Town Center Businesses

Although few people lived in the city of St. Mary's year-round, there were some businesses that managed to exist, and sometimes, thrive. A printer produced government documents, promissory notes, and indenture forms. These certificates and forms helped maintain order in commerce and society.

Most important to travelers visiting the town on business were ordinaries where they could get a night's lodging. An ordinary was a place for the ordinary man to get an ordinary meal and an ordinary bed for an ordinary price. Most rates and rules for ordinaries were legislated by the Assembly. A typical charge was ten pounds of tobacco for a meal and four pounds of tobacco for a bed-a straw-filled mattress on the floor often shared by more than one person. Travelers would pay on credit. Planters paid debts after the tobacco crop was harvested each year. Some might instead exchange goods-possibly fresh vegetables, or services such as chopping wood-for food and lodging. Few women stayed in ordinaries since few women traveled. The occasional woman traveler would probably stay in the rooms occupied by the ordinary's proprietor. Ordinaries were especially active during the times when the Assembly met or when court was in session. The masters of merchant ships bringing in goods to exchange for tobacco would also go to ordinaries to find customers for their wares.

Another type of business found in St. Mary's City was a storehouse. There were probably no stores open year-round in St. Mary's City, but some merchants might have had a place to store extra goods that they purchased directly off the ships arriving from England. Most ships only came to Maryland once a year with necessities like tools, pots, and cloth. Once the ships returned to England, these storehouses might be the only place to find badly needed supplies. They could be quite a profitable business for their owners.