Friday, March 15, 2024

St. Michaels MD – Architecture and Dining

…continuing with our family trip to the Delmarva Peninsula this past September.  We wandered around the center of St. Michaels for quite some time.  I took photos and took in the ambiance of the town while Laurie, Bonnie and Bill browsed through shops.  Another activity was involved too… Where would we go for dinner!?

This building, now known as the Old Brick Inn was built by Wrightson Jones and his wife Elizabeth in 1816.  Mr. Jones was a shipbuilder.  He’d purchased the lot for $250.  This is the former Wrightson Jones house in St. Michaels.  The structure is unusual for the area in that it features two-story porches at both the front and the back of the house.

Jones had a shipyard on nearby San Domingo Creek at the time of the War of 1812.  When the British attacked St. Michaels in 1813, he manned an artillery piece at a wharf in town.  This battery, in combination with another, held off the British attackers.

By 1877, the former home was known as the Williams House as advertised in the local “St. Michaels Comet” newspaper.  According to the ad, it furnished “entertainment for man or beast”.  Does make me wonder… Later in the building’s history it was home to the St. Michaels Bank for a number of years before being converted back to an inn.

Today the Old Brick Inn is just one of 3 three related buildings in St. Michaels that offer 20 different suites to visitors.  Two of the buildings including the one pictured above are historic and one is a newer structure.  You can learn more at The Charming & Luxurious Old Brick Inn in Historic St. Michaels, Maryland.

This beautiful old home at 400 South Talbot Street is right on the edge of the commercial district.  Clifton Hope built the house in 1888 and it remained in the family until 1968.  The rare ‘eyebrow’ windows that light the attic help draw attention to this Queen Anne style home.  Clifton Hope was President of the St. Michaels Bank in the early part of the 1900s.  At the time of our visit, this home was on the market, represented by Sothebys Real Estate Company.  

Yes, this is yet another historic property in the core commercial area of St. Michaels Maryland… We checked it out not for its age or history but as a possible dining destination.  The 'yellow highlighted' portion of the building at 200 South Talbot Street, is home to the Limoncello Restaurant and Wine Bar.  Did we crave Italian cuisine for dinner?

 Antipasti options at Limoncello range from Polino Panzanella to Torta di Melanzane to Carpaccio di Manzo.  It’s been a long time since I’ve seen carpaccio on a menu.  Pasta dishes were equally varied ranging from Paccheri alla Scoglio to Pappardelle con ragu di Cinghaili.  Secondi Piatti…which I refer to as non-pasta entrees included cacciucco alla Livornese to Pollo ai Funghi.  To learn more, go http://limoncellostmichaels.com/If you know what all of these dishes are, then you are an Italian or you truly love Italian food!

This large former home, at 305 South Talbot Street, is the Dorris House, also known as “Mount Pleasant”.  It was built in 1806 by James Dorris, a St. Michaels merchant who emigrated from Ireland.  He served in the Maryland State Legislature.

The house served as The Excelsior Hotel from 1891 until 1901.  After that it reverted to a residence for many years until the early 1960s.  Then it was remodeled for use as a bank, ending as a Bank of America branch which was closed in 2013.  The building is reputed to be haunted and ghost hunters have investigated the premises on several occasions.

Today the Dorris House is the home of The Galley Restaurant and Bar.  This casual dining destination is only open for breakfast and lunch so it didn’t fit into our schedule for the day.  You can learn more at The Galley - The Galley (thegalleysaintmichaels.com). 

...and the restaurants just kept on coming!  Remember, St. Michaels has a total population of about 1,100 residents and Talbot County’s last census recorded less than 38,000 people.  Tourism from the Washington D.C. and Baltimore area allows the restaurant business with varied cuisines in both St. Michaels and Easton Maryland to thrive.

This attractive old building is home to Bistro St. Michaels Fine Food and Wine Bar.  This upscale menu features everything from Carrot “Marrow” to Foie Gras as well as Shrimp and Grits.  Entrées range from Coq au Vin to Seafood Gumbo and Oyster Pot Pie…definitely a French flair here.  Learn more at Bistro St. Michaels | Fine Food & Wine Bar | St. Michaels MD (bistrostmichaels.com).  So…did we favor le François? 


As I wandered around the center of town and the others shopped or browsed, I kept taking photos of buildings…in this case homes…that caught my eye. 

The first house on Talbot Street was for sale when we visited.  It was built in 1850.  I checked it out this week and a sale was pending.  You could have purchased this lovely property for only $549,000. 

I really liked the second house.  It can only be described a ‘cute’.  Built in 1880, it has a rental unit on the second floor that can be booked through www.flaneurvacations.com or though www.Airbnb.com.   

This building was constructed in 1879.  Originally someone’s house, it’s now the home of Oyster House Antiques and Vinyl Records…and interesting combination.  Once again though, I managed not to buy anything… To learn more about this business, go to Oyster House Antiques & Vinyl Records | Saint Michaels MD | Facebook.

The Fool’s Lantern Tavern occupies a newer building in St. Michaels.  It was built in 1920 so it’s ‘only’ 124 years old this year.  So why the name, Fool’s Tavern?  St. Michaels is famously and possibly accurately nicknamed as “The Town that Fooled the British”. 

British forces attempted to invade St. Michaels on a couple of occasions during The War of 1812.  During one of these attempts, the story is that local residents hung lanterns above the town to misdirect cannon fire…with British cannon volleys landing far above their intended targets.  Hence the British forces were ‘fooled’ and failed to take the city from the locals.

The Fool’s Lantern has an unusual format for a town of this size.  It is a self-serve wine and taproom that features 12 draft beers and 24 types of wine.  Food offerings included charcuterie boards, tapas, sandwiches, dips and desserts.  The menu didn’t fit our search for a dinner destination although it would have been a great ‘rest stop’ at about 1 or 2 PM.  To learn more about The Fool’s Lantern, go to https://thefoolslantern.com/.

That’s all for now!  In my next post, you will find out which restaurant we chose for our evening meal… Many other choices presented themselves!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for coming by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Moving on – Oxford to St. Michael’s Maryland

…continuing with our family trip from this past September when we explored part of the Delmarva Peninsula.

As we drove down to the historic Oxford – Bellevue Maryland ferry crossing to continue our drive to St. Michael’s, I took photos of a couple other interesting and/or historic structures.

The Academy House was built ca. 1849.  This Greek revival style structure began its life as housing for officers of the Maryland Military Academy.  The site originally included classrooms and dormitories for the cadets.  A fire destroyed most of the campus in 1850, but the Academy House was spared.  The Military Academy closed due to a lack of funds needed to rebuild the campus. 

A decade later, Henry and Jane Bell of Ireland gave this house to their daughter, Mary Ann, upon her marriage to Samuel Bratt of Baltimore.  The house then became known as the Bratt Mansion.  It remained in the family until 1965.

The grounds and the interior of this home are quite spectacular.  To view numerous photos you can check out this article published in the “Talbot Spy” on 4/12/23.  Design with Jenn Martella: Oxford's Academy House - Talbot Spy.    

This attractive home was almost right next door to the Academy House.  I love the look of this home and their garden was certainly eye-catching!

This Gothic revival church dates back to 1853…or at least part of it does.  Construction of the walls of the Holy Trinity Episcopal Church was mostly completed but then construction stopped due to a lack of funds.  Support for the funding had been tied to the recently destroyed campus of the Maryland Military Academy.  The walls of the church stood as ‘a ruinous shell’ until 1903 when the roof and the interior of the church were completed.  Disaster struck in 1945 when the roof and the interior were destroyed by a fire.  Once again, the walls were salvaged and incorporated into the rebuilt church.

…now onto St. Michael’s Maryland

This handsome building is referred to as the “Captain’s Cabin”.  It was built in 1865 by a real estate agent named James Benson.  I was unable to learn why this structure is called the “Captain’s Cabin”.  These days it is a commercial structure located at 214 South Talbot Street.  It is one of the 50 “Sea Bags” stores located along the east and west coasts as well as on the Great Lakes.  To learn more, go to Retail Locations (seabags.com).

In 1887, Henry Clay Dodson, who was the town’s pharmacist as well as the owner of the local brickyard, constructed this building.  It is said to be the first commercial structure in St. Michael’s.  In addition to drugs, his pharmacy sold a range of items, from fancy soap to perfumes, grass and garden seeds, dies, stationary as well as pure wine and liquors for ‘medicinal purposes’.  Originally, there were 3 floors but it wasn’t replaced after a fire in the 1950s. 

