About St. Margaret Island

A Brief History of the Area and Island

St. Margaret isn’t the only island in the area. Neighboring islands include St. Catherine’s Island, Cobb Island, Bullock Island, and St. Clement’s Island. The area is rich with history. St. Clement’s Island, now a state park, was where the first settlers from England landed in Maryland in 1634. Just a few miles away on the mainland lies St. Mary’s City, which served as the first state capital of Maryland. St. Catherine’s Island, also known as Jefferson Island, is home to the Jefferson Islands Club; once called the Playground of Presidents when Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman were members.

St. Margaret Island owner and patriarch, Frank Mann, had quite a history as well. He led his family through the Great Depression by creating a tiny potato chip company, Mann’s Potato Chips, that rose to capture the largest market share of the Mid-Atlantic. Mr. Mann was a stalwart of his community, driven by vision and purpose, served as Mayor of Alexandria for nine years before serving the Commonwealth of Virginia for two terms in the Virginia House of Delegates. As a lifelong, avid fisherman and a staunch advocate for preserving our watersheds, Mr. Mann also served as a dedicated board member of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. Where he was fishing, crabbing, serving batches of his famous oyster chowder, or indulging on a stiff bourbon by a strong fire, the Island always held a very special place in his heart. 

Three generations of the Mann family have also held this Island and its surrounding waterways in reverence. Disconnecting from the fast pace of the city to reconnect with the ebb and flow of this island sanctuary has been a treasured privilege. But, like all things, the time has come to make way for a new history to be made.