University of Maryland, Baltimore County: Interdisciplinary CoLab

Leisure as Resistance

  Carr’s and Sparrow’s Beaches

Frederick Carr was enslaved prior to his 50 years of service in the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Once he retired in 1902, Frederick Carr purchased over 100 acres of land along the eastern shore, just south of Annapolis along Edgewood Road. Eventually, two of his five children inherited the land. Elizabeth Carr Smith and Florence Sparrow divided the land and named it after themselves. This action led to the beaches being known as Carr’s Beach and Sparrow’s Beach, collectively referred to as the Sister Beaches.

The beaches, commonly seen as complementary, were both prime vacation spots, but each had its unique features. Sparrow’s was seen as more of a family-oriented place of leisure, as many family reunions and gatherings would take place in the picnic area of the beach. There were about 10 cabins and a few motel rooms for people to stay in. The land was also used for ball fields, a carnival, cabins, beauty contests, musicians, and comedians. “The thrill of seeing old friends, playing on the sandy beach, swimming in the clear salty water and refreshing oneself in the cool and spacious picnic area, are much of what [was offered] in making vacation dreams come true” at “Maryland’s Finest.”1

Adjacent to the area was Carr’s Beach, which was originally developed for swimmers, fishermen, and families. By the time Elizabeth Carr had passed in 1948, the beach was already thriving. Her son Frederick Carr became the proprietor of the beach and continued to carry on its legacy. Frederick Carr and William “Little Willie” Adams became partners in 1944 after Little Willie purchased a small section of Carr’s Beach and named it Elktonia Beach. They began their venture together, developing a carnival and pavilion, but once gambling became legal, they opened a nightclub called Club Benghazi. The pavilion became known as a stop in the Chitlin’ Circuit and brought major performers such as Chuck Berry, James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Etta James, and many more to Carr’s Beach. Disc jockey, Hoppy Adams, broadcast on the African American exclusive Annapolis radio station WANN. His famous phrase “Tonight! Tonight! Tonight!” would kick off the mood for a performance and get the show going.2

The beaches kept their energy until the late 60s, attracting visitors from all around the area. The local Clover Inn, Minnie’s Inn, and the Dew Drop Inn gave visitors places to stay throughout the summer. Locals also recall a juke joint and barbeque shack that were frequent stops coming to and from the Sister Beaches. Food, family, and dancing kept the beaches alive. When segregation ended, the beaches struggled with competing integrated venues, causing them to shut down. Today, most of the original locations no longer exist; only some remnants of the Clover Inn remain. There have been some recent strides to preserve this place of leisure, spearheaded by the Chesapeake Conservancy project. This initiative is dedicated to protecting the land that once served as a safe place for African Americans.

1Sparrow, Jeanne. “Maryland’s Finest Beach.” Sparrow’s Beach. Accessed December 16, 2023. http://www.sparrowsbeach.com/index.html.

2Leggett, Vince, and Joel Dunn. “Saving Elktonia-Carr’s Beach.” Chesapeake Conservancy. Accessed December 17, 2023. https://www.chesapeakeconservancy.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Carrs-Beach-Project_122022.pdf.

Hayes-Williams, Janice. “Ago-Carr’s Beach.” Our Legacy Tours — Annapolis, MD, June 2, 2020. https://oltannapolis.com/our-legacy-home-school/f/ago—carrs-beach.  

Johnson, Airlee R. A Week at the Beach: Memories of Carr’s and Sparrow’s Beaches. Chestertown, MD: Airlee Johnson, 2019. 

Maryland State Archives. “Carroll Hynson Jr. Full Interview.” YouTube, July 21, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_UA2O8CNbM.

Maryland State Archives. “Vince Leggett-Beach Food.” YouTube, October 28, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhM1uPe-yME&t=108s. 

Powell, Ann. “Remembering Carr’s Beach.” Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Conference; Visitors Bureau, March 26, 2021. https://www.visitannapolis.org/blog/stories/post/remembering-carrs-beach-the-most-popular-african-american-beach-and-music-venue-on-the-chesapeake/. 

Sparrow, Jeanne. “Maryland’s Finest Beach.” Sparrow’s Beach. Accessed December 16, 2023. http://www.sparrowsbeach.com/index.html.

List of Images

 

Black Feet, White Sand was the slogan of the beaches.

Fun Fact: Chuck Berry brought 70,000 concertgoers, while the venue only held 8,000. The traffic backed up all the way to Glen Burnie (about 23 miles)!

“Women at Carr’s Beach.” Photo courtesy of Blacks of the Chesapeake. Maryland State Archives.