The original sanctuary was built in 1829 on 1/2 acre of land purchased on September 12 for $50 from Sarah Stewart and Andrew Anderson. That building, constructed from lumber from trees cut from the lot, was moved to another location when the present . . . — — Map (db m3830) HM
A community of free African-Americans had grown up along Old Knight's Road, now Upper Ferry Road, by the 1830's. The first church at this location was built in the autumn of 1864 and was part of the Delaware Conference, organized July 29 of the same . . . — — Map (db m67163) HM
First run 1751, agreed upon 1760 and finally ratified 1769 by King George III, thus ending almost a century of controversy between the proprietors of the two provinces. — — Map (db m168147) HM
In Pre-Revolutionary Colonial America, these monuments marked the South West corner of the Three Lower Counties of the Delaware—at the time a part of the Pennsylvania Colony.
Originally determined by local surveyors (two small . . . — — Map (db m74130) HM
Originally called Disharoon's Cross Roads, Fruitland developed at this intersection of roads leading to Princess Anne, the Pocomoke River, and Salisbury. In 1742 the north and east roads became borders of Worcester County. The first house was built . . . — — Map (db m137735) HM
Now St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church. Parish church of Stepney Parish, which was laid out in 1692. This building erected in 1733 replacing the first building, a log church erected about 1694, which stood about 150 yards north of the present site. — — Map (db m3839) HM
Established here between 1711 and 1725 as a chapel of ease for Green Hill Church (1694) located 8 miles sout on the Wicomico River. The present ediface was completed in 1773 to replace the original structure. Some of the original furnishings still . . . — — Map (db m3842) HM
During the early morning hours of February 3, 1943, the USAT Dorchester was part of a convoy of six ships heading for Greenland when an enemy u-boat attacked, firing a torpedo into the ship's midsection. The Dorchester quickly began taking on water . . . — — Map (db m41887) HM
Telling the story of the beginning of the village from the early 1700's through the mid-20th century with exhibits of the social, economic, & political life of the people who lived in the village and neighboring countryside . . . — — Map (db m190261) HM
Mineral water springs feeding into Barren Creek here were known by the native Americans before settlers came in the 1600's. After the Revolutionary War a veteran built a small tavern beside the largest spring, a site that was one of the . . . — — Map (db m190283) HM
This small chapel-like building on the small rise on the north bank of the Barren Creek was built by 1842, and may have begun life a bit earlier as a school. Land was donated by local farmer Joshua Brattan, one of the important town builders of . . . — — Map (db m190288) HM
The railroad reached the lower Eastern Shore in 1860 when the Eastern Shore Railroad Co. reached Salisbury from Northern Delaware. But trains didn't reach Barren Creek Springs until 30 years later when the Baltimore Eastern Shore RR came down from . . . — — Map (db m190294) HM
This store was built by Joshua Brattan before 1838 and at that time was just one story, measuring 16' × 22'. Unlike most buildings in town it was built with a basement. In 1850 it was purchased by Thomas Taylor who had worked at a clerk in the . . . — — Map (db m190265) HM
This is one of the oldest buildings in town and has a special and historical significance. Joseph Brattan built this home ca. 1840 on a tract, "Ill Neighborhood", owned by the Brattan family since the 1700s. At the time he also ran the nearby . . . — — Map (db m190282) HM
In the 1840s Baltimore, Washington, and other area urban centers suddenly were opened to local farmers' crops, timber— even holly wreaths — due to the coming of regular steamboat routes on the Bay. The railroad's arrival in 1890 resulted in even . . . — — Map (db m190281) HM
Built in 1914, this home was owned by Mr. & Mrs. Samuel Graham until it later became the home of the Norman Whitelock family. It shares many of the same Victorian architectural features of other houses homes built in the "boom" period in . . . — — Map (db m190264) HM
At the end of the Civil War, Maryland wrote a new state Constitution which included establishment of the first public School system, and created the new county of Wicomico; what followed in the 1870's was a flurry of school building. . . . — — Map (db m190266) HM
The Bacon Family were early settlers of Barren Creek Springs in the late 1700s. By the later 1800s descendant James Bacon had become a successful businessman and family man. The family's status was visible in James' new home seen here, as the . . . — — Map (db m190262) HM
Built in 1905, there have been few changes since it served as a livery stable, operated by "Billie" Wilson. It had eight horse stalls on one side, a corner office and storage for carriages and harnesses and a loft for corn and oats. Just as it was . . . — — Map (db m190290) HM
This building began as local craftsman Thomas Windsor's backyard carpentry shop, just west of here on Main Street in the late 1800s Upon his death in 1901, the building was sold to Wicomico County and moved to its current location to be used for tax . . . — — Map (db m190292) HM
This stone was one of many brought to America about 1767 to mark the boundary between Maryland and Delaware, then part of Pennsylvania. This one, never used, later was found and kept safe.
