East New Market, Maryland
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[edit] History
Long referred to as Newmarket or New Market, the town arose from its beginnings in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries to be a social and commercial center serving the hinterland of the northern region of Dorchester County, Maryland, into the early twentieth century. It was an early local for education, and a hub in the rise of Methodism as a majority denomination in the region which in turn led to one of the state's largest free-black populations per capita. This was due in part to the Methodist discipline of freeing slaves ... a belief which later led to a fundamental split in that church.
The town was a focal point of activity during the American Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the American Civil War. The granaries of Col. James Sulivane (commissary officer during the American Revolutionary War) and a regiment of militia known as the "New Market Blues" were integral to the County's as well as the colony's/State's efforts in the revolution. Now known for an unusually broad spanse of architectural styles primarily arising from the late 18th through the early 20th centuries, the town's history spans a period from the pre-Columbian to the modern. Much of the native American Indian is believed to be lost. Sitting on an Indian path from the Choptank Indian "Fort", this same route placed the community at the near center of commercial crossroads of the Eastern Shore of Maryland until the 1930's and the opening of the "Governor Emerson C. Harrington Bridge" in Cambridge. Until the construction of that bridge the town of East New Market had sat upon the main north-south road of the "Eastern Shore" of Maryland. A history of boarding houses, hotels and other such facilities serving traveler and resident is replet in the town's history until that routing became secondary as too circuitous by comparison to the new more direct path from Easton to Cambridge and on to Salisbury otherwise now known as U.S. Route 50. The "Bramble House", the '"Old Brick Hotel"' and '"The Chesadale"' are three of the names that cover over a century of hosting to the traveler along the road and from the subsequent rail line that also traveled North / South stopping at the depot on the eastern edge of the town.
Originally settled by colonists at what had become the juncture of several plantation farms the name for the town itself comes from a land patent and resurvey granted by patent from the Lord proprietor's land office to James Sullivane in May of 1776 just prior to the issuance of the American Declaration of Independence as "Newmarket". Some of the older grant names were "York", "Bath", "Westward", "Buckland", "Bukland Regulated", "Debate", "Debated Enlarged", "Melville's Meadow", "Sullivane's Meadow", "Hooper's Outlet", and "Anderton's Desire". At this point several of the more prominent families and their homes were located in the midst of what is now the town. A series of land transactions by purchase, marriage and inheritance over a number of years had put parts of many earlier grants in the hands of Sullivane. With these various parcels Sullivane created a single tract for which the new survey or re-survey was granted. This also eliminated some overlaps brought about by earlier survey and other error as all of the subject lands where the disputes might arise were now owned by him. From this larger tract, a smaller narrowing section, where maning of the confluences occurred, the town evolved.
In one section of the new resurvey Sullivane changed the course of the road that constitutes the southern portion of the main street from its current intersection (Md. routes 14 and 16 as of 2006 C.E.) to a subsequent bend and now fork in that road. On either side of this section of the newly relocated road he created a series of numbered lots and sold them off as building lots. The vacant lots ran from just south of what is now the intersection of Md. Rt.s 16 and 14 to a bend of the main St. leading out of town and towards Cambridge. The date of the first structure while predating the resurvey and the creation of these building lots, is not know. The oldest extant structure of European origins may extend back to the 1690's as part of a larger "newer" structure (1790's) known by various names such as "Temperance House", "The Old Brick Hotel", "Mitchell-Daffin House". or "House of the Hinges". Only two structures (as of this writing) are definitively shown to predate the resurvey. These two are "Friendship Hall" and "Buckland" each of which date to the mid 18th century.
Early histories have erroneously ascribed all the of the great early homes to the Sullivane family (spellings vary). Such works as "Jone's History of Dorchester County"'', and "The Laskowski Papers"'', are rife with error, and inacuarcy. Even work by the noted colonial architectural historian Foreman are repleat with historical inaccuracies as to ownership and other such non-architectural attributions. Despite such errors, closer examination reveal an even richer, deeper and more interesting story about a community that has been diverse, stable, progressive, far-sighted and which held far greater sway for the better part of two and a half centuries than one would associate with or ascribe to any community of such small size.
