The "A Day In Chestertown, Maryland: Part II" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Roaming Water Street in the town of Chestertown, MD.  This part of town is known as the Chestertown Historic District and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970.  Chestertown is located on the Chester River on the Eastern Shore of Maryland and was the chief port for tobacco and wheat between 1750 and 1790.  In 1910 a devastating fire ravaged much of Chestertown, but most of the 18th-century homes survived the fire.  After having lunch at the Fish Whistle, which is located at the edge of the Chester River, Carol and I walked a quarter block to the north and began our self-guided tour of the Georgian style town houses. Today I will feature photographs I took along Water Street while tomorrow will feature photos taken throughout the town with some explanation as to the historical implications that the structure held.  If you ever get a chance to visit Chestertown, please do so and examine the buildings I have pictured here.  They are certainly more impressive than what a photo can achieve.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

 

( 3 photos) This home is know as Widehall and is located at 101 N. Water Street.  It was built in 1770 by Thomas Smythe who was a shipbuilder and merchant and perhaps the wealthiest person in Chestertown.  He was head of the Maryland Revolutionary Provisional Government from 1774 until 1776.  The mansion is of Georgian design with a five-bay (5 windows across) facade.  The house's name comes from the large space allotted for the entrance hall and staircase along Water Street.  The house was restored after the Hubbard's purchased it in 1905.  The tall two-story porch on the side of the home yields views of the Chester River.  The top photo is taken from the Chester River side of the house.

(4 photos) 103 North Water Street was built in 1796.  The house was originally five bays and 2 1/2 stories tall, until it later was enlarged to suit the Italianate style and the third story was added.  On the left side of the home is a two-story service wing while on the right side is a two-story oriel, or bay window, that is of the Queen Anne style.  If you look closely at the bottom photo taken of the upper floor, you will see the bricks from the original roofline and how the bricks were added to make it a true 3 story house.  The photo above the bottom one shows what appears to be black nails sticking out from the brick. (click on photos to enlarge)  The house originally had stucco on the surface of the brick.  The black extensions held the stucco in place.  Later the stucco was removed, but the nails remained.

(3 Photos) This home is known as the River House and is located at 107 North Water Street.  It was first owned by Thomas Smythe and is a National Register Landmark dating to 1780.  It is said to be one of the best, if not the best, post-Revolutionary homes in town.  It was built in the Federal Style with Flemish bond brick on the street side and American bond on the sides.  It has a three-story facade above an English basement.  Take a close look at the photos and you will see what is known as a keystone in the center top of all the windows from the basement to the second floor.  The posts in the front of the home are to tie a horse to them.  The bottom photo showing the side yard shows the access to the Chester River immediately behind the home.  There are no windows on either side except for the attic which are characteristics of homes built in Philadelphia.  The paneling and woodwork from a second floor parlor were removed in 1926 and taken to Winterthur Museum in was is now called the "Chestertown Room."

(3 photos) 109 North Water Street is known as the Watkins-Bryan House and was built in 1739 by Esau Watkins.  Mr. Watkins received the land as a wedding gift from his Ringgold inlaws and this home is thought to be perhaps the oldest surviving home on Water Street.  It runs perpendicular to the street and is of Flemish bond brickwork with alternating glazed headers.  Notice the brick pavement which runs the length of  Water Street.

(3 photos) The Perkins House is located at 115 North Water Street and features an all-header-bond-facade with glazed header pattern which can easily be seen in the bottom photo of the home.  The home was more than likely built for Simon Wickes sometime in the late 1700s.  There is a small porch with benches on the front of the home which was known to have existed in the 18th century Chestertown.  The middle photo shows the side yard with a dock along the Chester River.

(2 photos) The Frisby House is located on the town side of Water Street facing the water.  It was located at 110 North Water Street.  For generations it was the only home on that side of the street.  Most of the other land on that side of the street was reserved for gardens.  This house was built in 1770 for the Frisby family and is notable for its wide chimneys which are hard to see in my photos.   The house also features a brick belt between the first and second floors.

(3 photos) These are two views of 201 North Water Street which was built in 1780.  This house stands on the other side of Maple Avenue which is the street that crosses over the Chester River.  It was in 1805 that a wooden bridge was built across the river at the foot of Maple Avenue and this added greater importance to this home.  At the edge of the property once stood a small toll house that collected fees for passage over the bridge until it was made a free passage in 1890 and the toll house was removed. The middle photo shows Maple Avenue that travels between the 100 and 200 blocks of Water Street and is the passageway across the Chester River.  The photo that stood atop my story from yesterday features the bridge.