Cambridge in Dorchester County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Turning Numbers into Names
Remembering the Unremembered
The Eastern Shore Hospital Center had its beginning in 1912 as a result of the General Assembly's decision to provide care for the mentally ill residents of the Eastern Shore counties of Maryland. The hospital was built on approximately 250 acres of farmland on the banks of the Choptank River. The ground breaking was in 1913, with the original buildings completed in March 1915. In May of that same year, 203 patients were transferred from Springfield and Spring Grove State Hospitals and Cherry Hill Asylum. The physical growth of hospital buildings continued for several decades and the average population increased steadily to 675-680 patients by 1956. Of this population, 194 patients are laid to rest on these sacred grounds.
Eastern Shore Hospital Center
There's a place by the side of the river
As the Choptank approaches the Bay
Where the wavelets wink at the stars by night
And flash smiles to the sun by day.
For the swans it's a winter haven
When freed from their nesting cares
They join the ducks in their feasting
And gabble of pleasant affiras.
There are souls on the bank of the river
That somehow have lost their way.
In a maze of hate and confusion
Of anger and deep dismay.
For these, too, the place is a haven,
Apartfrom the world's demands.
Click or scan to see
this page online
Here science and human compassion
Reach out many helping hands.
God Bless the place by the river
As the Choptank approaches the Bay!
May the patients that enter in darkness
Go out in the light of the day!
A. May Thompson
Erected by Eastern Shore Hospital Center; Maryland Department of Health; Maryland Heritage Area Authority; Dorchester County; Hyatt Regency.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Science & Medicine. A significant historical month for this entry is March 1915.
Location. 38° 33.823′ N, 76° 3.313′ W. Marker is in Cambridge, Maryland, in Dorchester County. It can be reached from Marsh Elder Drive 0.4 miles north of Heron Boulevard, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Cambridge MD 21613, 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.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Shoal Creek (within shouting distance of this marker); Robbin's Heritage Center (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Stronghouse (approx. 0.3 miles away); Plantation Garden (approx. 0.3 miles away); Goldsborough Stable (approx. 0.3 miles away); LaGrange Plantation (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Meredith House
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 27, 2022
2. The names of the deceased buried nearby
Other markers no longer nearby. Robbins Heritage Center (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Annie Oakley Lived Down The Street (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been permanently removed); Neild Museum (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named Goldsborough Stable (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); Smokehouse / Strong House; Helen C. Barber Herb Garden (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it); a different marker also named Meredith House (was approx. 0.3 miles away but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on August 30, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 30, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 393 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on August 30, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