The greater area was the home of Civil War-era and Union-sympathizer Maryland Governor Thomas Holiday Hicks. Hicks served as Sheriff, and Registrar in the office of "The Register of Wills" before being elected Governor of the State of Maryland. He was one of the last nationally prominent Whig'' office holders. Later, as a member of the American Nativist Party (sometomes known as the "No Nothing Party"''') and served as Governor of Maryland and as a United States Senator the last two years of his life. It is due primarily to his efforts as Governor that Maryland was held back from secession and remained in the Union. His efforts to avoid conflict between Federal Volunteer Trrops of the 16th Massachusetts'' ultimately resulted in the federal occupation of the City of Baltimore thus imnadvertantly guaranteeing Union control of the city (then 4th largest in the nation) and its crucial rail centers.
When Did It Become A Town?
The first evidence of any incorporation comes in a state statute from 1803 where the town is given authority to control the ranging about of certain livestock. While this is not the granting of a town charter per se, the wording evidences that indeed there already existed a body of incorporated municipal leadership and raises the possibility of an ecev earlier charter.
As a formal entity the town is known to have been in existence as a town certainly as early as 1783 when the State Legislature authorized the payment for a road "... from the main road from New-market to Vienna to the grist-mill of Michael Hall Bonwill, and thence till it intersect the main road from Cambridge to Vienna." ("Hanson's Laws of Maryland 1763-1784, Volume 203, Page 361, 1783, CHAP. XIV"). In 1803 the State Legislature passes a law authorizing the corralling of sine and geese running free "within the limits of said town " and providing for fines, etc.. ("1802 NOVEMBER. LAWS OF MARYLAND, ROBERT BOWIE, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR, CHAP, LXX"''; Passes 8th of January, 1803) The use of the term town and limits are terms of art as shown in contemporary gazetteers of the period in which the word village and town bore reference to population size and status of incorporation
1805 saw the State Legislature empowered the Levy Court for Dorchester County authorized to appoint a baliff for "New-Market" specifying qualifications for the office and enumerating powers and the extent of jurisdiction which was to extend three miles from the limits of the "village". (LAWS OF MARYLAND, NOVEMBER 1804 ~ ROBERT BOWIE, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR, CHAP, LXX; Passed Jan. 19, 1805) Here again the term of art reeferences "limits" which are used only in incorporated towns and must exist to specify jurisdictional limits and the points from which they may extend.
In 1832 the first formal charter incorporating the town is found. Incorporated under the name of "East new Market". This by no means that this was the first incorporation but rather the first that can be found. Boundaries for the town were set at 1/2 mile as measured from an intersection of what was called LeCompte's Tavern. ('1832 LAWS OF MARYLAND, JAMES THOMAS, ESQUIRE, GOVERNOR; Session Laws, 1832 Volume 547, Page 174 CHAPTER 167; Passed Mar. 7, 1833'''''). Later, a reincorporation in 1860 reduced the limits to 1/3 of a mile but still measured from "...the tavern house known as " James Lecompte's" or the " frame tavern" each way;..." (The Maryland Code : Public General Laws and Public Local Laws, 1860 Volume 145, Volume 2, ART. 10.] DORCHESTER COUNTY. EAST NEW MARKET. Sections 133 through 146 Page 523 – 525, incl.)
The idea of tracing the towns imcorporation date is not dissimilar from Dorchester County itself which traces its establishment from 1668 and the issuance of a writ from the Governor's council to the Sheriff of Dorsett. The formal setting aside of the county has been lost.
The appelation"East" had been added in 1827 with the establishment of a post office. The change was made by the United States Postal System to distinguish it from the New Market(s) in Frederick, Baltimore, Kent, and Talbot Counties Maryland as well as from several others up and down the Atlantic seaboard. It is interesting to note that among most long time residents the emphasis upon the pronunciation of the town's name is on the word New perhaps reflecting the pronunciation of the original name.
A committed forward thinking leadership remained active over the expanse of time. By the outbreak of the First World War the town already had its first bank, electric company, water company, and fire brigade. It had its own sanitary sewer system by the 1930's.
Rise of Methodism
With a congregation dating back to the period prior to the "Christmas Conference of 1784", the first Methodist meeting house in the town was established in 1810 and known as "Union Chapel". Francis Asbury, 1st Bishop of the American Methodist (Episcopal) Church held quarterly conference there and noted in his journal enemy activity locally during the "War of 1812". The chapel was built with an adjoining graveyard. A Greek revival structure was built ca. 1848 at new location in the town and named "Trinity" replacing "Union Chgapel" and with a separate cemetery on the town's outskirts established which some have come to believe was inspired by the "Cemetery Movement" of the period.