In 2005 it was donated to Westside Historical . . . — — Map (db m3847) HM
This small building originally was a tool shed used by railroad workers in the late 1800s / early 1900s. When the Adkins living history complex was beginning to take form, the workmen's sheds were adapted to serve as exhibit buildings.
A . . . — — Map (db m190280) HM
In 1869 George Bounds and Thomas B. Taylor took the lead in building this church, and opened it in 1871. The center section was built first, and in 1906 an education wing was built on the east side. A new educational building with large kitchen and . . . — — Map (db m190263) HM
A Revolutionary War veteran built a tavern/inn on this site ca. 1795, prospering from being on the main "post road" to all points south, and the popular mineral water springs! The building grew, eventually to three stories with stables and . . . — — Map (db m190284) HM
This building, a renovated office used by a railroad contractor from the early 1900s, now serves as a reminder of Dr. Lemuel Brattan's office. Brattan, one of the town's founding families in the early 1800s, decided at age 28, to quit keep his . . . — — Map (db m190279) HM
…were a watering place for the Native American Puckamees (Nanticokes) who lived here, hunted the deer and other wildlife, fished the stream, and traded furs to the earliest European settlers in the mid-1600s.
…provided cool refreshment for . . . — — Map (db m190287) HM
Young's Purchase House was built between 1820 and 1830, according to architectural historians. It was moved to this site from a nearby farm, built on a tract called "Young's Purchase," patented in 1720 by William Young. The land grant included land . . . — — Map (db m190267) HM
Young's Purchase Home 1724. Gravenor-English School 1857. Presented by Maryland Society, John Waller Chapter, National Society, Colonial Dames XVII Century. — — Map (db m3855) HM
The tidal and non-tidal wetlands, upland forest, coastal dunes, and beach of this treasure of the Nanticoke River provide habitat for white-tailed deer, osprey, migratory and year-round resident birds, and nesting diamond back terrapins. Please help . . . — — Map (db m45252) HM
Roaring Point Park provides a wonderful view of the lower Nanticoke River, as it widens to reach Tangier Sound and the Chesapeake Bay. The Nanticoke River was for centuries an important native American homeland. After Jamestown was founded, the . . . — — Map (db m45253) HM
In the colonial period, the safety of drinking water was uncertain, so people drank cider, wine, and distilled spirits instead. Each plantation made its own beverages. A cider press extracted juice from fruit. The cider could be consumed as is or . . . — — Map (db m39841) HM
Isaac Handy designed Pemberton Hall to impress his neighbors. At the time, over 90 percent of people in the Chesapeake region lived in small, low, clapboard houses, about half the size of the Great Room of Pemberton Hall. Building a brick, . . . — — Map (db m39849) HM
Beneath these waters lie the buried timbers of the oldest documented wharf of its kind in the United States. The timbers date back to 1746 when Colonel Isaac Handy built a 200-food bulkhead wharf here at Mulberry Landing. Colonel Handy had a . . . — — Map (db m39847) HM
The Alligator has remained unchanged from its prehistoric ancestors, dating to thirty-five million years ago. Reaching a length of over eighteen feet and weighing up to 500 pounds, the Alligator can be distinguished by its broad, rounded nose. In . . . — — Map (db m190320) HM
The Bison is the largest land animal in North America. The males may weigh up to 2,500 pounds, and both sexes have horns.
