on a more mid-Atlantic culture as opposed to

7476-603: Was based on a Transpeninsular Line and the Twelve-Mile Circle around New Castle. Most of the English colonists arrived in Maryland as indentured servants , and had to serve a several years' term as laborers to pay for their passage. In the early years, the line between indentured servants and African slaves or laborers was fluid, and white and black laborers commonly lived and worked together, and formed unions. Mixed-race children born to white mothers were considered free by

7565-432: Was completed in 2012. DE 54 officially has a length of 38.59 mi (62.10 km) and MD 54 officially has a length of 19.79 mi (31.85 km). Both of these figures include a 16.54 mi (26.62 km) overlap between the first and last crossings of the state line. Delaware Route 54 Alternate ( DE 54 Alt. ) is an unsigned alternate route of DE 54 between Bunting and DE 26 in

7654-444: Was considered a strategic Union victory and a turning point of the war. A new state constitution in 1864 abolished slavery and Maryland was first recognized as a "Free State" in that context. Following passage of constitutional amendments that granted voting rights to freedmen , in 1867 the state extended suffrage to non-white males. The Democratic Party rapidly regained power in the state from Republicans . Democrats replaced

7743-407: Was designated concurrent with Route 54 along Millsboro Highway north of Whitesville Road in 1994. The DE 30 designation was removed from this section of road in 2022. In September 2001, construction began to build an elevated causeway for Route 54 to the west of Fenwick Island in order to prevent flooding from high tides and storms. The project involved building the new causeway to

7832-434: Was marked on the portion around Mardela Springs and MD 455 was marked on the portion around Delmar, which extended from where Waller Road fully enters Maryland east to Brittingham Road. The portion of road between Brittingham Road and MD 353 was county-maintained. MD 455 was extended east from Brittingham Road to DE 26/MD 353 in 1958. In 1968, DE 32 was assigned to the entire highway within Delaware;

7921-592: Was one of the thirteen colonies that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution . Near the end of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), on February 2, 1781, Maryland became the last and 13th state to approve the ratification of the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union , first proposed in 1776 and adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1778, which brought into being

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