Members of the Methodist movement had, from early on met in various places ranging from the homes of members to meeting houses provided for their use. From such a congration, meeting in the home of one "Brother Ayers", the cogregation gave rise to the seat of the Dorschester Circuit when it was formally created in 1804. From that circuit various circuits were latercarved but records, as was customary church practice, always remained with the church that sat as the seat of the circuit. In this case seat of The Dorchester Circuit was with the congregation in Newmarket with ists place of worship at Union Chapel and ots later successor Trinity. Thus it is in effect the "mother circuit? to all others set off from the Dorchester Circuit.
The Greek revival structure was, by oral tradition, greatly altered on the interior when a major wing was added ca. 1912. Supposedly a balcony was remoced, new stained glass windows added, and coal oil lamps replaced, pressed tin ceiling and wall coveringd above beaded tongue and groove wainscoating installed, and a split chancel rail floor plan adopted and choir box added. The original exterior design remained fundamentally unalteredand the new wing continued the Greek revival look of the original.
In addition to the Methodist denomination, an Anglican Chapel was known to have been built in 1791 under the auspices of James Sullivane. The original chapel and graveyard established by the Methodist congregation continued to be used by the local Episcopal congregation as its second location until the building of its third and current church, St. Stephen's Church, in 1893 on the northern end of the town's main street. The 'Methodist Protestant Church', 'Baptist Church' 'German Evangelical and Reformed Church'', and 'Lutheran Church, have also served in the community.
Reading, Writing, and 'rithmatic''
Various types of schools and academies serve the community and a far wider reach than might be imagined for a town who's core population remained relatively stable for close to two centuries. The earliest school was chartered by the state in 1818, and others public and private, male and female, white and black followed. The two main scools came about in 1878-80 and in 1912.
1819 was a remarkable year in education for the area. On February 6th of that year the New-Market Academy was incorporated. Only 5 days later the law providing for the free public school system in Dorchester County was passed and naming the Commissioners for the same. In 1829 the State Legislature provided for an annual payment of $200.oo to the Academy and the Academy was reincorporated in 1830. An additional statute made it clear that the annual allocation for the Newmarket Academy was not to be considered as part of the funding for the free school system. It is interesting to note in passing that these respective acts were passed under the governorshops of Charles Goldsborough, native to Dorchester County, and Thmas King Carroll who had strong family ties with the county. In 1850 the New-market Academy and the county free schools were joined by the East Newmarket Female Seminary.
The Third Academy
In a series of articles published in the weekly newspaper “Democrat and News” (D. & N.) the basic origins of the third school built in East New Market can be followed. The articles are in effect the minutes if the Dorchester County School Board that were published subsequent to the board’s meetings and appear to be reprinted in whole without comment or editing by the newspaper itself.
At the February 14, 1912'''''' meeting of the board (as reported in the minutes published on the 16th in the “D. & N.”) two residents of the town identified in the minutes only as Messers Demott, and Clifton appeared complaining of sanitary conditions. They urged the construction of a new school for the “accommodation and comfort” of the community.
It appears that at the time the board appointed from the respective communities members of the local citizenry to positions that oversaw the schools within the community in the event there were needs or problems. These appointees were referred to as trustees and reported to the members of the board. It is not entirely clear whether Messers and Demott and Clifton were in fact the referenced trustees. As the Secretary to the board was instructed to interview the trustees and report back it seems reasonable to infer that they were not. At the same meeting it is made clear that should a new school be in fact needed that a bond would have to be authorized by the state legislature as the board itself had no independent funds for such an undertaking.
By the April 23rd, 1912 meting the state legislature had in fact passed the authorization for a $10,000 bond but the Board had not issued them. “A delegation composed of Messers William E. Johnson, Frederick Wright, Charles Meyers, Samuel J. T. Smith, and Otis Bramble from East New Market was present and requested the Board take action…” which they the proceed to do per the May 3rd issue of the “D. & N.” in that very session. The 21st of May was set for the deadline for bids.
Six bids were received and opened by the building committee as reported in the June 14th issue in the “D. & N.” with bids ranging from a high bid of $12,990.oo from Daniel Harding, Baltimore to a low of $9,996.oo from A. O. German, of Hurlock. The building committee did not award the contracts deciding instead to consult with the project architect one Mr. Charles G. Fisher of Milford, Delaware.
Two very interesting item appear in the “D.& N.’s” July 19th’s report of the July 16th meeting. First, the final award of the contract was announced apparently after some negotiating to A. O. German, the successful bid being some $526.00 less than the original bid reported in the June 14th issue.
Second, the school board approved the payment to S. J. T. Smith [Samuel J. T. Smith]' of $150.00 for having Mr. LeRoy Lankford move the old East New Market School. Payment of $150.oo to W. E. Johnson, president of the building committee, to the order of the project architect was also ordered.
A point of confusion arises here per a conversation with the late Reuben Clauser from the 1960’s. In that conversation with Kirk L. Hurley, Mr. Clauser recalled being chased around the old school building in a game of tag during which he ran into the scaffolding surrounding the new brick structure. The question arises as to whether there was a delay in the moving of the school or some other explanation. It remains unanswered at this point
The last public high school in the town ceased operation when it was merged in 1954 with the school population of two other rural high schools (Hurlock High School, and Vienna High School) to form North Dorchester High School under its first Principal, Charles F. Hurley, Sr.. The elementary school was merged in the late 1970's with that of the adjoining town of Secretary in that town.
It is immediately evident from these recitations that this community was one of prosperity with a forward thinking population. Among the most progressive of these was C. Edwinn Bell (Cyrus Edwin Bell) who, after the "great fire" of 1914'', persuaded the town to build its own water system. Fresh potable water was and is drawn from acquifers and delivered to each home and business. A system of fire hydrants was also installed. The efforts at the last quarter of the 20th century to revamp the system saw that the pipes had been placed at a death that even modern the road reconstruction of the early 1960's and subsequent traffic had not disrturbed them and that provision had been made at the initial installation of the system, off of each major line, for expansion of the system concomitant to the hoped for and expected town's growth in poplulation when it came.
The supposition (infra) that the retention of such a major number of old buildings in whole or in part dating in some cases as far back as the latter part of the seventeenth century was due wholly or significantly to the lack of financial resources and economic procpects of the community is correct only due to many factors such as the severe and lasting effect of the economic collapse suffered by the United States in general during the "Great Depression". The failure of the steam ship lines (which had by the 1920's and 1930's been acquired by the railroads) came at a time when there were insufficient resources, public or private) and subsequently the decline and loss of profitability by the railroads marked a period in which the entire region of the "Eastern Shore" fell into decline and obscurity. For such a small town to have achieved and maintained so much is truly remarkable. Only the county seat of Cambridge with a population vastly larger by comparison could boast so many municipal achievements so early for so long.
In 1880, four years after the nation's centennial, the town's population stood at 242 with no comparable data from the 1870 census. With East New Market and Cambridge as the only two communities set out in the census report, the picture of a rurl agraian and aqua-cultural county is complete. The report notes that the election district had a total population of 2498. This represented an increase in the districts's tottal population by 151. This is remarkable when noting that a significant portion of the district was lost prior to the census due to the creation of the 14th or Linkwood Election District.
Population counts for the town showed 1,267 in 1900 (all statistics per U.S. Census Bureau as reported by minor civil division per respective census.). By comparison the population of the village of Secretary was 410. There were 721 persons in the East New Market election district living outside the town limits. The village of Hurlock, which had by 1900 been made part of the new 15th election district subsequent to the 1890 census, had a population of 280. In '1910' the election district's total population was 2,068 with the town proper showing a decrease in population to 880 and Secretary's at 409. Hurlock had grown to 516. By '1930' the entire East New Market Election district had a total population of 1,800 of which 940 are noted as rural farm population. No separate town figures are shown. In 1920 the total for the district had reached 2008 without breaking down the totals for the town of East New Market nor the Village of Secretary. The Town of East New Market's total was 153 at the 1990 census, and 167 at the '''2000''' census. The 2005 estimate is 245.
This decline in population over the past century reflects the national trends as shown the same respective census reports of declines in family sizes and the shift of the population to a more urbanized society with its concomitant economic offerings and social advantages. That in combination with the effects of a World War, the economic devastation and the resulting isolation of what had been a thriving economic community and other factors saw the decline ensue. The more recent upsurge appears to be part and parcel of a general trend in growth for the entire region primarily consisting of older retireing couples relocating to the area.
