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January 27, 2021

The Chestertown Spy

An Educational News Source for Chestertown Maryland

News News Notes

Bordley History Center Reopens This Saturday

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The Bordley History Center, home of the Historical Society of Kent County, will reopen this Saturday, November 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The Center will remain open on Saturdays only through Christmas Eve.

Visitors are welcome to the first-floor museum and gift shop. The Center’s research library remains closed to the public.

Strict public hygiene procedures will be in place: All visitors must wear a mask. Only 6 visitors will be permitted at a time. Social distancing will be required inside the Center. Hand-sanitizer will be available and its frequent use encouraged, especially before touching any items in the museum and shop.

“We are very pleased to be reopening for the first time since late March,” said Society vice president Barbara Jorgenson. “We have spent the pandemic-forced closure taking care of much needed interior and exterior renovations. With a fresh coat of exterior paint and our beautiful new windows, we look forward to seeing all our members and friends again.”

In addition to its ever-popular window exhibits on High Street, the Center’s museum is currently featuring “Lost Towns,” an exhibit showcasing the once-bustling small communities now lost in Kent County. This Saturday is also the opening of The Bramble Collection, a breath-taking collection of mostly 18th century tea caddies bequeathed to the Society by Mark Bramble in honor of his mother, Marnie Bramble.

In addition to a unique collection of local and regional books, the museum’s gift shop has lots of new items for holiday gifts—children’s puzzles and games, hilarious stuffed animals, handmade candles in vintage crystal and tea cups, one-of-a-kind tree and table-top holiday decorations, locally themed decorator items, and holiday cards featuring local winter scenes.

The Center is located at 301 High Street at the corner of High and Cross Streets. It will be open each Saturday from November 7 through Christmas Eve, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Bordley History Center’s Doors are Closed but Its Stories are Open

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During this time of closed businesses and social distancing, the Historical Society of Kent County is still offering our county’s stories to visitors and residents.

Take a walk to corner of High and Cross Streets in the heart of Chestertown’s Historic District to visit the window exhibits at the Society’s home, the Bordley History Center. Right now, the Center’s south window is hosting a guest exhibit on “The Port of Chestertown,” created by Washington College’s C.V. Starr Center for Study of the American Experience. The Center’s north window features local African American legend, Henry Highland Garnet, for whom our local elementary school is named and was known for his fiery rhetoric. These exhibits will be in place until early May when new exhibits will be installed, including one on the Eastern Shore’s famous indigenous log canoes.

Continue walking into the Historic District with the Society’s “paperless” walking tour of the historic homes there. Just visit the Society’s website www.kentcountyhistory.org and scroll down the first page to “Historic Chestertown Walking Tour.” The online tour covers 25 sites in the Historic District, describing the history and architecture of each site. The online tour replicates the original architectural walking tour written by local historian Robert Janson-LePalme in 1985.

The Society’s website also has extensive information on local history from the 1600’s to the present, with links to other sources too. Click on Events, then First Fridays to see a video of Bill Leary’s presentation at Legacy Day 2019 on the county’s African American churches.

More videos of the Society’s First Friday talks can be found on the Society’s Facebook page.

The Society plans to re-open the Bordley History Center as soon as Gov. Hogan permits non-essential businesses to re-open. Until then, take advantage of the Society’s website, Facebook page, and its window exhibits at 301 High Street.

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Bordley History Center Renovations Begin

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Renovations at the Bordley History Center, home of the Historical Society of Kent County, will begin next week.

The Center‘s research library will be closed starting Wednesday, October 16. Librarian Joan Andersen will be temporarily located in the first floor museum.

However, there will be no access to the collections located in the second floor library, and the Cross Street entrance will be closed.

During the renovations, the Bordley History Center’s hours will be changed slightly. The Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. Please use the High Street entrance only.

The renovations will take place in three stages. This initial stage will stabilize the rear brick façade of the Center. The second stage will reinforce the Center’s basement which supports the front façade. The third stage will be remove the stucco on the front façade, replace an interior beam, replace the stucco, and install new window display cases facing High Street. Funding for the renovations is through a matching funds grant from the Maryland Heritage Area Authority.

As the renovations advance, the library is expected to reopen, and the first floor museum and shop may be closed. Total renovation time is expected to be six weeks.

The Society’s History Happy Hour during First Friday on November 1 will be moved to the Emmanuel Church.
The Bordley History Center is located 301 High Street, Chestertown.