Distribution: Formerly inhabitants of the central plains and prairies of North America, they are now restricted to . . . — — Map (db m190318) HM
The apple trees you see here are a reminder that fruit orchards were an essential part of Chesapeake Bay plantation life in the 18th century. Apples, peaches, and pears were on the daily menu for plantation residents. The abundant fruit was also . . . — — Map (db m39848) HM
From the beach area you can watch the geese, ducks, and other waterfowl both on the pond and on land. They use the beach to come on shore to rest, eat, and nest. You may also watch the resident Great Blue Herons as they fish in the shallow water . . . — — Map (db m79223)
Beavers are the largest rodents in North America. They are characterized by their dark brown fur, webbed hind feet, and a naked, scaly tail that is shaped like a paddle. Beavers gnaw down small trees, which they use to create tick-and-mud dams . . . — — Map (db m190317) HM
Built in 1838, the Chipman Center is the oldest standing African-American church on Delmarva. It occupies the site of a former open meadow where slaves gathered for worship services conducted by Methodist circuit riders. In 1837 five local freedmen . . . — — Map (db m41874) HM
Here, on the dry side of the path, the plants have created a thicket, an almost impenetrable spot of woods. The thicket is full of sharp thorns, prickers, poison ivy, berry bushes and greenbrier.
Dry thickets provide a special nursery for birds and . . . — — Map (db m79227)
These trees, shrubs, bushes, and vines often have more extensive root systems than plants deeper in the wetland woods. They can hold the soil in place more effectively and offer a valuable front-line protective barrier for the pond edge and the . . . — — Map (db m79228)
Born near Nanticoke, John Henry Winder was successively a graduate and instructor at West Point. A veteran of the Seminole and Mexican wars, Gen. Winder joined the Confederacy in 1861, and eventually directed all Confederate military prisons east of . . . — — Map (db m3858) HM
Authorized by act of Assembly 1706 (one of 6 ports) "where vessels shall unlade Negroes wares merchandizes and commodities" 100 acres to be laid out in lots with open spaces left for church, market place, and public buildings. Present church built . . . — — Map (db m19236) HM
"The midnight sky and the silent stars have been the witness of your devotion to freedom and of your heroism," wrote fellow abolitionist and Eastern Shore native Frederick Douglass of Harriet Tubman. A Civil War nurse, scout, spy, military . . . — — Map (db m51021) HM
To honor and commemorate all Wicomico County citizens whose valor and sacrifice in defense of our country must never be forgotten. "All gave some - some gave all." Those listed here gave all.
Dedicated on May 26, 2003 by the Wicomico County War . . . — — Map (db m41906) WM
Original building of the Salisbury State Normal School, the first public institution on the Eastern Shore for the training of teachers for Maryland's public schools. Opened in 1925 and expanded in 1928 and 1932, it was until 1950 the only building . . . — — Map (db m39783) HM
175 acres, purchased May 25, 1926, from L. Atwood Bennett, attorney for mortgagee; from hunter’s license fund for the purpose of propagating game. — — Map (db m4388) HM
Lynching in America
After the Civil War, violent resistance to equal rights for African Americans and an ideology of white supremacy led to fatal violence against Black women, men, and children who were frequently falsely accused of violating . . . — — Map (db m190313) HM
If you had stood here 250 years ago, you would likely have seen cattle grazing in the tidal marshlands. The area between the mainland and Bell Island was known as "Handy's Meadow." Following Colonel Handy's death in 1762, his three sons continued to . . . — — Map (db m39844) HM
Established by ordinance in 1975, Newtown is distinguished by residential reconstruction after the two severe fires in 1860 and 1886. The district contains fine Victorian architecture and a notable example of the Federal period, Poplar Hill Mansion, . . . — — Map (db m168242) HM
Established by ordinance in 1975, Newtown is distinguished by residential reconstruction after the two severe fires in 1860 and 1886. The district contains fine Victorian architecture and a notable example of the Federal period, Poplar Hill Mansion, . . . — — Map (db m168243) HM