[[Maryland Route 16]] and [[Maryland Route 14]] intersect in the middle of the town. Maryland route 392 is a bypass cunstructed in the early 1950's connecting Md. Rt. 16 from its southern approach to the town around to Md. Rt. 14 at the eastern outskirts of the town and then proceeds noetheasterly in a straight line to the town of Hurlock. The zip code is 21631.
[edit] Geography
East New Market is located at (38.596219, -75.923613)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²), all land.
East New Market consists of about seventy-five buildings that represent a variety of eighteenth, nineteenth, and twentieth century architectural styles. The earliest known survey of the town that records standing structures is that which was published in a Dorchester County atlas in 1877. Most of the buildings recorded in this atlas remain today, a feature probably attributable to the fact that little later development occurred. A great number of the buildings are private residences; only about ten are utilized commercially and these are concentrated at the junction of the two main streets, an area long utilized for this purpose.
Almost all of the buildings, with the exception of those commercially oriented, are located on large tree-shaded lots, set back at varying distances from the public roads. Between the front of the lots and the now paved streets are brick walks that were installed in 1884. In many cases these walks have been covered as a result of poor drainage primarily caused by a major reconstruction of Md. Rt 14 during the early 1960's, but all exist intact a short distance below ground level. In 2006, a 5 million dollar streetscape project will restore the brick sidewalks and add period street lighting. The streets of East New Market are lined by a variety of lofty trees, an aesthetically pleasing feature that adds great visual charm and physical continuity to the village. The lands surrounding the town remain open and are cultivated yearly, a characteristic feature of many Eastern Shore communities.
Early maps of the region, including that prepared by Augustine Hermann, records the existence of an Indian village and fort not far from this location, but as the area became colonized these original inhabitants were forced to live on a reservation set aside for their use and located between East New Market and Secretary. Artifacts relating to this culture continue to be unearthed.
East New Market was evidently moderately prosperous throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The last quarter of the eighteenth century, a period when many of the village’s better houses (Friendship Hall, House of the Hinges, Buckland, The Edmondson House, the Manning Cottage, the Smith Cottage, and others) were built, however, must have been a period of greater economic stability and growth. In the later part of the nineteenth century a second rise in relative prosperity occurred, undoubtedly the result of the opening of a railroad to the east of the village. The railroad gave the village greater value as an economic center and it was at this time that there was an apparent rise in commercial industry, including the establishment of two fruit and vegetable houses.
By the late 1880s East New Market had established itself as a viable part of the county’s economic stability. At this time the town adopted it's at least second town charter, several of the older homes were modernized, and several large homes, reflecting tastes popular at that time, were built. As there were also four long established and active churches in the town, all representing different faiths, the town was considered a center of religious activity as well.
However, by the close of the first quarter of the twentieth century the importance of the town waned in the light a decreasing hinterland, and growth of nearby Cambridge as small port and center of industry as well as serving as the county seat. Although by the 1930s the town still retained a large percentage of its buildings, a declining population was accompanied by declining commercial activity which in turn saw the village quietly slip into relative obscurity.
East New Market remains today much as it was at the time of its 1884 re-incorporation, probably due to the fact that development has been minimized by the modest economic resources of the region as well as its relative isolation from the rest of the state following the "Great Depression" and the post World War II recovery. Therefore, East New Market has escaped disruption from over-expansion while still maintaining itself as a comfortable community with an interesting history.
As a community that remains so well preserved, it deserves continued maintenance to insure against possible encroachment as adjacent towns expand and farms are subdivided. The village is not just a place where there are several fine homes but is also, historically and physically, an integral part of their environment.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 167 people, 75 households, and 44 families residing in the town. The population density was 257.9/km² (674.8/mi²). There were 97 housing units at an average density of 149.8/km² (391.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.41% White, 2.40% African American, 1.20% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.40% of the population.
There were 75 households out of which 16.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.3% were non-families. 33.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the town the population was spread out with 16.2% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 30.5% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 101.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,417, and the median income for a family was $56,429. Males had a median income of $36,250 versus $21,389 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,374. None of the families and 2.3% of the population were living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and 7.1% of those over 64.
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
The Comprehensive Web-Based History of East New Market developed by the East New Market History Team is located on the CollinsFactor website. The website contains a wealth of information about East New Market, including detailed maps, transcribed land records, original deed plats, wills, building histories, historic newspaper articles, church records, census records, commercial directories, 19th century correspondence & poetry, official acts, and more.
The East New Market, Maryland website also contains historic data along with current town government information.
