The Society of The Ark and The Dove was founded in 1910 to perpetuate the memory of the first families of Maryland and to provide opportunities for fellowship for all those who trace their descent from Lord Baltimore and from those who came on the Ark and the Dove in 1634 to settle the proprietary province of Maryland. The society also encourages research in early Maryland history and promotes its dissemination by enlisting knowledgeable speakers for its assemblies and by contributing to the support of such appropriate institutions as Historic St. Mary’s City, St. Clement’s Island Museum, and the Maryland Center for History and Culture.
In 2010, to celebrate the society’s 100th anniversary, we established the Society of The Ark and The Dove Centennial Scholarship at St. Mary’s College of Maryland to benefit students who major/minor in history, anthropology, archaeology, or museum studies; who demonstrate promise in the study of colonial, Chesapeake, or Maryland history or in the field of historical research; and who pursue interests, or work and/or study experiences, that are directly related to the mission and purpose of Historic St. Mary’s City.
The Society of The Ark and The Dove is tax exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and any gifts to the Society are deductible for federal income tax purposes.