Dodson’s Drug Store was occupied by a bank from 1920 and 1963.  The vault has survived and part of it now serves as a walk-in cooler.  During the same time that the bank occupied the building, the St. Michael’s Telephone Company was based on the second floor.  A local newspaper, “The Comet” was also published in the building.

When the bank relocated and the structure was repaired, the building was converted into a tavern.  “Elsie and Sid’s Suds Shop” served the community for 13 years.  Then name was changed to Carpenter Street Saloon and this business has served the community for more than 50 years now.  In addition to the saloon, this business serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.  See Home - Carpenter Street Saloon to view the menu.

Actually, I thought that this was a separate business.  However this one and a half structure with a paneled store front adjoins the Carpenter Street Saloon and is now part of that businesses' expansion.  Over the years this little building has served as a post office, sundae shop and pool hall.  It was remodeled in 1965.

There are so many historic structures in St. Michael’s Maryland that I’m assuming that a home built as recently as 1879, just isn’t that notable.  This is the Watkins House, aka the “Gingerbread House” at 103 South Talbot Street.  For many years it was the home of “Broken Rudder Sportswear” but whatever retailer that now occupies this attention getting Victorian structure remains a mystery to me.  The home/structure is part of the St. Michael’s Historic District as listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  I did learn that this is one of the few structures built in the 1800s that has a confirmed construction date.

This bright yellow commercial building at 101 North Talbot Street is a ‘new’ structure, having been built in 1900, so it’s only 124 years old.  Again, I don’t know any history about this structure.  Currently it serves as a store for Guilford and Company, an upscale jeweler.  To learn more about this business go to Estate Jewelry | Guilford And Company | Saint Michaels.  Don't you wish that all those cables and wires were buried!

The Saint Michael’s (or St. Michael’s) Historic District includes the center of the town.  The Historic District includes 302 contributing buildings, sites and structures.  The town was first settled in 1677.  In 1672 an Episcopal Parish was established on the banks of the Miles River.  It was named after Saint Michael the Archangel…hence the town’s name.

Interestingly, “Reclaimed”, a retailer focused on “Iron and Wood Redefined” as well as “Architectural Salvage and Antiques”, is located in one of the newer buildings in St. Michael’s.  This particular outlet specializes in live edge tables, reclaimed wood furniture, home décor and custom pieces.  From my viewpoint, I was happy to see that the store definitely isn’t limited to those items and it features a complete and delightful hodge-podge of antique and collectible items.


Need a restored gas pump for your party or game room.  Perhaps for a saloon somewhere?  I don’t know who could use that neon hosiery sign but I’m sure that there is a potential customer somewhere.  As for all of those antique chests, if you like shabby chic décor, this line up is for you! 

Owners Mark and Tracey Miller are passionate when it comes to ‘rebuilding history one piece at a time”.  They started out by founding a demolition salvage company.  The Millers now travel across the USA looking for historic salvage and antiques.  Sources include old homes, barns, outbuildings and businesses…especially those that are in danger or are about to be torn down.


Another refurbished ‘premium’ gas pump…this one complete with a Chevrolet Corvette globe.  Reportedly, gas pump related items are a family passion.  The printing press was manufactured by Chandler and Price in Cleveland Ohio.  The company was founded in 1881 and it was very successful.  One order for 160 presses in 1897 was shipped out via a total of 14 railroad boxcars.  By the 1930s, 90% of all ‘jobbing presses’ used in the USA were built by Chandler and Price.

FYI, a jobbing press is usually operated by a pressman working on small jobs, or jobs using less than a full-sized piece of paper, as opposed to long print runs or newspapers.

‘Reclaimed’ was packed with odds and ends…lots of fun old items for décor or furnishings.  It was fun to peruse through the crowded aisles… My favorite was this terrific model ship.  It is the USS Constitution, aka “Old Ironsides”.  The original is still afloat in Boston Massachusetts and is still manned by US Navy sailors.  Launched in 1797, she is the oldest commissioned naval warship still afloat.

