Freedom Of Conscience - St. Mary's City MD - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

Commissioned and paid for by the counties of Maryland, the statue of a man with head raised toward the sky was erected in 1934 on Maryland's 300th anniversary. It stands in St. Mary's City near St. Mary's College on Trinity Church Road.

St. Mary's City was Maryland's first settlement of colonists who were seeking to escape the conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism in England. They landed on these shores in 1634 with a freedom of conscience to worship under the religion of their choice. The freedom of religion was made into law in 1644.

Hans Schuler, a Baltimore sculptor, created this statue of a man looking towards the heavens with arms outstretched by his sides and a relief of a torch and flame with the words 'FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE' inscribed at the bottom. Schuler was trying to convey a "liberation of spirit" and the torch represents the "fire of religious freedom"¹. The inscription on the back of the sculpture reads:

A GIFT TO THE
STATE OF MARYLAND
FROM THE COUNTIES
TO COMMEMORATE THE
300TH ANNIVERSARY
OF ITS FOUNDING
1634–1934

The sculpture is surrounded by a brick walk and the BayScapes garden which is planted with native Maryland species. The American flag flanked by the Maryland state flag and the St. Mary's county flag fly overhead behind the sculpture.

¹Quotes found on historic sign on site. Also see HMdb.org

TITLE: Freedom Of Conscience ARTIST(S): Hans Schuler DATE: 1934 MEDIUM: Limestone CONTROL NUMBER: IAS 76008010 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: On the left when traveling west on Trinity Church Road west of MD Rt. 5 near the entrance to St. Mary's College in St. Mary's City. DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: None

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