The Historic Stevensville Walking Tour

The home of Charles G. “Gil” and Florence Dunn was built from 1910-1912 for George Holland, a cannery owner. Former owners were John M. Ruth and John Daniel. Gil Dunn was a pharmacist for more than 40 years at the Kent Island Shopping Center.

Since 1983, this has been the home of the Kent Island Federation of Arts. The gallery is open Wednesday through Sunday and exhibits pictures and crafts by local and other artists. The house was built ca. 1900 for Dr. William L. Henry, his wife and their two sons. The entrance to Dr. Henry’s office can be seen from the enclosed front porch. Subsequent owners are B. Harrison Bright, J. Fred Stevens, Charles Bright, Elizabeth Bright and C. G. Dunn.

The Capt. Eugene Herbert House was built from ca. 1870-1875 by Capt. Gene and his brother, Sam, both carpenters. Capt. Gene was master of a sailing vessel, plying the waters from Maine to North Carolina carrying coal, lime, phosphate and wheat. The Herbert's had one daughter, Eugenia, who was often mistaken for First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Other owners were daughter Eugenia, Dorothy and Louis Crouch, Ernest and Emma Porter, and Buddy and Colleen Thomas.

The Cockey House, built ca. 1870, was originally owned by Charles B. Downes. An 1877 map identifies it as the parsonage for the First Methodist Protestant Church, which rented it until a new parsonage was built next to the church. [See Site 20.] Miss Mary Cockey, an elementary school teacher, and her father, James Cockey, assistant postmaster in Stevensville, bought the house in the early 1900’s. She used it as the local library for many years, had an addition built on the west side, and enlarged the front porch.

This is one of the three oldest homes in Stevensville and one of two with fishscale siding. Wooden pegs used in its construction can be seen in the attic. This house was owned by Bloody Point Lighthouse Keeper Moses Legg and his wife, Ann Wrightson Legg. The street, then New Legg Road, was later changed to Locust Street. Subsequent owners are Charles Earecksen and Caroline Anderson Tolson, then Walter and Elizabeth Baker and their children, Raymond and Betty. Raymond Baker also lived here with his family of 6 children.

Dorothy Arters and Fred E. Thomas bought the Price-Ringgold House on Locust Street in 1887 from David Jones, who built the house. In 1904 the property was sold to Mary Ringgold and Thomas Ringgold Price. Marian Price Steuart, one of the original founding members of The Kent Island Heritage Society, Inc., next lived in this house until her death in 1991.

Captain James Edward Jones and his wife Sarah Carroll built a prior house here in 1880 that was destroyed by fire. The present house was built in 1882. It has been in the Carroll family since then and is presently owned by Pamela Price Sawyer.

Dorothy Arters and Fred E. Thomas bought the Price-Ringgold House on Locust Street in 1887 from David Jones. In 1904 the property was sold to Mary Ringgold and Thomas Ringgold Price. Marian Price Steuart, one of the original founding members of The Kent Island Heritage Society, Inc., next lived in this house until her death in 1991.

Built between ca. 1865-1870 for Charles Stevens, this was one of the first stores in Stevensville. A Mr. Beitzel was an early occupant. Dr. John R. Benton bought the property, divided the structure and moved it to land now occupied by the adjacent office building, making it a separate dwelling. Thomas Carroll was the merchant here for many years, followed by Rose Baxter Weston and her son, James Richard Weston. Elizabeth Sattlemaier and Julius Grollman were later owners. Currently it is occupied by Peace of Cake bakery.

Built in 1870 for Charles B. Downes by his brother Sam Downes, Henry Grollman bought this house in 1910. After leaving his partnership with Ellis Grollman, Henry built an addition to the house and with his wife, Lena, opened a dry goods store.

The oldest church on Kent Island, Christ Church, built in 1880, is a superb example of the Queen Anne style of ecclesiastical architecture and is on the National Register of Historic Places. It is believed to be the fourth church of the Christ Church parish founded in 1631 and the oldest continuous Episcopal congregation in the United States. Previous church buildings were at nearby Broad Creek, one of the first established towns in Maryland. The Vestry of Christ Church purchased this portion of the Stevens Adventure tract in 1866 for $2,800 from Charles and Mary Stevens.

In 1865 Charles Stevens was “elected to make the necessary arrangements for a parsonage” for the new church. This building, however, predates the church. In 1866 it housed the Chesapeake Female Institution, a boarding and day school for young ladies.

John Tolson built this general store, which was later operated by Fred Thomas. First known as the American Store, the name was later changed to Acme Market. Julius Grollman, a local merchant in the early 1900’s, worked in the store as a young man earning $15 a week. The building later operated as a U.S. post office from 1952 until 1975 by Post Mistress Genevieve Long, postal workers John Henry Tolson and Nettie Aaron.

In 1809, John Denny purchased from J. Stevens the lot on which this structure and the adjacent Cray House are located. It is believed that he constructed this building some time after he built the Cray House, possibly making it the second oldest building in Stevensville. The building was sold to Hugh A. Legg in the late 1800’s, who enlarged the front with lumber salvaged from the old Kent Point School House. Lil Cook ran a confectionary store here in the 1930’s. The large front windows were added later.

This is the oldest house in Stevensville. John Denny constructed it shortly after purchasing the land in 1809. A ship carpenter, Denny used an unusual post and plank construction method in which walls are formed by tenoning horizontal planks into mortices (slots) cut into vertical corner posts. The south portion of the house was added around 1842 by Mary E. Carville Legg. After a series of owners, it was sold at public auction in 1914 to Nora Cray, a widow who lived there with her nine children. Her heirs deeded the property to The Kent Island Heritage Society in 1976. The house is currently undergoing extensive restoration work, after which it will be completely furnished and reopened to the public. This house is on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 1894 the Maryland Legislature gave approval to Queen Anne’s Railroad Company to build an east-west railroad across Delmarva, connecting Queenstown, Maryland with Lewes, Delaware. In 1902, the route was extended 13 miles to Love Point, which provided employment and excitement to Kent Island. The 1952 opening of the Bay Bridge brought the railroad era to an end. The abandoned and badly deteriorated terminal building was donated to The Kent Island Heritage Society. It was moved to its present site in 1988 and restored to its 1902 appearance.

The corner building was constructed ca. 1900 as a grocery store and owner’s residence for Wells Tolson by Everett Cook and Eugene Herbert. The original German siding, now covered by vinyl, was probably salvaged from the Johnstown Flood of 1889. Subsequent grocers were T. Walter White, George Lowe, Philip Grollman, William Lowe and Addison Frampton who was affiliated with the Independent Grocers Association, known then as IGA stores.

The obliquely situated building next door, built in 1865, making it one of the oldest in town, was later connected by a trapezoidal addition. It had also been a grocery store. An 1877 map shows Mrs. Earle as the first owner, then Mrs. Wallis Addison Frampton. One of the first merchants to occupy this store was Charles M. Legg, whose brother-in-law, Magistrate Robert Cook, held court in the corner of the store. Other occupants were Ellis and Henry Grollman, William Brown, Charles Cockey, James Marvel, Alex and Harry Grollman, Blount and Addison Frampton.

Built between ca. 1880-1890 for Dr. J.E.H. Lewis, the first occupant was probably Ann Kemp, widow of Thomas Kemp. She later married her landlord, Dr. J.E.H. Lewis. Her son, C. Percy Kemp made this his home after becoming a physician. He also used Dr. Lewis’s adjacent former office, which no longer exists. The drug store (now a dance studio) built for Dr. Kemp in 1902 was known as Kemp’s Pharmacy.

This 730 square foot building appears on an 1877 map and served as the Stevensville Post Office for the first half of the 20th century. The government paid $18.75 a month in rent and $25 a year to heat the structure. A variety of businesses occupied the small building until it was acquired in 1997 by The Kent Island Heritage Society.

The Stevensville Bank of Queen Anne’s County, built between ca. 1903-1907, opened for business in 1909. It is the oldest bank building on Kent Island and one of the oldest in the county. The façade’s classical architectural details and pressed tin ceiling and intact furnishings and vault helped place it on the National Register of Historic Places. Since the bank moved to new quarters in the early 1960s, the building has been occupied as business offices and by merchants. It was built on the site of an apothecary shop owned by Dr. Wm. E. Denny, where his sister and niece--Miss Annie and Miss Lucy—worked as clerks.

In 1851, Charles and Mary Ann Stevens sold the land to the Chesapeake Lodge #59 of the Order of Odd Fellows for one cent. In 1864 the Lodge sold it to the trustees of the Methodist Protestant Church, John Jeffers, Charles Downes, James Denny, William C. Gibson, Franklin Bright, M.G. Goodhand, and C.G.L. Porter. No longer used as a church, it was purchased by William E. Denny III, who restored the structure and its marvelous stained-glass windows—-a number of which are dedicated to the memory of members of his family. Currently, the Methodist Protestant Church is Ye Olde Church House antique shop. The adjacent parsonage was built from ca. 1875-80 to replace rented space [See site 4]. It was originally owned by Charles Goodhand. Currently, this is the home of William E. and Janet Denny III.

Built about 1860 for J. Reuben Jeffers on the original Broad Creek tract, the 1877 map shows a boarding house rented to Alexander Lowery of Coxe’s Neck. He later bought the property and opened it as a hotel in November 1883. Alterations were made to meet the needs of overnight travelers coming from the Matapeake, Broad Creek and Love Point ferry landings. A livery stable provided transportation. Meals were 25 cents. After Alexander’s wife, Mrs. Lowery, died, Fountain and Florence Lowery Jackson continued the business for some time. It remained in the Lowery family until their heirs sold it in 1935.

Known as the H. Goodhand Hotel and listed on the 1877 map, the hotel was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Emory Skinner in the early 20th century. Then called Skinner’s Boarding House, it offered room and board to salesmen and other travelers. The house was later owned by Roland and Lolita Bright Carvel.

Built in 1915 for the owners and first occupants, Philemon Thomas and Augusta Legg Price, the Price House is one of the largest houses in town. One of its unique features is a cupola on top that was used during World War II as a lookout for enemy planes. Volunteers manned the post connected by telephone to a communications center. The house remained in the Price family until it was sold to Bertha Carroll. Later, her niece, Norma Bryan Hopkins and husband Edward Hopkins purchased the house.