This store by Iron Will Woodworks is the third one for the Millers.  The other 2 locations, The ‘Boathouse’ and ‘Reclaimed Annapolis’ are both in Annapolis Maryland.  Note: The Millers also build custom pieces from wood and metal salvaged from buildings they’ve taken down.  I would advise would be buyers that these attractive, useful and decorative items do not come ‘cheap’.  Bring a fat wallet with you.  To learn more, go to Reclaimed of St. Michaels (ironwillwoodworks.com). 

Christ Episcopal Church in St. Michael’s was completed in 1878.  Three preceding Episcopal churches predated this structure on the same site.  This iteration of the parish church was built with granite from the quarries at Port Deposit Maryland.  The parish itself was established in 1672.  The first church was built ca. 1677, the second ca. 1710 and the third ca. 1810.  This location was chosen due to its site between a cove on the Miles River and the San Domingo Creek.  In the early days when overland transport was challenging to say the least, these waterways provided easy access for worshippers who could come by boat.  To learn more about this church and the services it offers, just go to Christ Church + St. Michael's Parish | Saint Michaels MD | Facebook.

To enlarge any of the photos, just click on them…

Thanks for following us on this family trip from 2023!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Friday, March 8, 2024

Onward to Oxford - Maryland that is...

We’re still putting the interior of our home back together after having new carpeting installed.  The upgrade sure made us more aware of all the ‘stuff’ we have.  In any case, back to blogging…

I’m continuing with our late September road trip with family, when we explored parts of the Delmarva Peninsula.

I spotted one last structure of interest as we departed Cambridge Maryland.  This depot replaced the original combination depot for the Dorchester and Delaware Railroad.  The first depot burned down in 1886.  This ‘replacement’ served the Cambridge and Seaford Railroad, the Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington Railroad, the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railroad and finally, the Pennsylvania Railroad.

In the 1970s, the old depot served as a bus station.  Ever since then it has been used by a real estate firm, Powell Realtors.

If you follow my blog, you may recall that we’d had lunch in Doc’s Downtown Grille in Easton Maryland.  Well, it turned out that Doc’s has another restaurant, this time it’s in Oxford Maryland.  Doc’s Sunset Grille is located on the waterfront, which was a plus, and we’d enjoyed our food in Easton.  Hence this was a logical stop for lunch on this day of exploration…

Bonnie and Bill posed for this photo.  Our turn for a photo came shortly afterwards.


The ambiance in Doc’s Sunset Grille was appropriately nautical and with windows everywhere, it offered good views of the water.  There were some folks eating or drinking outside but it was too windy and cool for us to be comfortable, so we opted for inside service.

Laurie’s sister Bonnie took this photo of Laurie and me at our table.  Even I thought that it was a decent photo.

It turned out that we didn’t order much food at Doc’s.  The ladies weren’t that hungry so, with one exception, the group went for Bloody Mary’s and beer…accompanied by one and a half dozen oysters. ($30.00) Bill loves oysters and he downed the majority of them…

I don’t ‘do’ oysters!  For proprieties sake, I won’t tell you how I describe oysters.  My option was a Nashville Hot Chicken sandwich.  The fried chicken breast was tossed in Doc’s signature Nashville Hot Sauce with sweet house coleslaw and pickles.  It came with French fries. ($14.00) It was a good sandwich and I was a happy diner...

Doc’s Sunset Grille can be found on Facebook at Doc's Sunset Grille | Oxford MD | Facebook.

After our midday/early afternoon break at Doc’s we looked around Oxford.  I loved the look of this simple but classic structure.  It was built ca. 1880 and it is one of 206 contribution structures that comprise the Oxford Historic District as listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  This historic district includes the peninsular portion of the town.   

Located at 220 North Morris Street, this building is described as a two story, two-bay frame store with an intact commercial front and eves.  It currently serves as an office for the Benson and Mangold Real Estate Company. 

The Oxford Inn was built ca. 1880.  It has 9 appropriately furnished rooms available for travelers.  In addition, it is the home of Pope’s Tavern which features a traditional Italian menu based on the owner’s grandmother’s recipes.  She’d immigrated to the USA from Italy in 1909.

I did find a reference that mentioned that the building had served as a grocery store and butcher shop at some point.  As for John Pope, he had opened the original Pope’s Tavern in Oxford way back in early 1692.  To learn more about the Oxford Inn, go to Oxford Inn - A historic inn with 9 quaint bedrooms & an Italian restaurant on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

The Robert Morris Inn predates the Oxford Inn by about 170 years.  Originally built as “River View House” in 1710, it has been an inn since 1800.  It is the oldest full-service inn in America.  Some of the 320+ year old rooms were slept in by Founding Father Robert Morris, George Washington and many other famous personages. 

