St. Mary's Historic District

The town was built on the north bank of the St. Marys River at a place called Buttermilk Bluff. The original tract of land, containing 1620 acres, was purchased by the proprietors for laying out the Town of St. Marys for Jacob Weed for thirty-eight dollars each on Dec. 12, 1787. The city was first laid out by James Finley, county surveyor, in August 1788 and recorded Jan. 5, 1789. The twenty proprietors were: Isaac Wheeler, William Norris, Nathaniel Ashley, Lodowick Ashley, James Seagrove, James Finley, John Alexander, Langley Bryant, Jonothan Bartlett, Stephen Conyers, William Ready, Prentis Gallup, Simeon Dillingham, and Richard Cole.