The Story of Hollywood Shores
The history of Hollywood Shores reaches far beyond the neighborhood itself. This overview traces the area’s story from its earliest known inhabitants to the community we know today. Each section draws primarily on original government records, archaeological research, and historical documents, supplemented by reputable online resources so that readers can explore the evidence firsthand.
Before Hollywood Shores
Long before there were homes, roads, docks, or a neighborhood called Hollywood Shores, Native peoples lived throughout what is now St. Mary’s County. Archaeological evidence documents thousands of years of human history and shows that Native communities hunted, fished, gathered natural resources, and established settlements throughout the region.
Detail from John Smith’s 1612 map of the Chesapeake region, showing the Patuxent River and Indigenous communities known to early English explorers. The map offers an early European record of the region’s waterways and Native settlements, but it does not identify present-day Hollywood Shores or Cole Creek.
Cole Creek in the Colonial Era
During the eighteenth century, Cole Creek formed part of Maryland’s regulated tobacco inspection system. Colonial law designated “Mr. Cole’s, on Cole’s Creek” as an official tobacco inspection location. Although the historical record confirms that the inspection site existed, it does not identify the location of Mr. Cole’s property or establish whether it was within present-day Hollywood Shores.
Detail from Dennis Griffith’s 1794 map of Maryland showing St. Mary’s County and the Patuxent River region near the end of the eighteenth century. The map provides a regional context for the period during which Cole Creek was part of Maryland’s tobacco inspection system.
The Postwar Community
Following World War II, St. Mary’s County experienced substantial population growth and a rising demand for housing, much of it tied to the establishment and expansion of Naval Air Station Patuxent River. County records show that Hollywood Shores residents were working together on community concerns by May 1958 and that the Hollywood Shores Civic Association was representing neighborhood interests by April 1959.
Hollywood Shores in 1957. These illustrative reconstructions, based on Historic Aerials reference imagery, capture the neighborhood during its early years, showing the original road network, open lots, and surrounding woodlands along Cole Creek and the Patuxent River. The image illustrates the community’s development just before county records first document Hollywood Shores residents working together on neighborhood issues in 1958.
Neighbors Building a Community
Hollywood Shores residents did more than build homes. They organized around shared concerns and brought neighborhood needs directly to county officials. Between 1958 and 1962, residents sought assistance with mosquito control, requested information about road conditions, and advocated for construction and improvements to the roads serving Hollywood Shores.
Hollywood Shores, 1981. These illustrative reconstructions, based on Historic Aerials reference imagery, capture a well-established waterfront neighborhood with developed roads, homes, community spaces, and docks along Cole Creek and the Patuxent River.
Protecting the Shoreline and Shared Community Resources
As Hollywood Shores matured, residents continued using organized funding to address community needs. In 1981, the County Commissioners approved a special assessment for the Hollywood Shores Special Taxing District. In 1991, the Commissioners established the Hollywood Shores Shore Erosion Taxing District to support shoreline-protection efforts. A 2023 county report describes Hollywood Shores as a waterfront community with a pool, boat launch, and other locally maintained amenities.
Hollywood Shores, 2006. This illustrative reconstruction, based on Historic Aerials reference imagery, depicts Hollywood Shores as a mature waterfront community nearly fifty years after its earliest documented neighborhood records. The image shows how the community grew while preserving its original road network and strong connection to Cole Creek and the Patuxent River.
Looking Ahead
Hollywood Shores has changed over the centuries, but one thing has remained constant: people have cared for this special place. From the Native peoples who first lived along these waterways, to the colonial-era settlers, to the residents who organized the Civic Association and protected the shoreline, each generation has contributed to the community we enjoy today. As new historical records, photographs, and personal stories become available, the Hollywood Shores Civic Association will continue to expand this history so that future generations can better understand the people and events that shaped our neighborhood.
Help Preserve Our History
Do you have old photographs, newsletters, maps, deeds, or memories of Hollywood Shores? The Hollywood Shores Civic Association welcomes historical information that can help preserve and expand the story of our community for future generations.