Whenever people, through building, agriculture forestry, or other means, disturb land there are certain plants that take advantage of the disturbed soil. These plants are known as "invasives." Often they can take over an area and crowd out other . . . — — Map (db m79215)
From the deck you see several important shallow water plants. Most visible is the broad leaved cattail with its brown, cigar-like top. In the spring, there is a yellow top above the brown. The thin, tall native plant with the pinkish-purple flowers . . . — — Map (db m79222)
The land for the original portion of the cemetery was bequeathed by Benjamin Parsons to Saint Peter's Protestant Episcopal Church. The first plat was recorded in 1873 showing the location of the burial plot of the Parsons Family. Additional lands . . . — — Map (db m45249) HM
Built in 1741 by Col. Isaac Handy, planter, lawyer, founder of Salisbury and officer of the local militia during the Revolution. He had operated a lumber business at Handy's Landing at the head of the Wicomico River where in 1732, Salisbury Town was . . . — — Map (db m3856) HM
Pemberton Hall is gambrel-roofed, three room plan house built in 1741. It is distinguished by Flemish bond brickwork with glazed header patterning, plastered cove cornices and extensive original mid-eighteenth century interior woodwork and . . . — — Map (db m79169) HM
Like most Chesapeake plantations, Pemberton used a wide range of domestic animals for food, clothing, transportation, and commercial products. Most animals served multiple purposes. Cattle provided milk, meat, hides to tan, and cattle horns for . . . — — Map (db m39851) HM
"Poplar Hill Mansion" (traditional name thought to be of nineteenth century origin) was built ca 1805. It was accepted for the National Register of Historic Places on October 7, 1971. The property was purchased by the State of Maryland in 1974 and . . . — — Map (db m3841) HM
One-room schoolhouse built for the community of Rockawalkin. It held grades 1 through 7. Later 1 through 5. Located on northeast corner of Maryland Route 349 and Rockawalkin Road, it was abandoned as a school in 1939. Moved to this location, 1973. — — Map (db m3845) HM
Signer of the Declaration of Independence
Judge of the General Court of MD 1781.
Judge of Baltimore County Court 1793.
Judge of the U.S. Supreme Court 1796. — — Map (db m73049) HM
The present St. Peter's Church is the third building to stand on this site.
St. Peter's Church was built as a chapel on a a two-acre site. It was completed in 1772, at a cost of 600 English pounds, and measured 45 feet by 65 feet. Many knew it . . . — — Map (db m3861) HM
Like most 18th-century plantations in the Chesapeake region, Pemberton Hall Plantation depended on slave labor. Between 1700 and 1740, some 54,000 slaves were brought to the Chesapeake region. When Isaac Handy died in 1762, records show that he . . . — — Map (db m39850) HM
Wicomico County War Memorial was designed by Mr. James K. Agnew a local citizen and constructed in 1955 with help and support of the local American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts at a time loses of some of our Nations most hard-fought . . . — — Map (db m142712) WM
Our little Zoo has a very unique story. Records show that the Salisbury Zoo was established in 1954. Before our Zoo became a zoo it was a marshy area flooded by a dam that created Humphrey's pond. The City of Salisbury purchased the 168 acre . . . — — Map (db m190323) HM
On October 17, 1886 a small fire was discovered at Toadvine's Livery Stable on Dock Street, now Market Street. Fire spread very rapidly and eventually consumed 200 buildings including most of the commerical district. Soon after the fire began, . . . — — Map (db m3860) HM
For millennia before Europeans arrived, the Chesapeake region was home to Native Americans and to a rich diversity of wildlife. Black bears and wolves roamed the woods while beaver, muskrat and otters foraged the wetlands. Schools of sturgeon, perch . . . — — Map (db m39846) HM
This road connected Pemberton Hall Plantation to two places of interest to Colonel Isaac Handy. It led to Handy Hall, the neighboring plantation which Isaac gave to his son George in 1750, and to Salisbury Town, which Colonel Handy helped to . . . — — Map (db m39843) HM