The Historical Society of Kent County is Seeking an Executive Director

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“We are looking for a dynamic person to lead our members, our volunteers, and our part-time staffers as we seek to expand our programs to reach more folk in every part of Kent County,” said Barbara Jorgenson, the Society’s first vice president and chair of its search committee.

The executive director position will serve as the key communicator and the public face of the Historical Society and be responsible for managing Society operations and staff, as well as working closely with the Board of Directors and Society committees.

Qualifications include the ability to embrace and enthusiastically communicate the Society’s mission, a demonstrated rapport and understanding of the Kent County community, managerial and leadership skills to ensure that the Society’s programs and initiatives are successful, and the ability to develop new revenue sources through fundraising and marketing.  A college degree or prior knowledge and experience in the Society’s work or an applicable subject matter or in a non-profit museum are essential.

The executive director position is designed to be 25 hours per week, working onsite at the Bordley History Center Wednesday-Friday and attending all Society-sponsored events.

Resumes and a letter of application should be sent to director@kentcountyhistory.org or to Director, Historical Society of Kent County, P.O. Box 665, Chestertown, MD 21620.  For more information on the Society, visit the Society’s website at www.kentcountyhistory.org.

The Historical Society of Kent County was founded in 1936 to collect, preserve, and share information pertaining to the rich history of Kent County.  Its headquarters is the Bordley History Center located at 301 High Street, which houses its first-floor museum and gift shop and its second-floor research library and offices.  The Society sponsors History Happy Hour each First Friday with a talk on local or regional history, the annual Historic House Tour now in its 49th year, walking tours, and periodic garden parties at historic private homes.  The Society created the Legacy Day celebration, now co-produced with Sumner Hall.

Bordley History Center Presents Special Double Feature at First Friday

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This month’s First Friday at the Bordley History Center breaks tradition with a special double feature.  Not only are horses, rather than people, the focus, there are two speakers.

David Turner, who recently taught the WC-ALL class “Horseplay,” will team with Ed Fry, master of the hounds for the Eastern Shore, for an evening taking the listener from the horse’s role in Eastern Shore frontier days to the dynamic sport of fox-hunting as enjoyed today. (And spoiler alert:  Ed is bringing the hounds!)

For local history lovers, Turner will describe the types of horses that first came to the Eastern Shore, why those types were selected, where they came from, and the people who imported them.  He will address the questions that remain about our early horses.  Did bands of wild horses run free?  Why didn’t Chesapeake Bay Indians adapt to horse-use like the plantation-based Indians of the early South, or master the horse at the warring Plains Indians had in the 17th century?   Who came first to the mid-Atlantic – slaves or horses–and when?

Fry, well known in Kent County’s equestrian community to fox hunt three to four days each week, will describe perhaps the most dynamic and exciting sport enjoyed in our region.  Unlike other hunting sports, the venue changes moment-to-moment, and one-ton excitable animals add to the drama of the chase.  Still fox hunting today maintains three century-old traditions.  The physical risk to humans atop their mounts lends a flavor to foxchasing unique to this sport.

A wine and cheese reception is included.  This is a free event, but seating is limited to 50, so please arrive early. Program starts promptly at 5 p.m.  at the Bordley History Center, 301 High Street, and is hosted by the Historical Society of Kent County.

The Mason-Dixon Line: See 1796 Magazine with Original Map

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Born as the result of a bitter territorial dispute over royal land grants, the Mason-Dixon Line was surveyed between 1763 and 1767 to settle the boundaries for Pennsylvania and Maryland.  Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon were appointed by the Britain’s Royal Society to perform this survey.

They created a map showing the east coast from the James River at the south to the Susquehanna and Delaware Rivers at the north and including our own Chester River.  This map and a technical discussion about measuring longitude was published in London in the December 1769 issue of “The Gentleman’s Magazine.”

At this Friday’s First Friday lecture, hear historian Michael Dixon describe the history of the Mason-Dixon Line and see the actual December 1769 article and map.

Join us at the Bordley History Center, 301 High Street, on Friday, June 7, at 5:00 p.m. for this lecture and to see the authentic 1769 magazine.  Space is limited to 50 and seats cannot be reserved, so please arrive on time.  Wine and light refreshments will be served.

This First Friday lecture is brought to you by the Historical Society of Kent County, a non-profit association dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Kent County.

For further information:  Contact Historical Society of Kent County at 410-778-3499; admin@kentcountyhistory.org; www.kentcountyhistory.org.

