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