As described in the Inn’s website, “Red brick fireplaces around which heated discussion on the arguments for independence from Britain took place and negotiations for sugar cane, tobacco and French wine were worked out.  Wood paneling and oak timbers are all as they were over 300 years ago, built by ships carpenters from locally acquired materials and the red bricks from England, used as ships ballast.”

Some folks these days may not be able to handle the fact that rooms at the Robert Morris Inn don’t have land line telephones or television.  They do have Wi-Fi service.  To learn more about the range of accommodations at the Inn, just go to robertmorrisinn.com.

Note: Robert Morris Jr. (1734 – 1806) was an English-American merchant and a Founding Father of the United States.  He served as a member of the Pennsylvania legislature, the Second Continental Congress, and the United States Senate.  He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the United States Constitution.  From 1781 to 1784, he served as the Superintendent of Finance of the United States, becoming known as the “Financier of the Revolution”.

Since Chesapeake Bay and most of this small towns along the shore of the bay are in the oyster harvesting business, it seemed appropriate that I should include a typical oyster fisherman’s boat.  The Chesapeake Bay oyster has been continuously harvested and eaten for many generations, beginning with Native Americans.  The harvest had declined in the late 1900s but steps to revive the oyster population and the environment have yielded positive results in recent years.  In the oyster harvesting season (6 month) which ended on March 31, 2022, 511,000 bushels of oysters were harvested.

Yet another yacht!  I can dream can’t I?!  ‘Celebration Day’ was photographed on the Tred Avon River in Oxford Maryland’s harbor.  This yacht is 82 feet and 10 inches long and it was built by Marlow in the USA.  She sleeps 6 overnight and if you want someone else to operate the boat while you ‘chill’, it has accommodations for 2 crew members.

The Cutts and Case Shipyard in Oxford MD was founded in 1965 by a legendary yacht designer and builder named Eddie Cutts Sr.  His partner in the venture was computer pioneer and IBM executive, John Case.  The company builds custom wooden yachts and boats.  They have also built motor yachts patterned after ones from earlier in the 20th century and they restore yachts to their former glory.  It appears to me that sailing craft are the company’s specialty.  The company provides dockage and yacht maintenance as well.  To learn more, go to Cutts & Case, Inc. (cuttsandcase.com).

Note: Oxford has a population of 611 per the census in 2020.  However tourism is a big business.  In the 1800s it was all about oysters…harvesting and canning…but overfishing killed off that business. 

Oxford is one of the oldest towns in Maryland.  The town first appeared on a map in 1670.  In 1694 Oxford and a new town called Anne Arundel (now Annapolis) were selected as the only ports of entry for the province of Maryland.

I had a tough time finding any history about this very interesting old church.  Part of the reason is that it’s been ‘decommissioned’ and is no longer an active church.  The main portion of St. Paul’s Methodist Episcopal Church was built in 1855 – 1856.  However, the bold Gothic Revival front of the structure was built in 1882.  I also learned that the interior of the church is known for its elaborate pressed metal décor that dates from a 1906 renovation.  I also read that in recent years it has been renovated again in order to preserve it.  In my opinion, it is a striking and attention grabbing church structure.


To be totally honest, the primary reason I wandered north along MD Hwy 565 and then west on MD Hwy 333 was so I could take the ferry across the Tred Avon River.  I am always looking for ferry boats.  Fewer and fewer are operating every year.  As of this year, the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry will celebrate its 341st birthday.  Oxford is the home of the oldest privately operated ferry service still in continuous use in the United States.

Established in 1683, the ferry links Oxford with Bellevue Maryland, crossing the ¾ mile width of the Tred Avon River in 7 to 10 minutes.  The original owner was paid 2,500 pounds of tobacco per year (roughly $25.00) to operate a ferry service for “Horses and Men”.  Early ferries were powered by oars and sail, with steam power being introduced in 1886.