Historic Chestertown Walking Tour Now Paperless

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Chestertown’s walking tour of its iconic historic homes now has a paperless alternative.

The Historical Society of Kent County’s is offering the “Walking Tour of Historic Chestertown/Architectural Guide and Sites of Interest” on its website.  Just go to the website at www.kentcountyhistory.org and the tour link can be on the homepage.

“We have brought the walking tour into the 21st century,” said Society president Stephen Frohock.  “We understand that people today may be more comfortable with an online tour than a paper tour.  Plus, you can view it anytime, anywhere, and see the houses in any order.  It’s very versatile and just plain fun.”

The original Architectural Tour was commissioned by the Town of Chestertown and was written by local historian Robert J.H. Janson-LaPalme.  The Tour has been a staple for Historic Downtown Chestertown visitors since it first appeared in 1985. The Society’s online version is produced with permission of the Town.

The paper version of the Tour will continue to be available through the Kent County Office of Tourism, the Visitors Center on Cross Street, and the Bordley History Center at 301 High Street.

Kent County Historical Society 48th Annual Historic House Tour

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The 48th Annual Historic House Tour by Kent County Historical Society is scheduled on Saturday, October 6, 2018, 1-5 P.M

Chestertown, MD, designated in 1706 as an official Port of Entry, has ever been defined by both the rich farm lands and the namesake river which engendered its wealth and survival.

This year’s House Tour reflects this by featuring some of the town’s earliest structures including: a 1730’s tavern which served merchants, soldiers and sailors alike, homes of modest merchants and three of its grandest houses.  Also on tour will be historic African American locations, Janes Church and Sumner Hall, one of only two remaining black Union Army Veterans’ G.A.R. halls in the U.S.

Along the way, we will provide a look at the life of a Revolutionary Era patriot who went bankrupt serving as Kent County’s Commissary Officer supplying Washington’s troops. We will examine the lives of 18th and 19th century African American business men and women, and provide the story of the evolution of a middle class African American neighborhood surrounding the elegant Geddes Piper House. 

And down by the Chester River, behind the 1746 Custom House, visitors will experience the restored Betterton fishing Ark and the Log Canoe “Mary Julia Hall” both examples of historic fishing vessels, while gazing at our revitalizing marina, the Chester River Packet, Schooner “Sultana”, skipjack “Ellsworth” and bugeye Boat “Annie.”

Our Tour ends at the venerable White Swan Tavern where ticket holding tour participants may enjoy a special tea while viewing the mini museum of artifacts found during restoration in 1975. (A surprise gift is included.)

Our goal is to provide our guests with a richer experience of an ancient town…come and enjoy!

For more information please call the Historical Society at 410-778-3499 or visit www.kentcountyhistory.org

June History Happy Hour

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Please join the Historical Society of Kent County on Friday, June 1 as we present, As Precious as Gold: A History of Tea Caddies from The Bramble Collection, a talk by Mark Bramble. The title refers to the fact that tea was literally more precious than gold in the 18th century. The tea caddy collection was built over two generations and includes more than 400 examples, spanning the period from 1700 to the present. Marnie Bramble, of Chestertown, started the collection more than half a century ago, and enjoined her youngest son, Mark, in her hobby. As an author and theatre director Mark travelled the world putting on productions of his shows, which has provided unique opportunities for collecting, which is the subject of his book, A Tea Caddy Collection, recently published by Schiffer Publishing. With slides and anecdotes, he will take us through the history of tea and tea caddies from 1700 to the present.

The tea caddies are currently on exhibit at the Historic Odessa Foundation’s 18th century houses in Odessa, Delaware.

The exhibition continues through the end of August and features over 200 examples from The Bramble Collection.

History Happy Hour
Bordley History Center
301 High Street
Friday, June 1, 4 PM

History Happy Hour on May 4

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Please join us at the Bordley History Center, 301 High Street, at 4 PM on May 4th for the Historical Society of Kent County’s “History Happy Hour.” Steve Frohock and Lynn McLain will take on “Fireworks & Various Other Sparks,” a discussion of this area’s extensive connections to explosives and pyrotechnics. The history of fireworks and munitions in Chestertown is varied and vivid. While most have heard about the explosion at Kent Manufacturing in 1954, and all are aware of the interest Washington College has in celebrating with fireworks, the story actually goes back well over 100 years.

We hope to see you there! Come early as seats will fill up quickly.