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The Cray House is one of a handful of post-and-plank buildings to survive in Maryland and is also important as a rare survival of the small, two-room plan houses that were a dominant part of the pre-industrial landscape. In this case, the hall-parlor plan had only one heated room on each floor, yet despite the modest size, the house was finished with a full complement of interior trim, including beaded board partition, beaded baseboards, a two-piece chair rail, refined trim and first-floor mantel.The house was sold at public auction in 1914 and was lived in by Nora Cray, a widow, along with her three children. In 1975 her heirs donated the house and lot to the Kent Island Heritage Society, who have restored and furnished it. The meat house in the rear, although moved to this site, is a rare example of what was once a common feature of houses in the region.The Kent Island Garden Club maintains a herb garden behind the house.

Front elevation of the Cray House from Cockey Lane

Nancy Cook discusses some of the commonly found items used by early Kent Island inhabitants.

Photos and descriptions of historic homes on Kent Island

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Maryland's National Register Properties: Cray House

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One of the most unique structures on the Eastern Shore, this National Register site is located on a tract of land once called Steven’s Adventure, granted to Francis Stevens in 1694. Built c. 1809, the Cray House is a rare example of post-and-plank construction, where hand-sawn logs are mortised and tenoned into vertical corner posts, forming the sides of the building.

Cray House

Enjoy a leisurely tour of historic buildings open the first Saturday of each month April through November.  Docents take you back to the turn of last century when Stevensville citizens lived a much different life than they do now.  Go antique shopping, eat at local restaurants, or grab a bite to eat at the bakery.  

<h3>HISTORY OF THE POSTAL SERVICE ON KENT ISLAND</h3>On Kent Island in the 1800’s the post office was located in the first town on Kent Island known as Broad Creek (the land located next to the present airport and where the Christ Episcopal Church has restored the Broad Creek cemetery dating back to 1600’s). People of the area would pick up their mail at the “grocery” store. The mail came in by the Broad Creek ferry and was picked up at the dock where the ferry landed, taken by horse drawn buggy to the store and held there for the area people to come in and pick it up. This arrangement worked well for spreading the local news, greeting neighbors, and purchasing groceries and notions.There were twenty-five people listed as Postmaster of Kent Island Postal Service from 1813 to 1899. The name of the post office was changed from Broad Creek in 1875 to Langford and again in the same year to Kent Island. In 1903 the last name changed was Stevensville. The postmaster during the next twenty-five years was Miss Genevieve Long.There was also a post office in Mattapex in 1883 for a few years on the property of J.H. Porter, as his sign proclaimed:Mattapex Post Office, J.H. Porter, PostmasterDealer of Dry Goods, Notions, Groceries, &amp; CAlthough there was some sort of political battle occurring in the Mattapax area, Route 8 S, eventually the problem was worked out and although the office was temporarily closed, it was reopened where operations was continued by Mary E.S.A Porter. “In rural America it was uncommon for a lady to be appointed as postmaster.” Mary served without a break until 1904 when postal service on western Kent Island was consolidated in Stevensville. RFD service as introduced and Mattapax closed. It was six miles from Mattapax to the Stevensville Post Office.The following is a list of the postmaster who served the Stevensville Post Office stating in 1903.1. Charles E.S. Ringgold - 19032. George A. Barton - 19103. Mary Harper - 19144. Mae Cook - 19185. James C. Jones - 19236. J. Fred Carter - 19337. Genevieve Long - 1935 - 1973

The Old Stevensville Post Office in downtown Stevensville, Maryland served as a gathering spot for townspeople to share news from the mid to late 1800s to the early 20th Century. The 730 square foot building was first noted on an 1877 map, and today is gold in color, gable end to the street, and trimmed with white gingerbread eaves. Records show it served as the Stevensville Post Office until the 1950s. At one time, the government paid a monthly rent of $18.75 and it cost $25 annually to heat the building. Today our docents invite tourists to imagine the covered wagons and horse-drawn sleighs that pulled up to the doors of the Post Office so rural route mail carriers could load up and deliver mail from Kent Island's Love Point to Kent Point. The Old Stevensville Post Office was acquired by the Kent Island Heritage Society in 1997.

OLD STEVENSVILLE POST OFFICE

The president of the new corporation was Charles B. Downs. Original bank-directors included: Charles Percy Kemp, Milton Hysore Price, Issac Grollman, B. Harrison Bright, William E. Denny, Sr. Hugh A. Legg, and John Fletcher Ruth. The capital stock was $8,000 divided among 160 shares at par value of $50.00 each. The fledgling bank opened the doors for depositors and borrowers. At this early date, prior to the construction of a bank building, it is not known where the business transactions took place, but deposits were made and loans were executed. A tract of land formerly owned by Dr. William E. Denny was obtained. It was the location of an apothecary shop operated by Dr. Denny’s sister and niece, Miss Anne and Miss Lucy Denny.In 1909 the single story, two room structure was completed, and after a six year wait, the bank in Stevensville had a permanent home. The building is of plain design, solid with a stucco exterior. The original ornamental pressed-tin ceiling has survived intact. The bank originally had a projecting hood over the entrance door that derived support from heavy chains anchored into the wall, in the style of the marquee hoods found in the turn-of the-century theatres. The bank contained no running water or bathroom facilities and had the dubious distinction of being the last bank in Maryland to have outdoor toilets when it closed in 1960.For fifty years it was the financial center of Kent Island. The capital stock increased with good times and it weathered the severe economic depression of the early thirties. The opening of the Bay Bridge in 1952 brought new growth and dramatic changes. In 1960 the name was again changed to “The Tidewater Bank” and with the new name, a new location- that of the Kent Island Shopping Center area adjacent to Route 50-301. The bank was then sold to Mr. Harper M. Smith. It housed the office for the newly create Bay Times newspaper owned by Chris and Mary Lou Rosendale. Several businesses occupied the building after the newspaper office moved. The present owner is Mr. Robert L. Marsteller. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and is being leased by the Kent Island Heritage Society, Inc. as part of its purpose to identify, preserve, and maintain the heritage of Kent Island. Building: 740+/- square feet of building (37’ x 20’) with two (2) half baths &amp; high tin ceilings on 2,725+/- square feet of land with two (2) parking spaces on site. The building faces the street on the west side of Love Point Road near the center of Stevensville, MD. It features the original ornamental pressed-tin ceiling. It is the oldest bank building on Kent Island and among the earliest surviving banks in the country. The original interior is virtually untouched, leaving the tellers’ counter and vault intact.

