Preserving Caroline's History & Culture

The Society has worked to preserve over fifty historic buildings. We also preserve and safeguard sacred sites, precious artifacts, and shared stories.

The Society is almost certainly the most active historical society in rural America in terms of the number of buildings being preserved. Located from Goldsboro to Choptank Village, our projects are found throughout the county.  All preserved buildings must have a specific future use. Most will become the centerpiece or parts of multi-building and multi-site educational “interpretive centers” to tell unique stories that highlight the national historical signifcance of Caroline County as well as the qualities that make us so exceptional.

For example, Caroline’s resilience produced an extraordinarily unique 350+ year history of commercial agriculture as our only major industry; our service to country led to Caroline’s unmatched record of residents fighting in every major battle save one in American history; and our moral courage gave Caroline the best Underground Railroad history in rural America.

Gadow Dwelling (c. 1851) Being Restored

Gadow Dwelling (c. 1851) Being Restored

Despite living his life in the local Long Depression (1819-1895), Jesse Hubbard (c. 1811-1879) was determined to erect for his wife and nine children a fine house in the Greek Revival style of architecture, a style then prevalent in the Deep South and other prosperous...

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Rebecca Tylor Dwelling (c. 1810) Rescued

Rebecca Tylor Dwelling (c. 1810) Rescued

Despite being a widow with seven children, Rebecca Tylor (1823–1884) was indomitable in addressing local ills: She educated free and enslaved blacks, sought fair treatment for county “Poor House” inmates, demanded equal rights for women, advocated prohibition, took in...

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1927 Firehouse Being Exposed and Repurposed

1927 Firehouse Being Exposed and Repurposed

The 1927 Denton Firehouse was the epitome of the bygone era of a true "community project". This photo c. 1927 shows original truck doors to be reinstalled and façade to be restored. The original was doubled in size by an addition in 1954. In the 1970’s, when a new...

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Site of Barwick’s Inn (1775) Studied

Site of Barwick’s Inn (1775) Studied

Thee location of Barwick’s Tavern (c. 1775–c. 1790) was part of a colonial commercial cluster of now-vanished buildings that once included a government-mandated tobacco warehouse, a "jail", a ferry crossing and several buildings that all predated 1747. The site is...

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James H. Webb Cabin Restored

James H. Webb Cabin Restored

James Webb, a free African-American farmer, built this hand-hewn log home in 1852. He lived here with his enslaved wife, Mary Ann, and their four children, Charles, Elizabeth, John and Ann, and Webb’s father, Henry. The Webbs were members of Mount Pleasant Church....

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Ridgely Train Depot (ca. 1892) Restored

Ridgely Train Depot (ca. 1892) Restored

With its broad Victorian porches stripped away and surviving interior woodwork behind cheap wallboard and 1970s partitions, the 1892 depot was recommended by town staff in 2008 as a site for public toilets. As an alternative, the Society prepared concept plans for...

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Hear All of Our Stories

Motherhood – A Force For Change

Motherhood – A Force For Change

The Caroline County Historical Society is hosting a presentation by Kennedy Thomason at the Museum of Rural Life on Thursday, May 7th, 2026 at 6 PM. Please join us as Kennedy takes us on a journey discussing the impacts of mothers throughout the history of the United...

CCHS Art Challenge

CCHS Art Challenge

A few months ago we set forth the challenge of taking a surplus reprint of the 1897 Saulsbury Map and a surplus copy of local historian Eleanor Horsey’s "Origins of Caroline County, Maryland From Land Plats, Volume II," and breathing new life into them for a...

Chicone Village Day 2026

Chicone Village Day 2026

The 13th annual Chicone Village Day will take place Saturday, April 25th at the Handsell Historic Site (4837 Indiantown Road) in Vienna, MD. Sponsored by the Nanticoke Historic Preservation Alliance (NHPA), the day-long celebration features demonstrations, workshops,...

2026 Annual Membership Meeting

2026 Annual Membership Meeting

Please come and join us for our 2026 Annual Membership Meeting to be held April 21, 2026, at 5:30 PM, to be held at the Wharves of Choptank Visitor and Heritage Center, located at 3 Crouse Park Ln, Denton, MD 21629. The membership meeting is held each year to provide...

GIANTS!

GIANTS!

GIANTS! Presented by Terry Crannell of Dorchester County Historical Society At Preston Historical Society, 167 Main Street. Preston, MD Wednesday, March 25, 2026, from 6-7 PM Terry Crannell, of Dorchester County Historical Society (DCHS), will present his research on...

Civil War Living History Event

Civil War Living History Event

Join us at Linchester Mill (3390 Linchester Rd, Preston, MD 21655) at 10 AM - 4 PM on March 28, 2026 for a memorable day of history, heritage, and hands-on learning. Step back in time and experience the sights, sounds, and stories of the American Civil War at...