“The Way We Worked” takes to the streets starting April 29, with guided walking and driving tours of Chestertown and Kent County offering a unique perspective on local history, culture, and the ways in which work intertwines the two.
The series of tours, planned in conjunction with the Smithsonian’s “The Way We Worked” traveling exhibition, begin on Saturday, April 29 with a walking tour of downtown Chestertown. Led by Patrick Nugent, deputy director of Washington College’s C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience, the tour will focus on the intersection of work history and African American history. Starting at Sumner Hall, the tour will wind its way through several historic African American neighborhoods, such as Scott’s Point and Santiago, tracking the expansion of African American work and culture from the riverfront to uptown factories and mills. Along the way, current and former residents will share their stories of work with stops at Church Alley, Janes Church, Cannon Street, the former Walley Funeral Home, Henry Highland Garnet Elementary School, and the site of the Uptown Club. For tour reservations email [email protected]
On Saturday, May 6, the Museums of Kent will host an open-house and driving tour. Participants will have a chance to visit the wonderfully unique historic sites scattered throughout the county including the Bordley History Center; Massey Air Museum; Kent Farm Museum (agriculture, rural heritage); Knock’s Folly Visitor Center (farming, native American Tockwogh tribe); Betterton Heritage Museum (fishing and old recreation resorts); African American Schoolhouse; Cliffs School Museum; Rock Hall Museum; Tolchester Beach Revisited Museum, Rock Hall Waterman’s Museum; and Rock Hall Marine Restoration and Heritage Center. Maps and other information can be found at the Kent County Visitor Center at 400 High Street, Chestertown.
Tour Dates, Times, and Locations:
A Walk Through Working Chestertown: Saturday, April 29: 10 AM – 1 PM, starts at Sumner Hall. Saturday, May 6: 10 AM – 1 PM, Starts at Sumner Hall. Reservations are recommended for both of these tours. For tour reservations email [email protected]
Museums of Kent Driving Tour
Saturday, May 6: 10 AM-4PM. Pick up maps and information at Kent County Visitor Center at 400 High Street, Chestertown.
“The Way We Worked” has been made possible in Maryland by Maryland Humanities and is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and State Humanities Councils nationwide. The Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service brings high-quality traveling exhibits to small communities through their own Main Street museums, historical societies, and other cultural venues. Residents enthusiastically engage with exhibition content, and diverse community members come together to share and celebrate their heritage. Support for Museum on Main Street has been provided by the United States Congress.
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