Exploring Easton Maryland

After our lunch at Doc’s Downtown Grille, our little group wandered around the center of Easton, checking out the stores and the historic buildings.  The Easton Historic District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  I consists of about 900 buildings and other structures spread over 232 acres.  Despite the fact that Easton was founded in the 1700s, fire changed the city’s ‘look’ on several occasions.  Major fires in the center of town took place in 1808, 1813, 1855 and 1878.  The result is that the center of Easton isn’t quite as old as some of the other structures in the area...

One exception is the Talbot County Courthouse.  Construction of this Georgian style structure began in 1794 and it is one of Easton’s oldest buildings.  The courthouse was expanded in 1890 and it was remodeled in 1958.  Today it houses the chambers and courtrooms for the Circuit Court Judge as well as clerk’s offices, the jurors’ assembly room and the offices of the Talbot County Council.

This historic structure has seen plenty of history.  Abolitionist Frederick Douglass was held in the jail at the rear of the courthouse after he was recaptured as he attempted to escape slavery in April of 1836.

In May of 1862, Union General John Adams Dix had a local judge arrested on suspicion of being a southern sympathizer.  The judge had requested juries to serve indictments against Federal officials who had arrested 4 men who had disrupted a Union rally.  Over 125 deputies and soldiers surrounded the courthouse and the judge was seized.  He was beaten and imprisoned in Fort McHenry for 6 months…then he was released and no charges were ever filed.

This statue of Frederick Douglass stands in front of the courthouse.  He’d been born into slavery ca 1818.  After finally gaining his freedom, he became a social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer and statesman.  He was the most important leader of the African-American civil rights movement in the 1800s.  He died in 1895.  This statue was erected ca. 2005.

There was significant controversy over the Douglass stature due to another statue that stood in front of the courthouse.  The other statue was the “Talbot Boys” monument.  That statue is of a young boy holding and wrapped in a Confederate States of America flag.  Before the Civil War Maryland was a slave holding state even though it did not succeed from the Union.  Approval for the Douglass statue was given in 2004, despite opposition from local veterans…by one vote.  Approval was given on the condition that the new statue’s height didn’t exceed that of the “Talbot Boys” monument. 

As of 2021, the “Talbot Boys” monument was the only Confederate statue remaining on public grounds in Maryland.  It was finally removed in March of 2022 and it’s now at the Cross Keys Battlefield in Virginia.

The Shore United Bank building was apparently built in 1908.  Originally the Talbot Bank, this banking company dates back to 1885.  They must be doing something right…as they’re still in business and they haven’t been swallowed by a mega bank group.  These old bank buildings were built to impress their customers as a solid and safe place to leave their money...

The Clark Building looked lonely and forlorn.  It was the only unoccupied building that I noted in downtown Easton.  Given its architectural ‘look’ it easily dates back to the late 1890s or early 1900s.  The good news was that as per the signs on the front of the building, it was about to be renovated as an office building.

The Tidewater Inn was completed in 1949 in the Colonial Revival style, with an addition added in 1953.  It was the premier hotel and gathering place on Maryland’s Eastern Shore at the time when new auto routes led to a significant increase in visitors.   The Inn occupies the space that was previously the home of the 1891 Avon Hotel.   That hotel was destroyed in a fire in 1944.  Construction of the Tidewater Inn took 2 years due to postwar shortages of steel and plumbing materials.  When it opened in September of 1949, 4,000 people celebrated the event.  Over the years the hotel has hosted many well-known people, among them has been Robert Mitchum, Elvis Presley, Bing Crosby, Elizabeth Taylor and the Kennedys.

To learn more about The Tidewater Inn, just go to Luxury Bed & Breakfast - The Tidewater Inn.

The plantings or the ‘greenery’ in front of this establishment were so lush that Laurie and I both took photos of them.  We didn’t even go inside but we did like the look of this restaurant.  FYI, its name, appropriately enough is “Sunflowers and Greens”.  Their basic menu is all about salads and soups with a variety of protein options or add-ons.  Website: Sunflowers and Greens | Easton, MD.

The Avalon Theatre in Easton was originally built as a cinema back in 1921.  At the time it was billed as the “Showplace of the Eastern Shore”.  In 1934 a new owner purchased the theatre and renovated it with an art deco theme.  It became even more famous, hosting 3 movie world premieres, including “The First Kiss” starring Gary Cooper.  The theater closed its doors in 1985, but in 1989 it was restored as a performing arts center.  In 1992, the town of Easton bought the building.  It now serves as a prime venue for the performing arts.  Website: Home | Avalon Foundation.

This slightly unusual structure was built by the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1879 after an earlier lodge burned down.  This 4-story brick structure stands out with its irregular roof line, a façade with a small tower-like gable…which is topped by a finial that contains an interior staircase.  Decorative stained glass windows patterned with symbols of the Odd Fellows fraternal order complete the picture.

This is the James Price House.  It was built ca 1790.  This brick Federal style building with its Flemish bond brick façade in one of Easton’s best preserved early structures.  The adjacent white house was built ca 1803.  In 1946, the Talbot County Women’s Club bought the homes and in 1947 renovations joined the two homes.  The organization continues to preserve these structures.  To learn more about the women’s club and its missions, go to Home - Talbot County Womens Club.

I thought that the juxtaposition of the glass covered modern structure with the old stone jail was quite interesting.  This building is the home of the Talbot County State’s Attorney.  I am not sure what the old jail is being used for.  Frederick Douglass’s attempted escape in 1836 ended here.  The old county jail that held him was replaced by this stone building in 1878.  To learn more about Frederick Douglass, just go to Frederick Douglass - Wikipedia.

We really liked this antique store.  Trumpeter Swan Antiques at 35 East Dover Street is a bit unconventional.  For one thing, they don’t have an active website nor do they seem to be on Facebook.  Located near the center of popular Easton, they do have location going for them though.

You name it and Trumpeter Swan Antiques has a bit of everything.  Old kitchen ware, carved duck decoys, crystal, sterling silver, antique guns, stoneware, Depression glass and colorful bobbers from the 1910s.  Trophy fish mounts, old signs, advertising memorabilia, art, fishing lures…and the list goes on and on.  Of course that last photo is proof isn’t it?!  One doesn’t see very many extensive collections of lighter fluid, oil, lubricants and other related cans…but this store has a plethora of them!

I thought that I’d end this little tour of Easton Maryland with a photo of the sisters…Bonnie and my best friend and wife of many years, Laurie.  They both love these trips!

One final note: In 2018, Forbes Magazine named Easton Maryland as one of America’s top five ‘coolest places’ to buy a vacation home.  We definitely like this town too!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave