Chestertown Historic District is a

historic district A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

in Chestertown,

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

and designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1970, and its area was increased in 1984. The town on the

Chester River The Chester River is a major tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on the Delmarva Peninsula. It is about long,U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 1, 2011 and its waters ...

, became the chief port for tobacco and wheat on the

Eastern Shore of Maryland The Eastern Shore of Maryland is a part of the U.S. state of Maryland that lies mostly on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay. Nine counties are normally included in the region. The Eastern Shore is part of the larger Delmarva Peninsula that Ma ...

between 1750 and 1790. The port declined thereafter, as

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

became the major port for such activity. In consequence, Chestertown acquired a collection of more than fifty

Georgian style Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1714 and 1830. It is named after the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover, George I, George II, Ge ...

town houses. The 18th-century residential area survived without harm a 1910 fire that destroyed the central business district of Chestertown. The historic residential area is concentrated along Water Street between the business district and the Chester River. Highlights include: * Hynson-Ringgold House ("The Abbey"), 100 South Water Street. Built in 1767 by merchant Thomas Ringgold by uniting two adjoining 1735 houses into a three-art house. Interiors were designed by

William Buckland William Buckland Doctor of Divinity, DD, Royal Society, FRS (12 March 1784 – 14 August 1856) was an English theologian, geologist and paleontology, palaeontologist. His work in the early 1820s proved that Kirkdale Cave in North Yorkshire h ...

between 1767 and 1771. The original Chippendale-Georgian paneling in the drawing room was removed and installed at the

Baltimore Museum of Art The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) in Baltimore, Maryland, is an art museum that was founded in 1914. The BMA's collection of 95,000 objects encompasses more than 1,000 works by Henri Matisse anchored by the Cone Collection of modern art, ...

in the 1920s. The house was restored in the 1930s and is the residence of the president of

Washington College Washington College is a private liberal arts college in Chestertown, Maryland. Maryland granted Washington College its charter in 1782. George Washington supported the founding of the college by consenting to have the "College at Chester" name ...

. *Custom House, 101 South Water Street. A three-story brick house in two parts, stated to have been owned by the Ringgold family in the 1740s. The first floor was used as a warehouse, with living quarters on the upper levels. The building was used as Chestertown's custom house. The rear section was added in 1771. * Widehall, 101 North Water Street. Individually listed on the

, Widehall was built by Thomas Smythe about 1770. The house's exterior has been altered from the original Georgian style, while elaborate interiors remain. *River House, also known as the Denton House, 107 North Water Street. Built between 1737 and 1743 by William Timbrill, a Barbados merchant. The interiors are Georgian, while the exterior has been modified in

Greek Revival Greek Revival architecture is a architectural style, style that began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe, the United States, and Canada, ...

style. The paneling of the third floor master bedroom was purchased by the

Winterthur Museum Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library is an American estate and museum in Winterthur, Delaware. Winterthur houses one of the richest collections of Americana in the United States. The museum and estate were the home of Henry Francis du Pont ...

in 1926. A number of other structures on Water Street, High Street and Queen Street are included. Denton House and Widehall are also individually listed

Registered Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

included in the district.

References

External links

*, including photo in 1979, at Maryland Historical Trust All of the following are located in Chestertown, Kent County, MD: * * * * * * * * * {{National Register of Historic Places in Maryland

Historic District A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...

National Historic Landmarks in Maryland Historic districts in Kent County, Maryland Historic American Buildings Survey in Maryland Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Maryland National Register of Historic Places in Kent County, Maryland National Historic Landmark Districts

See also

References

External links