CHESTERTOWN — The Historical Society of Kent County has a newly revised and updated self-guided walking tour of Chestertown’s Historic District.
For the first time since the walking tour was originally produced in 1985, new sites have been added to the historical society’s signature tour. Six landmarks have been added and two removed from the earlier version, increasing the total number of stops to 29.
Historical society board members Ashley Flory, Michelle Carroll and Barbara Jorgenson collaborated on the project, with special assistance from Carol Combs.
The revised brochures were printed with the generous support of the Kent County Department of Tourism and Economic Development.
The update had two principal goals:
1. to add significant sites of African American history such as Janes United Methodist Church, the Levi Rogers House and the properties of Thomas Cuff at 104, 106 and 108 Cannon St.
2. to include vernacular houses, which were missing from previous versions of the tour.
From the brochure, “Vernacular refers to a style developed through the design skills and traditions of local builders, rather than following formal European design principles,” as did grand Chestertown residences such as Widehall and the Hynson-Ringgold House.
All the additions have stories to tell of how people lived in Chestertown in earlier eras.
In Flory’s words, the new tour offers “a deeper look at the town of Chestertown, how it grew, and how it’s changed over time.”
To celebrate the updates, the historical society will offer a special free guided walking tour this fall. Details will be forthcoming, so stay tuned for the date and time and registration information.
In the meantime, walking tour maps are available at the Kent County Visitors Center at 122 N. Cross St. (Tuesdays through Saturdays) and 24 hours a day, seven days a week in a brochure rack outside the Bordley History Center at 301 High St.
The Historical Society of Kent County extends its thanks to the creators of the original 1985 Architectural Guide to Chestertown: Robert J.H. Janson-La Palme, who wrote the text; Kathleen White, who assisted with research; and then-Town Manager Bill Ingersoll, who served as project coordinator.
The text was subsequently edited in October 2000 and again in January 2016.
To inquire about guided tours for groups, call 410-778-3400 or email director@kentcountyhistory.org.
The historical society’s museum and shop at the Bordley History Center are open Thursdays and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.