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Kent County’s documentary history starts in 1608, when the first Chesapeake Bay mapping expedition, led by Captain John Smith, mapped the Sassafras River, the county’s northern border today. In 1642, Maryland’s governor and council formally established Kent County at Kent Island and encompassing nearly the whole Eastern Shore. As settlements increased, smaller counties formed within the region, and, in 1675, the Kent County seat was moved to near Chestertown.
In 1706, Chestertown was named a Royal Port of Entry, making it the primary port for the upper Eastern Shore and leading the county to flourish in trade, culture, shipbuilding and agriculture. A significant part of Kent County’s prosperity in the 18th and 19th centuries was the work of enslaved people, but also that of free black entrepreneurs, laborers and artisans who, by 1850, were more than a quarter of the county population.
Kent County also lay along the shortest route from Virginia to Philadelphia, making it a stopover site for several founding fathers, including George Washington. In the mid- to late 18th century, many substantial homes and businesses were built, and today Chestertown has the largest number of 18th century buildings in Maryland, except for Annapolis.
Our home is in the heart of Chestertown’s National Historic District at the Bordley History Center, at the corner of High and Cross Streets (301 High St), itself a historic building rebuilt in 1910 after a devastating fire swept through our commercial downtown.
Thursdays: 11 am – 2 pm
Fridays: 11 am – 2 pm
Saturdays: 10 am – 1 pm
First Fridays 5 pm – 7 pm
The Historical Society of Kent County, Maryland, is a non-profit organization dedicated to the collection and preservation of artifacts, documents, and information that aid in the interpretation of all aspects of Kent County’s history. The Society shares this information through its research library, museum space, programs, publications, and website in order to foster a knowledge and understanding of the shared heritage of our community. The Society supports and encourages the preservation of historic buildings and sites throughout Kent County. Donate
Learn more about The Historical Society.
For the first time since it was originally produced in 1985, new sites have been added to the tour, increasing the total number of stops from 24 to 29. Significant sites of African American history have been added, including Jane’s United Methodist Church, the Levi Rogers House, and the properties of Thomas Cuff at 104, 106, and 108 Cannon Street. Vernacular houses, which were missing from previous versions of the tour are also now part of the tour.
All the additions have stories to tell of how people lived in Chestertown in earlier eras, to offer “a deeper look at the town of Chestertown, how it grew, and how it’s changed over time,” in the words of Ashley Flory, who, along with Michelle Carroll, and Barbara Jorgenson collaborated on the project, with special assistance from Carol Combs.
The revised tour brochures were printed with the generous support of the Kent County Department of Tourism and Economic Development, and are available at the Office of Tourism, the Visitor’s Center on Cross Street, and the Bordley History Center, at 301 High Street.
The original architectural tour was commissioned by the Town of Chestertown and written by local historian Robert J.H. Janson-LaPalme. Kathleen White assisted with research, and Bill Ingersoll served as Project Coordinator. The text was subsequently edited in October 2000, and in January 2016.
Please call (410) 778-3499 or email director@kentcountyhistory.org to inquire about setting up a guided tours for your group.
In partnership with Sumner Hall and Legacy Day 2024. Research and writing by Bill Leary. Design by Francoise Sullivan.
Featured organizations include the Prince Hall Masons, the Elks, the Knights of Pythias, and the Kent and Queen Anne’s County Hospital Auxiliary, Unit Number 2, among others.
Proud organizations such as these have served the African American community for over 150 years by fostering cultural pride and identity, creating opportunities for leadership, and providing financial and social support to those who needed it. Their legacy continues to this day in new organizations like Minary’s Dream Alliance and the Bayside H.O.Y.A.S., and long-standing ones including the Kent County chapter of the NAACP.
Additional exhibits produced by the Historical Society are on display throughout the county: at Chestertown Marina’s Cerino Center, the Kent County office building, and in the Galena Town Museum.
For past exhibit brochures, click here.
Come see Tyler Campbell’s behind-the-scenes photographs of the production, including Kent County community members in costume as extras for the filming of SPACE.
All are invited to see the display, and to help identify the locals in the photos.
Based on James Michener’s book of the same name, SPACE featured Hollywood luminaries including James Garner, Blair Brown, and Beau Bridges, among others. Among the locals who appeared as extras was accomplished photographer Tyler Campbell, who pulled out his camera during the lengthy periods of downtime that are part of any film shoot. Now, 40 years later, he has loaned the resulting photographs of the production and his fellow extras to the Historical Society in hopes of identifying the Kent Countians who were part of the shoot.
Everyone is invited to travel back in time with us to 1984… or 1954?? Help us put names to the faces, and find the anachronisms in the images.
In time to get primed for the 2024 World Series (Go O’s), author Marty Payne will talk about the origins and progression of America’s pastime on the Eastern Shore, a region “acknowledged in the national press as a hotbed of baseball activity,” according to the book’s publisher.
Marty Payne is an author, a member of the Society of American Baseball Research who has researched and written extensively about baseball, with a particular focus on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. He is a native of St. Michaels and received his Masters Degree from Washington College.
Light refreshments will be available.
The Historical Society of Kent County Library collection includes thousands of items pertinent to regional history including reference works, manuscript collections, documents, ledgers, maps, genealogies, cemetery records, photographs, and oral histories.
Learn MoreThe Historical Society of Kent County always welcomes new members. You do not have to live locally to join; a number of our members support our efforts from afar. If you are a resident, however, we hope you will not only become a member, but join us at our events and activities, or consider volunteering. We offer a welcoming venue for community involvement for all ages. A donation of $25 is required for an individual membership, and a donation of $40 is required for a family membership. Student memberships are free.
