The Labyrinth & Wind Phone
A Place for Reflection, Remembrance & Connection
Tucked behind the Historic Lyle Simmons House at the Calvert Homestead is a quiet place created for slowing down, reflecting and remembering.
Here, visitors are welcome to walk the Labyrinth, spend time at the Peace & Remembrance Gazebo, and use the Wind Phone to speak the words that may still be on their hearts.
You may come because you are grieving someone you recently lost. You may want to remember someone who has been gone for many years. Or you may simply need a peaceful place to walk, sit, think and reconnect with yourself.
There is no right or wrong reason to visit, and no particular way you need to experience the space.
If there is someone on your heart, you are welcome here.
A Little History
The original Labyrinth was built in June 2001 by Cook’s Memorial Presbyterian Church and Cook’s Youth for Christ of Charlotte, North Carolina. It was designed by 15-year-old Thomas Forehand. More than two decades later, the Labyrinth continues to be a special part of the Calvert Homestead and a place where visitors can find moments of peace and reflection.
The Labyrinth
For those moments of quiet reflection, explore the labyrinth on our property, a serene oasis for contemplation and enjoyment. The labyrinth at the Historic Lyle Simmons House is a peaceful, meditative space designed for reflection, healing, and honoring memories. Restored with the help of community members, each river stone in its path holds meaning - some marked with names in tribute or remembrance. Unlike a maze, the labyrinth offers a single, winding path inward and back out, encouraging a calm, mindful walk.
Open to the public daily during daylight hours, it’s a place for quiet contemplation and connection. Visitors are asked to respect its sanctity, remembering it is a space for reflection, not play. Here, the labyrinth serves not only as a symbol of the property’s history but also as a gift of community care.
The Peace & Remembrance Gazebo
Just beyond the Labyrinth is the Peace & Remembrance Gazebo, overlooking the quiet landscape of the Calvert Homestead.
The gazebo is a place to sit, rest, and remember. It is also home to the Wind Phone.
You are welcome to spend as much or as little time here as you need.
The Wind Phone
What Is a Wind Phone?
A Wind Phone is a beautifully simple idea: an old-fashioned telephone placed in a quiet space for reflection.
Inspired by the original Wind Phone created by Itaru Sasaki in Ōtsuchi, Japan, in 2010, a disconnected telephone became a place of comfort for thousands following the 2011 tsunami.
The phone isn't connected to another person or place. Instead, it offers an opportunity to say aloud what may otherwise remain unspoken.
Wind Phones offer a gentle invitation to pause, remember and speak from the heart.
How to Use the Wind Phone:
There are no rules and no right words.
Pick up the receiver.
Dial a number if you would like.
Take a moment.
Then speak.
You might share a memory. Tell someone you miss them. Talk about what has happened since they have been gone. Say something you never had the chance to say. Or simply sit quietly with the receiver in your hand.
When you are finished, gently return the receiver to the phone.
Sometimes the most meaningful conversations are the ones we carry in our hearts.
Planning Your Visit
Location
The Labyrinth and Peace & Remembrance Gazebo are located behind the Historic Lyle Simmons House at the Calvert Homestead.
4455 Sixes Rd.
Prince Frederick, MD 20678
When You Arrive
Park behind the Historic Lyle Simmons House or by the Red Tobacco Barn and walk down toward the Labyrinth.
The Peace & Remembrance Gazebo and Wind Phone are located directly behind the Labyrinth. Signs will help show you the way.
If you need to drive closer to the Labyrinth and gazebo, you may do so.
Walking sticks are available by the gate at the Labyrinth for anyone who would like to use one. Please return them on your way out.
The Labyrinth is open daily during daylight hours.
While You're Here
This is a space intended for quiet reflection and remembrance. Please be mindful of others who may be visiting for deeply personal reasons, and help us preserve the peaceful nature of the Labyrinth and gazebo.
The Labyrinth is not a playground. Children are welcome to experience the space with an adult and should be encouraged to respect its purpose.
Come to walk. Come to remember. Come to talk. Or simply come to be still.