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Our enchanting coastline varies from historic
waterfront towns dotted with marinas of all sizes to stretches
of low, rolling farmlands broken only by the tidewater tributaries
of the Chesapeake. This land, where fresh and salt water meet,
is a veritable haven for fishing and boating enthusiasts,
cyclists, birders and nature lovers. It is also an immense
refuge for a variety of plant and animal life, and we make
every attempt to protect them, sometimes to the chagrin of
seasonal hunters. |
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Visitors eager to explore the tidal shore can
discover numerous aquatic birds including ducks, geese, kingfishers,
heron, osprey, bald eagles and other water-loving creatures
who make their homes along the reeds and rushes. These estuarine
habitats offer nearly ideal spawning and nursery conditions
for many fish species, including alewife, shad, blue fish,
perch, oysters and the blue crab. Striped bass, known locally
as "rockfish" is perhaps the most prized fish found
in these surrounding waters. |
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©Heather
R. Davidson |
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| Locals think of Kent County as "quintessentially rural,"
and the community displays a grace and fluidity almost unknown in
today's hurried marketplace. Farming and agriculture constitute
a large portion of the economy, and during the summer months local
markets brim with fresh produce at bargain prices. |
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Located on the banks of the Chester River,
Chestertown dates back to 1706 when it served as a thriving
mid-Atlantic port of entry for the colonial movement into
Maryland. Along with being a prosperous shipbuilding and trading
center, Chestertown became a locus for government and court.
In fact the County's court records are the oldest in the State,
dating back to the 1640s. |
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The Chester River curls past grand homes of wealthy merchants from
the 18th and 19th centuries. Among the town's finest historic buildings
are the Hynson-Ringgold House, renowned for its unusual antler staircase
and hip roof, and Wide Hall, a masterpiece of Georgian architecture
built in 1769 by Thomas Smyth, Kent County's most prosperous merchant
and an illustrious Revolutionary War figure. An old Customs House
dating from the 1740s stands beside the public dock at the foot
of High Street. Its detailed Flemish Bond brickwork is commonplace
in many old town residences.A walking tour of the historic district is held every year on the first Saturday of October. This tour, sponsored by the Kent County Historical Society, offers a leisurely peek into many spectacular homes. Historic house tours are also featured in December; most garden tours are sponsored in spring and summer.
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Welcome visitors can follow quaint red-brick
sidewalks along broad shaded streets as they roam through
specialty shops, galleries, antique stores and eateries on
their way to one of several exquisitely restored B&Bs
in town. On fine summer weekends, evening concerts are often
held around the antique fountain in the town square. The secret
splendors of Chestertown, however, are the beautiful walled
gardens tucked behind the alongside historic homes. |
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History comes to life through the annual Chestertown
Tea Party, reenacted each Memorial Day weekend. This festival
celebrates events of May 23, 1774 when, on the heels of the
news that the Port of Boston had been closed by the British,
local residents boarded the Brigantine Geddes, which had dropped
anchor in the Chester, and angrily consigned its shipment
of tea to the depths of the River. |
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A must on every sightseer's itinerary is Washington College, the
tenth oldest liberal arts college in the country. It was founded
in 1782 with the help of George Washington, who gave his name and
50 guineas in appreciation of Kent County's supplying flour to his
troops, as well as the patriotic acts of our citizens during the
War.
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As George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and
James Madison traveled from Virginia to Pennsylvania, they
came ashore in picturesque Rock Hall (eight known times for
George to be exact) on the Annapolis Ferry, then journeyed
by horse north to Philadelphia to hammer out American Independence.
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Today you'll find the Waterman's Museum, an old-fashioned ice cream
parlor, cozy B&Bs, antique and curio shops, artisans, craft
studios, bookstores, condominiums, peaceful corners, human anthills,
fabulous restaurants and yacht filled marinas all jostling for their
place in the sun. With ten marinas in and about town, Rock Hall
can easily claim the distinction of being the pleasure boating center
of the Upper Eastern Shore.A madhouse during the Rockfish Tournament in June, over the fourth
of July and Party on the Bay in August, "The Pearl
of the Chesapeake" can be delicious in the off-season, especially
in late fall and early winter. Come to Rock Hall anytime for Chesapeake
Bay seafood at its best.
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George Washington also stopped along the
Sassafras en route to points North and South. Georgetown,
MD was a historic Port of Entry, Ferry Landing, and a base
of continental supplies from 1775-1783. |
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As the British advanced up the Sassafras in May 1813, they burned
the town, reducing it to ash except for a church and two brick houses
at the top of the Hill. These two buildings (now joined to form
one mansion that is an inn) were saved by "one of the most
beautiful women ever born and raised in Kent County," Catherine
"Kitty" Knight. This great heroine, who refused to leave
an invalid neighbor, defied Admiral George Cockburn by declaring:
"I shall not leave. If you burn this house, you burn me with
it. "The British finally relented.Today, Galena lures visitors inland with all-you-can eat breakfasts,
ham and oyster suppers and antiques.
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Nature lovers will want to head straight to
Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge. This unspoiled island
features much of the habitat diversity characteristic of the
Chesapeake region, from pine forests to meadows to tidal wetlands.
A raised observation platform affords panoramic views of wetland-fringed
shoal waters teeming with ducks, geese, tundra swans and other
migrating waterfowl. At sunrise and sunset, a low boardwalk
provides undetected viewing of deer grazing tender marsh grass,
red fox rambling along pond banks, and osprey carrying fish
to hungry nestlings. |
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©Heather
R. Davidson |
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Other recreational opportunities within the County include hiking,
horseback riding and cycling along flat, winding roads leading past
dozens of charming B&Bs that stud the countryside. Several excellent
sporting clay ranges are also a popular attraction.
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©Heather
R. Davidson |
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Betterton beach is ideal for swimming and family
picnics, while quiet coves tucked along the peninsula offer
good opportunities for fishing, canoeing or kayaking. Travelers
and tourists also visit Maryland's smallest county to gear
up for sailing, windsurfing and water-skiing and, if only
for a moment, to imbibe the charm and sophistication that
have enchanted generations of earlier visitors. |
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