The Colonial Annapolis Historic District is a section of the city that comprises much of the originally surveyed plans of 1695. The town of Annapolis was strategically established where the wide and winding Severn River meets with Chesapeake Bay. As one of the first planned cities in America, the founders of this town appreciated the proximity to the waterway and the protection of the south shore harbor. Roughly 120 17th and 18th century homes and commercial buildings still stand on the original site.

City planners opposed the traditional street grid for the layout, and chose instead to introduce the Baroque style of town planning to the colonies. Instead of streets running perpendicular to each other, the center of town included two circular streets surrounding the legislative seat and the local church. Avenues sprawled outwards from this center to the outskirts of town. The historic district of Annapolis includes Maryland State House, a mixture of large mansions and proper row houses, in addition to various commercial buildings. To locate the area of the city that is included in the district, visit the National Park Service website.