SUMMATION: Pleasant, peaceful place with beautiful gardens (Anonymous, 2011; Vogt, 1980), trees, views of Chesapeake Bay, recent history, and paleontology (Vogt and Eshelman, 1978).
NAME: Scientist' Cliffs
OTHER NAMES: Annes Aggravation, Flippos Folly, Pathologists Quagmire, and Scientists Cliff
DESCRIPTION: An unincorporated, private community in Calvert County, Maryland with all houses having rustic, wood exteriors (once required log cabins). Arranged in the woods above the shore of Calvert Cliffs.
FOUNDERS: Flippo [1] and Annie Garvatt [2]
MANAGEMENT: Scientists' Cliffs Association
MY RATING: Very, Very Good (4.6/5)
SIZE: 275 homes
ALTITUDE: 105 feet (32 m)
LAYOUT: The community is accessed by Scientists' Cliffs Road and divided into five sub-sections, called "Gates" (A-E). The streets in each gate all begin with the corresponding letter of the gate, and are botanically named. For example, Gate A: Aster, Aspen, Azalea, streets, etc., Gate B: Birch, Beech and Bluebell, and so forth. All five gates have direct access to the Chesapeake Bay via a series of paths and boardwalks. Additionally, Gate A features a community center, a residential swimming pool, tennis courts, horseshoe pit, a baseball field and a private beach called "South Beach".
TITLE: "Scientists' Holiday" [Yelp, Parguera Pirate review #423, 10 August 2015]
CHESAPEAKE BAY TRIP REVIEW NUMBER: 1
TELEPHONE: (410) 586-6020/2444/0730
WEBPAGE: Cliffers.org
E-MAIL: office@scientistscliffs.org
LOCALITY: 2488 Apple Road, Port Republic, Maryland 20676-2608
LATITUDE, LONGITUDE: 38°31′3″N, 76°30′48″W
DIFFICULTY LOCATING: moderate
DIRECTIONS: From Prince Frederick, go south on Route 4 5.7 miles past the Calvert Memorial Hospital to the traffic light at Broomes Island Road. Get into the left lane and go 0.4 miles to Parkers Creek Road. Turn left for 0.5 mile to Scientists' Cliffs Road. Turn right for 0.8 mile to the parking field on the left.
OCCASION: We will stay in one of the early cabins that belongs to a relative. We have many friends and relatives coming to stay with us. The original Scientists Cliffs craftsmen built the cabin and its furniture with Chestnut wood. See History below and Anonymous (2011). The more modern downstairs was added later.
HOURS OF OPERATION: The office is probably open 8 am-5 pm Monday-Friday and closed on weekends.
FEES: ~$2000/year for homeowners
AVAILABILITY: Occasionally houses are for sale or rent.
VIEW: Spectacular view of the Bay from our cabin.
INTERNET: WiFi is available at their office.
AMINITIES: The tall cliffs along the edge of the bay contain one of the world's richest fossil deposits from the Miocene period (~14 Mya). The cliffs are part of the Calvert Formation. A variety of fossil shells, fish teeth, mammal bones, and Giant White Shark teeth [A] are found in this area. In 1974, I found "arrowheads" [3] and a fossil-bone object [4] on the beach at Parker's Creek. The Gravatts' cabin [5] is now a museum displaying fossils and marine life. There is a pool (1975), tennis courts, and a community garden. The Community House [6] is a 66x40 foot log cabin.
ANIMALS: Pets are permitted everywhere. There are lots of wildlife wandering around like they owned the place.
NOISE LEVEL: very quiet
ENVIRONMENTAL: American Chestnut Land Trust [7]; natural gardens. The land was originally purchased by pathologists studying the Chestnut Blight [B]. The Chestnut tree in the area seemed particularly resistant; therefore, they wished to protect them. That did not work out very well.
AWARDS: Chestnut Cabin Preservation Award, Community House Log Preservation Award (2013, Historic Preservation Awards, Calvert County Community Planning and Building); A hiking trail, "Gravatt Lane" and "Gravatt Stream" are named for the founders.
HISTORY: The private community was first established in 1935 as a summer colony for scientists by Flippo [1] and Annie Gravatt [2] on 235 forested acres bought from Marmaduke White. It was founded in 1937. From 1936 to 1961 Flippo, his wife Annie, and his sister, Margaret Miles, purchased additional land for a total of over 752 acres. The founders of Scientist's Cliffs' chose this land because the population of American Chestnut trees showed a particular resistance to the blight. Original cabins in the area were built from felled American Chestnut trees that died from the blight. Although established as a seasonal community, the first year-round resident, Henry Allanson, moved to the community in 1943. Only scientists were allowed to build at first. Now those with advanced degrees or extensive professional experience are permitted to live here. See Fleischhauer (1987) and HCSC (2001) for more detail. My First Mate has been at Scientists Cliffs many times, as a child. She spent the entire summer of 1964 there [8]. We stayed at her Aunt's cabin twice (later sold), at her cousin's cabin April-May 2012, and will stay in September 2015.
ABBREVIATIONS:
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