In memory and recognition of all who served
W.W. I
1917 - 1918
Dedicated to those who served in the Great War, the War to End All Wars, the War of the Trenches. In memory of all the thousands who gave their lives this plaque is also . . . — — Map (db m190309) WM
The water here is still relatively shallow, but deeper than the wetlands we saw upon entering the walkway. Bluegills, bass and pickerel hide in the overhanging bushes. The types of plants along the edge vary with the depth of the water. There are . . . — — Map (db m79220)
Welcome to the Ward Museum of Waterfowl Art Norman Glenn Nature Trail. The trail runs along the western side of Schumaker Pond, one of the five headwaters of the Chesapeake Bay. Along the pond you can fish, bird watch, picnic and more. It also . . . — — Map (db m79221)
Step back in time to the 18th century. Imagine a prosperous plantation growing grain, tobacco and flax, operating small industries and shipping the products to colonial ports and to England. This was Pemberton Hall Plantation in the mid 1700s. . . . — — Map (db m3859) HM
In the summer of 2007, eleven boys from West Salisbury Little League embarked on a spiritual journey that captured the hearts and minds of our town and surrounding communities. The journey began in June 2007, where they were assembled together for . . . — — Map (db m43737) HM
The wetlands in the Chesapeake Bay watershed are some of the richest, most productive ecosystems in the world. They may be fresh-water, brackish, or salty and are the home and the breeding grounds of extensive numbers of our most important Bay . . . — — Map (db m79216)
On March 12, 1672, Somerset County granted Presbyterians permission to conduct regular services on the Wicomico River. The first church located six miles down river, was one of five churches organized by Francis Mackemie in 1683. It moved to . . . — — Map (db m3828) HM
Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art
The Ward Museum of Wildfowl Art exhibits the most comprehensive collection of wildfowl carving and art in the world.
Named for Lem and Steve Ward of Crisfield, Maryland, whose skill and vision elevated . . . — — Map (db m190315) HM
Wetlands, interspersed with sections of high ground, mark the banks of the Wicomico River as it flows into Chesapeake Bay. These wetlands are vital to the ecosystem, providing habitat for a host of organisms. Wetlands help to filter pollutants from . . . — — Map (db m39845) HM
This area was developed thanks to the efforts of the local Boy Scouts to provide a protected area from which to watch the birds. Watch how the different waterfowl feed. Some "stand on their head", tail-up to nibble on the underwater plants. Others . . . — — Map (db m79225)
Wetland is an area where the primary factor controlling the plants and animals is water. In wetland woods, conditions during the year may be wet enough that only certain trees, shrubs, and other plants may survive. Our wetland woods area is just . . . — — Map (db m79217)
Since World War I, more than 90,000 American soldiers are unaccounted for.
This unoccupied seat is dedicated to the memory of those brave men and women and to the sacrifices each made in serving this country.
God bless you. God bless . . . — — Map (db m190312) WM
Built in 1919 under the Rosenwald School building program, a major effort to improve public education for African Americans in the early 20th century south. First administered by Tuskegee Institute under Booker T. Washington, the program combined . . . — — Map (db m39834) HM
The first school at this location, built around 1875, was a single story, one-room plan frame building that served the Sharptown District for over forty years. Built in 1919 to replace the first school, this two-story, hip roofed frame structure was . . . — — Map (db m39835) HM
What is a "Living Shoreline?" A natural shoreline with a gradual transition between the bank and water's edge. Typically, planted with native (plants common to the local area) trees, shrubs and grasses - living shorelines do not end abrubtly at . . . — — Map (db m39837) HM
Ferry operated here as early as 1692. Settlers were led by Col. George Gale of Whitehaven in the North of England. His first wife, Mildred Warner Washington who by previous marriage was George Washington's grandmother, lived nearby before her death . . . — — Map (db m3864) HM