The first photo above is of the Oxford ferry landing back in 1930.  The current ferry boat is the “Talbot”.  She began service in July of 1980.  As the second photo shows, she isn’t a large ferry.  She usually only carries 9 vehicles, passengers, bicycles and motorcycles.  Occasionally she will transport a dump truck or cherry picker.  Our fare for this river crossing was $15.00 for the car and driver plus $3.00 for each passenger.  To learn more about this ferry service, you can go to Oxford Ferry Boat Crossing Between Oxford & Bellevue Maryland. 

That’s all for now… Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Friday, March 1, 2024

Recovery from Trauma! Reviewing the Results

I’m on a ‘time out’ after a series of traumatic events… Hopefully, I’ll be back in the full ‘blogger scene’ this coming week.


The first photo shows our plant room or pass through to the garage.  It is enclosed with HVAC, but it doesn’t normally look this cluttered.  Yes, we do have a permanently decorated Christmas tree...normally stored in a large closet. 

The second photo was taken looking from our living or family room area over into the dining room…where yours truly was working on a project just to keep me busy.  We were trapped in our living area and kitchen!  We don’t usually have parts of our bed sitting in this part of the house.  All around us there were sights and sounds of change.

Even our primary bathroom was inaccessible!


But…the bonus room over the garage, which is connected to a guest bedroom, bore the brunt of the disorganization.  It’s where my computer lives too.  With the exception of the heaviest pieces of furniture, everything from my office, a dormer room and 2 guest bedrooms had been relocated to this room… Included in the load were about 1,000 books and 80 or so photo albums and a plethora of table lamps.  We even wondered if the bonus room floor could handle the weight! 

So why the mess and distress?  Well the fact was that the carpet on the second floor of our home, on the stairs, and in the primary bedroom suite was well past its expiration date…having served the house even before we moved in more than 14 years ago.  I had to concede that this ‘change’, even if ‘traumatic’, was definitely required!

The hardest part is trying to put the house back in order in a reasonable period of time.  We’re going through books and decorative items, trying to decide what to donate or sell…one item at a time.


Here are a couple of photos showing portions of the new carpet installation.  As every husband knows, “Happy Wife equals Happy Life”…and Laurie is indeed much happier.  I had to write a ‘large check’ with trembling hand, but in fairness the price was reasonable.

Speaking of homes… As I’ve mentioned many times before, new homes have been popping up in the neighborhood without pause.  The woods behind our house is gone.  As of about 7 days ago, this lovely slab foundation had replaced the wooded lot.  We assumed that we were in for many months of construction…

Apparently we were wrong!  This photo is from only 6 work days after the picture of the slab.  A day after this photo was taken, this new home was completely closed up and the entire roof was finished as well.  Our best guess is that this particular new construction was designed by the home owner and there must be a deadline re: completion date.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave 

Tuesday, February 27, 2024

Dorchester County Heritage Museum and Gardens

…continuing with our exploration of the Delmarva Peninsula this past September.  I didn’t have any plans originally to visit Dorchester County or Cambridge.  But on a whim we changed the plans a bit.  We did have the better part of 3 days in the area so why not look around a bit?!

As we wandered around Cambridge Maryland we ran across the Heritage Museum and Gardens of Dorchester.  It was open and as it turned out, we pretty much had the place to ourselves excepting staff members who were studying or doing research.  The museum consist of the Neild Museum, opened in 1980, and the Polly Robbins Heritage Center, which was opened in 2007.

Overall, this museum is what I term an interesting accumulation of local historic objects.  The focus here was an amalgamation of local history, the canning industry, farming, everyday items used by locals, logging, hunting and trapping, marine related businesses, the War of 1812, Native Americans and more.

These days many of us have a printer in our homes that works through our computer or smart phone.  When I taught school, I remember those old smelly mimeograph machines.  This multigraph machine predates my experience by quite a bit.  This is freestanding Model #60 manufactured by the American Multigraph Company in Cleveland Ohio.  They made this model from roughly 1902 until 1930.

Some avid collector spent quite a bit of effort putting together this collection of commemorative plates…all about churches in Maryland.

This looks older than it is.  It is a 1963 Dudley Olympia Automatic baseball pitching machine.  Actually, this is appropriate for Cambridge as they hosted a minor league baseball team, part of the Eastern Shore League, on 3 occasions, 1922 – 1928, 1937 – 1941 and 1946 – 1949. 

