Highland Beach An Anne Arundel resort community established in 1893 by Frederick Douglass' son, Charles R. Douglass, Highland Beach became the only incorporated black town in Anne Arundel county in 1922. In 1892, Charles Douglass was refused service at the Bay Ridge Resort because of his race. Shortly thereafter, Douglass and his wife met Daniel Bradsheers, an African American farmer who owned property across the narrow channel from the resort. In the same year, Charles Douglass introduced the idea of purchasing Highland Beach land and a residence to his father, Frederick Douglass, who provided the funding and made plans for a cottage of his own. Frederick Douglass partially designed and oversaw the construction of Twin Oaks, named for the two great trees that graced the property, but died in 1885, before occupancy was possible. Douglass Avenue, the main thoroughfare in Highland Beach, is a tribute to Frederick and Charles.