The Jonas Green Park, in the shadow of the 450 Severn River Bridge, will be called something else.
What was once the Jonas Green Park is now the Jonas and Anne Catherine Green Park.
Anne Catherine was Jonas Green’s wife.
"She was certainly operating outside of the bounds of what was normal for women in her time frame," said Diane Ray, Historian.
Jonas was the publisher of the Maryland Gazette when he died in 1767 and Anne ran the newspaper and took over his job as “Printer of the Province.”
"Meaning she printed the law and the paper money for the colony," said Ray.
And the printed money has quite a history in Maryland’s capital city.
"The first printed currency to be called a dollar in America was actually printed here in Annapolis by Jonas Green, Anne Catherine’s husband, on January 1, 1767," said Ray.
When Anne Catherine took over that job she introduced more than just a dollar bill into circulation.
"Bills were one-third of a dollar, two-thirds of a dollar, 6 dollar notes, 8 dollar notes. Strange denominations to our modern day ear," said Ray.
The park has a historical background as well.
"It has a significant history as one of the states first roadside parks. It’s one of the few places you where can actively fish off the old 450 bridge, off to my right, without a fishing license in the state of Maryland," said Mark Garrity.
A historic park for a historic figure in Annapolis.
"When we think of Anne Catherine Green taking over as a public printer and achieving the same salary as her husband. Equal pay for equal work in 1768 which was 250 years ago this year," said Ray.
The park is open 365 days a year and they have kayak rentals during the summer or you can launch your own kayak right her on the scenic Severn River.
