Stevensville in Queen Anne's County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Cray House
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 12, 2025
1. Cray House Marker
Inscription.
Cray House. . This National Register site is located on a tract of land once called Steven's Adventure, granted to Francis Stevens in 1694. John Denny, a ship carpenter, mechanic and farmer, constructed the earliest northern part of the house soon after he purchased the property in 1809. It is a rare example of "post and plank" construction. Handsawn logs are inserted into vertical corner posts with mortise and tenon joints, forming the sides of the building. If you look closely, you will see evidence of another vanished wing on the north end of the building. Around 1842 Mary Legg enlarged the dwelling. The house had several owners during the 19th century and was sold at public auction in 1914 to Nora Cray. Cray, a widow, lived in the simple, rustic house with her three children. Her heirs presented the house and lot to the Kent Island Heritage Society in 1975. The Society restored and furnished the house. The meat house in the back, although moved to this site is a rare example of what was once a common feature of houses in the region.
This National Register site is located on a tract of land once called Steven's Adventure, granted to Francis Stevens in 1694. John Denny, a ship carpenter, mechanic and farmer, constructed the earliest northern part of the house soon after he purchased the property in 1809. It is a rare example of "post and plank" construction. Handsawn logs are inserted into vertical corner posts with mortise and tenon joints, forming the sides of the building. If you look closely, you will see evidence of another vanished wing on the north end of the building. Around 1842 Mary Legg enlarged the dwelling. The house had several owners during the 19th century and was sold at public auction in 1914 to Nora Cray. Cray, a widow, lived in the simple, rustic house with her three children. Her heirs presented the house and lot to the Kent Island Heritage Society in 1975. The Society restored and furnished the house. The meat house in the back, although moved to this site is a rare example of what was once a common feature of houses in the region.
Erected by Historic Sites Consortium of Queen Anne's County, Maryland.
38° 58.885′ N, 76° 18.906′ W. Marker is in Stevensville, Maryland, in Queen Anne's County. It is on Cockey Lane north of Love Point Road, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 111 Cockey Lane, Stevensville MD 21666, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on the Eastern Shore. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, on the Delmarva Peninsula, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 10, 2019
3. Additional plaque on the building
Cray House
Early 19th century
Individually listed in the
National Register of Historic Places
Credits. This page was last revised on October 12, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 11, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 490 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on October 12, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on August 11, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
