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 St. John's CollegeSt. John's College - known as the school of great books - is not far from the State House, north along North Street. Two of the college's early graduates were George Washington's nephew and Francis Scott Key, composer of our national anthem. Established in 1696 as King William's School, St. John's College is the third oldest institution of higher learning in the country - after Harvard and William and Mary. The Great Hall was originally derided as "Bladen's Folly" for the Colonial Governor Thomas Bladen who began construction on it in 1742, envisioning it as his palatial residence. When funds were cut off because of his extravagance, the building sat empty and incomplete for 40 years. Renamed McDowell Hall, it became a part of the college. The school was the first in the U.S. to prohibit religious discrimination when it was chartered in 1784. In 1789, St. John's began operation in the former governor's mansion, with Dr. John McDowell serving as principal.
In September of 1999 a hurricane severely damaged the Liberty Tree; it was cut down the following month in a ceremony held by the city and the college. Near the north end of campus, overlooking College Creek, the French Soldiers Monument remains dedicated to the memory of General Lafayette's troops, who died while in service during the Revolutionary War. For more information, visit the St. John's College website.
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Not far from McDowell Hall a great spreading tulip poplar tree stood for hundreds of years. It was the last "Liberty Tree" where the Sons of Liberty gathered to talk about sedition. The tree was a much-loved landmark: it served as the site of a favorite local event (the annual croquet match with the Naval Academy) and provided shade for St. John's commencement ceremonies. 
Banneker-Douglass Museum