This display contains a wide variety of items.  Then range from a pork sausage tin, to a burlap Planter’s Peanuts bag, through a couple of squeeze boxes/small accordions to a Boraxo tin.  Of special note is the Ukelin at the right center of the photo.  Ukelins were popular in the USA in the 1920s.  It’s a bowed psaltery with zither strings.  Its name was derived from the ukulele and the violin.

I’m sure that this bit of post office history came from a country general store or some similar business that served as a post office for a small community.  Folks had to come to the store to pick up from their designated slots or send out/post  their mail.  

This is a basket mold.  I’d never heard of this device before but it makes sense.  These molds were created to ensure uniformity and perfection in each basket made.

To be honest, I’m not sure just how an oyster shucking stand was used.  Based on the little photo within the photo, I believe that it held the bucket that the shucked oysters went into after being shucked on the shucking table…


The first item shown above is a corn sheller.  Shelling corn by hand is hard and slow work.  The first modern corn sheller was patented in August of 1839.  These freestanding, hand-operated machines made life much easier for the farming community.

The second photo is quite a bit more primitive.  It is a wooden pedestal corn grinder.  It was used to grind the kernels of corn into meal for cooking.

Continuing with the farm theme, the machine pictured above is a primitive threshing machine.

This red ball ensconced in an old cart is railroad related.  The term “red ball” was used to describe express cargo service.  Around 1892, the Santa Fe Railroad began using the term for priority freight and perishables.  Such trains and their tracks cleared for their use were marked with red balls like this one.

This wooden canoe…made from a log by Native Americans…was found in the marsh near the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.  Note the other Native American artifacts shown above the canoe. 

This is called “The Jacob Stone”.  It is a gravestone that was founded many decades ago on land that was part of Shoal Creek Manor at one time.  It apparently marked the final resting place for a slave.  It reads: “Hear lies the memry of Jacob.  bo 1728 de 1808  LXXX”.

This carving was created by Washington Hammond Skinner, a local carver for ships.  It is said to depict the face of Mr. Skinner’s last slave.  The carving hung at the entrance to the Skinner farm.

This is an altar chair from an African American Church that was located on Applegarth/aka Lower Hooper’s Island.  That island is not accessible nor is it inhabited today.  The bridge to the island was destroyed in a storm back in 1933.


Decoys are a big deal along the eastern shore of the USA.  We own one ourselves that we purchased many years ago on one of North Carolina’s Outer Banks islands.  In any case, Ronald Rue was a well-known and loved carver of decoys and the second photo shows a recreation of what his workshop looked like.  As discovered on the Internet, Mr. Rue’s decoys are quite collectable.

There are plenty of displays in the museum showing implements and settings reflecting on life as it was in the early 1900s and before.  I’ve always loved the design and decorative features on old cast iron stoves.

Moving on from the museum itself, we wandered around the grounds.  It was well past the gardening season so we just took a look at the other buildings that are part of the museum.  They weren’t open at the time…

This is the former stable from the property of Charles Goldsborough, the former governor of Maryland in 1818.  He lived in a manor house across Shoal Creek.  Unfortunately the house was demolished in the early 1970s, but this rare brick stable was saved.  It was moved here in 1987 and then restored to its 1790 appearance.  As per the description, inside the stable are displays including horse-drawn vehicles, tools for blacksmiths, harness-makers, wheelwrights and wagon builders.


This structure was originally used as a smokehouse.  The beams inside are smoked and charred.  Gifted to the Historical Society in 1964, it originally stood at Belvoir Plantation near Cambridge.  Over the subsequent years it was also used for secure, locked storage of household goods, hams, sugar and other valuables.  Hence, its current name, “Strong House”.

Formerly the LaGrange House, this home is now called the Meredith House.  This Georgian-style home was built ca. 1760.  Inside are examples of furniture from the Federal and Victorian periods, portraits of local people, china, silver, quilts, clothing and toys.  One room is referred to as the Governor’s Room.  It displays pictures, furniture and other objects from the 7 governors of Maryland who came from Dorchester County.  My favorite part of this photo is that impressive white ash tree!  To learn more about this museum, go to Dorchester County Historical Society, Maryland | United States (dorchesterhistory.com).

That’s all for now.  Just click on any photo you’d like to enlarge.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit…

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave