Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway

Some of Chesapeake City's buildings are made from the lumber of the famous "Susquehanna Arks", ships that arrived too large to fit through locks of the hand-dug canal. The "Arks" had to be dismantled and their lumber sold.

Located in Monument Park in Historic Chestertown, this 2-sided Civil War monument lists those who served for the Confederacy and the Union, notably on opposing sides of the monument.

View of Stevensville Main Street taken from near the Old Country Store (Walking Tour Stop 16). The Old Post Office is the yellow building in the middle of the photo.

A byway side view of Wright's Chance,, a fine example of an early plantation house on the byway, on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

A woman sits on tractor in front of Queen Anne's Museum of Eastern Shore Life.

Byway visitor knocks on the door of Tucker House in Centreville

A restored 1902 train station in Stevensville (Walking Tour Stop 15)

A 19th Century Christ Church in Stevensville is indicative of the restored architecture o the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway.

Visitor reads interpretive sign at the Cray House in Stevensville (Walking Tour Stop 14)

The figurehead of the Schooner Sultana depicts a young person at the bow of the ship.

The Schooner Sultana is photographed on the Chestertown River where it is permanently located.

Eastern Swallowtail butterfly enjoying a sunny afternoon and fluttering around a pink flower near the trailhead of the Butterfly Bay View Trail at Eastern Neck N.W.R.

Picture taken on a bright summer day showing one of the many butterflies fluttering around near the visitor center at the Butterfly Bay View Trailhead.

This photo shows the fishing bridge that leads to the Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge behind some boats pulled up onto a private shore.

Picture aboard the Schooner Sultana's depicting the vessel's rigging.

View of St. Luke's Episcopal Church's tower in Church Hill, MD.

Byway enthusiast enjoys sitting in the shade on the Queen Anne's County Courthouse grounds in the summer.

Byway enthusiast wanders through the graveyard of St. Luke's Episcopal Church in Church Hill, MD.

Byway Enthusiast crosses at the intersection of Commerce and Water Street in downtown Centreville, MD in mid-August.

Byway Enthusiast poses next to the Queen Anne County Courthouse in Centreville, MD.

Boaters enjoy a sunny Sunday afternoon on the Kent Narrows Channel.

View of the Geddes-Piper House in Chestertown on Church Alley.

Visitors enjoy this lazy summer afternoon at Fountain Park in downtown Chestertown, MD.

The white tower of Olivet United Methodist Church is framed between evergreens in the church's historic cemetery. Olivet Church began as a class meeting on March 13, 1773, led by Bishop Francis Asbury, a circuit riding Methodist preacher. Francis Asbury left England in 1771 for missionary service in America. He became a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and one of its most famous evangelists, "the St. Paul of American Methodism". The Galena class first met at the home of a Mr. Dixon. At that time Galena was known as Georgetown Cross Roads. The first deed for the church bears the date of June 27, 1804. The land was donated by Cornelius Scott. The original church was built in 1808. In 1842 that building was moved to one side and used by slaves. Later, the original wooden church was sold to a group of African-American Christians and moved to Olivet Hill in Galena. A new church was built in 1842. In 1887 a bell tower was added by Frank H. Ruth in memory of his parents. The 800 pound bronze bell was cast by the McShane Bell Foundry in Baltimore, Maryland.

The Historical Society of Kent County, Maryland is located at the Geddes-Piper House in Chestertown. The Society has collected a historical library containing books, documents, and genealogical records. It also contains an impressive collection of 18th and 19th century portraits, furniture, textiles, attire, maps and china (such as seen in this photo.) The display of 18th and 19th century Chinese export tea pots is a major attraction.

Students carry a canoe to the bay waters as part of an educational program at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center.

Snowfall creates a beautiful winter landscape in the rural farmlands of Chesapeake Country.

Queen Anne's County students display their artwork each year at the Kent Island Federation of Art in Stevensville. Artwork from kindergarten through 12th grade were on display from 14 different schools in the county.

Deer, migratory birds, and other wildlife can be seen while strolling the trails of Terrapin Nature Park.

Hidden behind flowering trees, the red brick of the Historic Anchorage Bed and Breakfast glows softly in the morning light.

A white gravel road runs out to the green fields of the Colchester Farm, a protected Maryland Century Farm.

The working farmlands of the Chesapeake Country host the annual visitation by thousands of migratory Canada geese who find food, water, and rest widely available.

Greenhouses dot the byway region as a means for some farmers to diversify their farming operations.

A yellow biplane leaves a white trail as it prepares this field for a good growing season.

The Zion United Methodist Church in Cecilton stands beneath a clear blue sky on a snowy winter day. It was founded in 1819. The first church was destroyed by ferocious winds on August 21, 1888. The church was reconstructed in 1889 at a cost of $4,000. The church is located just West of Cecilton on Route 282.

The Pretty Animal Contest is a big draw at the Queen Anne's County Fair each year. 4-H-ers train their animals to wear themed costumes and parade around the show ring while a story is relayed to the audience about the chosen theme. This 4-H-er and her sheep dressed up as comedian Minnie Pearl, wearing the signature straw hats with the $1.98 price tag! Grand Champion of the Pretty Animal contest was awarded to this pair!

Remember good, ol' county fairs? Watching livestock shows, looking at 4H exhibits, eating cotton candy, riding the ferris wheel? Such fairs are alive and well in Chespeake Country at the Queen Anne's County 4H Park. Here, 4H club members compete in the sheep fitting and showing at the Queen Anne's County Fair.

Snowy trees and lawn surround Worsell Manor in the wintertime. Worsell Manor was patented on June 5th, 1685 to Major Peter Sayer, and later, was acquired by the Heath family. It is constructed architecturally in the Charles I style. General George Washington visited the manor according to an entry made in his diary on May 14, 1773. "Din'd and lodg'd at Mr. DL. Heath's" the entry reads. Washington was traveling with his step-son Jackie Custis, on his way to King's College (now Columbia University) in New York.

St. Stephens Episcopal Church rises above a wintery landscape. The North Sassafras Parish was established by an Act of Assembly in 1692. The first vestry met January 10, 1693. The parish church was dedicated to the honor of Saint Stephens on March 25, 1706. The church as undergone rennovations and construction in 1737, 1823, and 1873. This parish houses such items as 18th century silver, a sundial crafted in 1718, and a bell presented by Queen Anne. The first Negro south of the Mason-Dixon line was ordained here in 1834.

The Geddes-Piper House was likely to have been erected under the ownership of James Piper in the 1780s when full three-story elevations were common in Atlantic coastal towns. This home was owned by several Chestertown merchants, one of whom was the port's Collector of Customs, William Geddes. The brigantine Geddes was the scene of Chestertown's Tea Party on May 23, 1774. The original kitchen is still in the basement. Now the headquarters for the Historical Society of Kent County and the Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area, the Geddes-Piper House is open for tours Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 pm for a $3 donation (as of 2006).

Farmers play an important role in water quality. Use of cover crops on farmland reduces nutrient run-off, improves the structure of the soil, and protects the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries.

Canada geese are winter visitors to the Chesapeake Country National Scenic Byway, seen here at a resting place along Route 213 between Centreville and Church Hill, MD.

The original frame church was extensively repaired in 1701 when the vestry asked the court to tax Shrewsbury Parish "according to law for ye Reparations of ye Church." The fact that major repairs were required suggests that the first Shrewsbury church was twenty to thirty years old by this time. By 1703, the congregation had grown sufficiently to require a 20-foot addition to the original structure. The enlarged frame church adequately served the Shrewsbury parishioners until 1721. The second Shrewsbury church, a magnificent brick structure, measured 40 feet by 60 feet, and was as large as any in the colony. The third structure, which still stands today, is more modest than its predecessor, measuring 30 by 45 feet. The cemetery surrounding this 3rd structure dates to 1730. The Shrewsbury churchyard today has a unique distinction of being the final resting place for a veteran of every war fought by the United States of America. These graves have bronze markers denoting the war or wars where they fought.

On the 22nd of November, 1692, the Commissioners of the county, in pursuance of the Act of Assembly, laid out the Shrewsbury Parish. The Parish is one of the original thirty parishes created by the Act of 1692. Its status was changed by the American Revolution and it became the Protestant Episcopal Church in Maryland. The Revolutionary Government of Maryland passed the Declaration of Rights on Nov. 3,1776 preserved to the Church all of her property. In effect the Parish changed from a Church of England to an American Parish during the American Revolution.

400 High Street is a historic building in Chestertown. Formerly the high school built in 1901, it currently serves as the county government building. The site on which the building sits was formerly the property of Senator George Vickers. Vickers was a lawyer who practiced in Chesterterown. He was a delegate to the Whig National Convention of 1852. When the Civil War began he was appointed major-general of the state militia. He was a presidential elector on the McClellan ticket in 1864, and one of the vice-presidents of the Union convention of 1866. In 1866-'7 he was a member of the state senate. In 1868 he was elected United States senator for the term that ended on 3 March, 1873, in the place of Philip F. Thomas, who had been denied the seat. He took a conspicuous part in the debate on the 15th Amendment to the Federal Constitution.

High Street is the hub of Chestertown, Maryland. Numerous shops, historic sites, and Fountain Park can be found along this street. High Street is the center of the Chestertown Tea Party Festival each May. The street is closed to traffic and numerous vendors and displays are available. A parade and re-enactment of the Chestertown Tea Party, a tea tax rebellion that followed the Boston Tea Party are the highlight of the festival.

The Maryland Waterman's Monument is found on Route 18 of the Byway near the Kent Narrows bridge. It is a tribute to the history and heritage of the area as a working waterfront.

Taken from the shores of Terrapin Nature Park, one can see the Chesapeake Bay Bridge stretch across the bay to Annapolis.

The Anna McGarvey is on display in front of the Chesapeake Exploration Center at the Kent Narrows. The interpretive exhibit highlights the skipjacks of the Chesapeake and other historical maritime information of the region.

Terrapin Nature Park in Queen Anne's County is found at the base of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Walking trails and other public facilities draw residents and visitors alike for a day of leisure or a stroll along the bay.

Visitors along the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway will encounter 3 drawbridges which periodically open to allow the passage of water traffic. This one is located at Kent Narrows, near the Chesapeake Exploration Center. There is also a drawbridge crossing the Chester River linking Queen Anne's with Kent County, and another one located on the Sassafras River linking Kent with Cecil County.

Scenic and fragile, tidal wetlands are a crucial part of the Chesapeake Bay ecology.

The John Smith replica shallop was launched into the Chester River was celebrated by thousands of byway residents and visitors. Tall Ships from the region were present to witness the occasion and celebrate the annual "Downrigging Weekend" of the Schoolship Sultana. Following a year on tour in museums, modern-day explorers will re-enact the exploration of the Chesapeake Bay in this replica shallop in conjunction with the 400th Anniversary of the founding of Jamestown in 2007.

Although little is known about the original shallop used by Smith to explore the Chesapeake Bay, this shallop was designed based on historical records of other expeditions of that era. Two water-tight compartments were likely made in England and transported on a Mother ship. Upon arriving in the Americas, the 2 parts were hoisted out of the ship's hold and re-joined. Thus, on November 5, 2005, only 1/2 of the Captain John Smith Shallop replica was launched into the Chester River. The 2 sections have been rejoined and are on a regional tour for 2006.

Local students learn the centuries old technique of using fire to burn the center of a log and then scrap the dugout with oyster shells. This event was held in conjunction with the 2005 launching of the Captain John Smith replica shallop into the Chester River in Chestertown, MD

Outrigging and other rowing sports are popular on the Chester River as well as numerous other tributaries throughout Chesapeake Country.

Sultana passenger, Zachary Schmidt, gets a lesson from Captain Bob Brittain on steering the Sultana.

A Sultana deckhand prepares the boat gun for ignition.

When sailing the Sultana "Schoolship of the Chesapeake", children get to experience working as a shipmate.

Children sailing on the Sultana "Schoolship of the Chesapeake" get the chance to raise the sails of the ship just as sailors did back in 1768.

Loss of water in the locks was a problem from early on. As boats passed through at Chesapeake City, the equivalent of a full lock of water was lost to the lower-lying portion of the canal. This loss due to locking vessels through the canal, compounded by leakage through the canal banks and normal evaporation, made it necessary to devise a means of lifting water into the project's upper part. In 1852 a steam engine and large waterwheel were installed at the pumphouse in Chesapeake City. Measuring 39 feet in diameter and 10 feet wide, the iron and wood waterwheel had 12 troughs which filled with water as it turned; the water then spilled over the hub into the raceway and into the uppermost canal level.

The US Army Corps of Engineers maintains the Canal Museum at Chesapeake City which provides visitors with a glimpse of the canal's early days. The waterwheel and pumping engines remain in the original pumphouse (now the museum). These steam engines are the oldest of their type in America still on their original foundations. Other artifacts and exhibits in the museum detail and illustrate the canal's history.

From this point on the C&D Canal, water traffic has equal distance to travel either to the Delaware River to the East or the Chesapeake Bay to the West.

St. Francis Xavier - Old Bohemia Church located in Cecil County, was founded by Thomas Mansell, S.J. in 1704. Founded 72 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it is one of the earliest permanent Catholic establishments in the English Colonies.

This replica lighthouse is located at the US Army Corp of Engineers and C&D Canal Museum in Chesapeake City.

A costumed actor oversees these Chestertown students who are learning the centuries old Native American technique for making a dugout canoe with fire and oyster shells.

Traditional workboats of the Chesapeake Bay are used for oystering, crabbing, or charter fishing amongst other uses.

Maryland Governor Robert Erhich launched the John Smith Shallop into the Chester River, November 2005. The shallop will spend 2006 on display in regional museums and then embark on a re-enactment voyage of Capt. John Smith's exploration of the Chesapeake Bay in 2007.

A sloping lawn and a white plank fence lead up to the front of the Kitty Knight House, home of an American war heroine from the War of 1812. As the British advanced up the Sassafras River in May, 1813, they burned the town of Georgetown, reducing all of it to ash except for a church and 2 brick houses at the top of a hill. These 2 buildings (now joined to form the inn), were saved by the courageous Catherine "Kitty" Knight. She was a great heroine who refused to leave an invalid neighbor, defying Admiral Sir George Cockburn by declaring "I shall not leave. If you burn this house, you burn me with it." The British finally relented.

The beach at Terrapin Nature Park is one of the many beaches found along the Chesapeake Bay. Linked to Cross Island Trail Park, it offers many family oriented recreational opportunities along the Chesapeake Byway.

The Chesapeake Country National Scenic Byway is located on what is commonly called The Chesapeake Bay Bridge, seen here at sunset, connects "The Eastern Shore" with "The Western Shore" of Maryland. The bay bridge marks the Southernmost point of the Chesapeake County Scenic Byway.

The brick-faced front of Mount Harmon Plantation's main building faces the sun on a bright summer's day. Mount Harmon Plantation originated as a land grant of 350 acres to Godfrey Harmon by Caecilium Calvert the second Lord Baltimore, in 1651. It prospered as a tobacco plantation during the 17th and 18th centuries, growing and exporting tobacco to the British Isles. The plantation boasts the northernmost existing tobacco prize house. Located in Cecil County, the now 200-acre estate lies on a peninsula of the Sassafras River. This area was known as "World's End" on early maps.

Gothic arches, stained glass, and stone buttresses are found all around this 1800s house of worship. Architecturally, the building shows the appeal of Gothic Revival, which may also be called "High Victorian." This is one of the most richly ornamented buildings ever constructed in Chestertown.

Stepping back in time, visitors enjoy an educational and interpretive experience at Mount Harmon Plantation's colonial picnic.

The counties of Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne's, through which the Chesapeake Country National Scenic Byway travels, consists of over 1200 farms on more than 350,000 acres producing sales of over $201 million while maintaining the region's open space and rural character.

In commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the exploration and charting of the Chesapeake Bay waters by Captain John Smith, a full-scale replica of Smith's "Discovery Barge" is being built in Chestertown, MD. The shipwrights are relying exclusively on 17th century tools and construction techniques. After a November 2005 launch, the shallop will spend 2006 on exhibit in museums. In 2007 a re-enactment voyage will retrace the original 1,700 mile route undertake by Smith.

From colonial times, the Chesapeake Bay has provided a bountiful seafood harvest. This statue, found in Rock Hall, honors the watermen whose livelihood was and continues to be harvested from bay waters.

The theatre was built in 1929 for use originally as a town hall. In 1935 movies came to town when motion picture equipment was installed in the building. The structure was severely damaged by fire in 1944. The theatre eventually closed in the 1970's. A non-profit group purchased the structure in 1985, saving it from demolition. Today it has been restored and brings performing arts to the county.

The Chesapeake County Scenic Byway in Maryland receives their designation plaque at the Designation 2002 event at Union Station in Washington DC.

Lovely example of the restored homes that can be seen from the byway.

Seaside golfing attracts travelers to enjoy the links on Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway.

Courthouse of Queen Anne's County built in 1708 and located in Queenstown.

Seasonal soft shell crabbing is a favorite recreational activity.

Osprey and numerous other birds have made a comeback to the Chesapeake Bay's inviting habitats. In this photo, the bird has adapted by building a nest on a metallic man-made structure.

The waters of the Chesapeake Bay is home to any number of great blue and green-backed herons.

The Maryland state flag joins the United States flag in flying proudly over a fishing boat returning from a wonderful day fishing on the tranquil tidal waters of the Chesapeake.

Betterton Beach, located in the town of Betterton at the mouth of the Sassafras River, offers visitors a public park featuring a beautiful vista, nettle-free summer swimming, bath houses, fishing jetty, and picnic areas.

A reproduction of a 1768 merchant schooner that spent 4 years enforcing the infamous "Tea Taxes" for the British Royal Navy along the American coastline from Nova Scotia to the Chesapeake. This boat serves as the ultimate classroom about the history and natural environment of the Chesapeake Bay.

Rows of young green trees relax on the truck bed in this scene from the "Green Industry" prevalent in Chesapeake Country.

A bright green tractor towing specialized no-till equipment prepares the land for spring.

The Queen Anne's County 4-H Park is located on the Chesapeake Country Scenic Byway on Route 18 between Queenstown and Centreville. Being an agricultural county, the 4-H Fair is one of the larger livestock shows for 4-H-ers in the area. Here, 4-H Clovers, ages 5-8, show their hogs in the Fitting and Showmanship category.

Terrapin Nature Park is a beautiful place to see leaves change color for autumn.

Outboard motors, traps, and other marine memorabilia on display at the Queen Anne's County Museum of Eastern Shore Life

The Skipjack Nathan, an iconic fishing boat used on the Chesapeake Bay and its rivers, sails by the Choptank River Lighthouse, a traditional screwpile lighthouse common to the Chesapeake Bay region.

A breathtaking sunset bursts across the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal at the Chesapeake City Bridge. The sailing yacht heads for harbor along the banks of historic South Chesapeake City, half of a town that’s divided by a canal, but connected by a bridge.

Fog shrouds the bottom of the Chesapeake City Bridge over the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal as a sailboat in the foreground is anchored in the calm waters.

Hikers and joggers take off onto one of the scenic trails of historic Mt Harmon Plantation and Nature Preserve featuring scenic waterfront views, pristine open spaces, woods, and wildlife.

Chestertown's waterfront is lined with historic homes, dating to the 18th and 19th century.

Eastern Neck National Wildlife Refuge is surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay and Chester River. The iconic gateway bridge that separates these two bodies of water, is perfect for strolling, fishing, and bird watching.

Bags of flour inside Wye Grist Mill Museum in Wye Mills, MD.

A couple, woman and man, bike along a wooden bridge portion of the cross island trail, that overlooks a picturesque view of the Chester River.

Painter's Range (c.1828), a completely intact log cabin inside the Museum of Rural Life in Denton, MD, depicts the life of "subsistence farmers."

The World War I exhibit in the Museum of Rural Life in Denton, MD, includes stories of romance, letters home, lost lives, recollections and creative wedding gowns on display during fabric rationing. An accompanying movie, Voices from the Great War, is based on letters of Caroline County soldiers in World War I.

A father and young son share a double kayak on the pristine shorelines of the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center.

A Black Heron pauses along the water trail marshes at Blackwater Wildlife Refuge, an important habitat along the Atlantic Flyway, which draws scores of photographers, birdwatchers and naturalists.

The Oxford Ferry, loaded with cars and bicyclists, crosses from Oxford to St. Michaels.

Fireworks fill the sky with a burst color over the Choptank River Lighthouse in Cambridge, MD. The free, annual Fourth of July show, draws hundreds to Long Wharf and the neighboring waterfront parks.

A spectacular pink sunrise lights up the Choptank River Lighthouse and the workboats docked beside it in Cambridge. MD.

Four kayakers explore the water trails in Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County, MD.

A flock of Snow Geese fill the sky over the marshes at Blackwater Wildlife Refuge in Dorchester County, MD. The Refuge is an important habitat for birds along the critical migration path called the Atlantic Flyway.

The craft of wildfowl carving is shared with future generations at the Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art in Wicomico County, MD.

Pemberton Historical Park's 4.5 miles of hiking trails offer a pleasurable recreational experience.

A boy explores one of the many animal exhibits at the Delmarva Discovery Museum in Pocomoke City, MD

A ferry boat, on Smith Island, awaiting passengers for a sunset adventure.