Leonardtown is a very small town located in a pastoral section of Maryland between the mouth of the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay at the southern end of a large peninsula. This area has been slow to be developed because of its distance from any city and the bridges that had to be crossed to get here. On the way into town one drives past the modest farms of an old order Mennonite community to the northwest, along with occasional horse and buggies. Growth is now happening at a rapid rate, but it appears the community is exerting some control over the loss of farmland that would be devastating to the charm of the area.
Leonardtown is the county seat of St. Mary’s County. Its downtown, with courthouse, handsome square, distinguished old stores, and old wharf on an inlet of the Potomac, make it easy to imagine what this town must have looked like in the 19th and early 20th centuries. However development is on the way. A very large condominium project is now at the redeveloped wharf. Many upscale homes on big lots have been built in any area near the water, such as in Breton Bay. Along with the Mennonites, the U.S. military has a large presence here; the Patuxent River Naval Air Base employs thousands of soldiers and civilians.
For a list of profiles of over 1000 cities and towns go to retirement community reviews, or for more information on taxes and what it is like to retire in Maryland. Here is our review of Ocean City, MD as a retirement community. | 