There was no bank on Kent Island before 1900. With limited resources and a concerted effort a corporation was formed in 1903. The name of the corporation was “The Stevensville Saving Bank of Queen Anne’s County.” Later in 1912 the name was changed to “The Stevensville Bank of Maryland.” The president of the new corporation was Charles B. Downs. Original bank-directors included: Charles Percy Kemp, Milton Hysore Price, Issac Grollman, B. Harrison Bright, William E. Denny, Sr. Hugh A. Legg, and John Fletcher Ruth.

Historic 1903 Bank Building on the National Register of Historic Places. Original fixtures still in place, including the vault & safe. Located in the Stevensville Arts & Entertainment District.  Situated next to the Amalfi Coast Italian Wine Bar. Located 3 miles from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, 35 miles SE from BWI Airport, 44 miles SE from Baltimore, and 43 miles east of Washington, DC.

THE STEVENSVILLE BANK

Train StationThe period following the Civil War a high priority in our country was the expansion of the railroads. The Delmarva Peninsula felt a strong need for a rail crossing the upper area which would include both Maryland and Delaware. In 1894 the Maryland Legislature approved a charter for the construction of a railroad. It was named the Queen Anne’s Railroad. The following year the State of Delaware granted similar charter and the project began. It was completed in 1897 and rail service from Queenstown on the west to Lewes, Delaware the eastern terminus was a vital addition to the transportation system for the entire area. From the major port Baltimore connection with Queenstown was made by steamboat. Likewise at Lewes steamboats would complete the journey across the Delaware Bay to take you to the Jersey Cape and Cape May, a flourishing ocean resort. It was a 5 hour adventure from Baltimore to Cape May.The Queen Anne’s Railroad opened new markets for the products of the Delmarva Peninsula. The bountiful seafood from the Shore flourished along with local produce and carloads of peaches, one of the area’s main crops. The rail operation was very successful during those initial years and to improve the service a vital change happened. 1902 the Queenstown terminus was moved to Love Point, the very northern tip of Kent Island. A new terminal pier was constructed at Love Point and 13 additional miles of track were laid to connect with the station at Queenstown. Kent Island experienced its first railroad which added to the economy along with a new excitement. The Stevensville Station was the first stop out of Love Point on its eastern journey. The independent Queen Anne’s R.R. was a successful operation until disaster struck, the great Baltimore fire of 1905 and a severe storm destroyed the pier at Lewes. The railroad was acquired by the mighty Pennsylvania R.R. and continued the rail service under the subsidiary name Maryland, Delaware &amp; Virginia until 1923 when another change limited the operation to Denton, Maryland and also a new name, The Baltimore &amp; Eastern Railroad (B &amp; E). The B &amp; E continued to operate the train system on Kent Island up to the construction of the Bay Bridge. The Bay Bridge opened in 1952 and the last train ride on Kent Island ended.CabooseThe caboose, originally built at The Baltimore &amp; Ohio Railroad Company Mt. Clare Shops in Baltimore between 1924 and 1929, was one of 272 of its class. The caboose, C-2099, is a Class ‘I-5D’, weighing approximately 62,000 lbs. and it is wood with steel body ends. The last remaining car was retired in 1983. After serving as an office in Millersville, MD on Veterans highway, the caboose was donated in 2006 to The Kent Island Heritage Society by Ms. Grace DeRocco.The word caboose comes from the Dutch seaman’s term for a cook stove on a sailing ship. This term was later used to mean a small dwelling or shack. Early cabooses were flat cars with small cabins erected on them.When American railroads began to haul freight over long distances, a special car was constructed for the train crews, something like a caboose shack with a caboose type cook stove to keep warm. As early as 1861 this term was used along with other nicknames-conductor’s car, crummy, hack, brain box, dog house, go cart, glory wagon, monkey wagon and cabin cars.The caboose provided the train crew with a shelter at the rear of the train. The crew could exit the train for switching railroad tracks or to Rotech the rear of the train when stopped. They also inspected the train for problems such as shifting loads, broken or dragging equipment and hot boxes (defective wheel shafts) the conductor kept records and handled business from a table or desk in the caboose.A caboose was fitted with red lanterns called markers to enable the rear of the train to be seen at night. The phrase “bringing up the markers” describes the last car on a train.The original of the cupola come about when in the 1860s a conductor was asked to use an empty boxcar as a caboose. The boxcar had a home in the roof, so the conductor sat on stacked boxes, whereupon his head and shoulders were above the roof. Later a box containing windows was constructed so that the conductor had pilot house to sit in a watch the train.

The vacant station was used as a dwelling by a local family for several years then again vacated and left to be neglected and completely unnoticed. It was donated to the Kent Island Heritage Society and moved by a long list of friends and Heritage Society members who contributed their skill and labor generously. Now the restoration is complete and everyone is cordially invited to visit and see and feel the simple comforts and conveniences that were part of America nearly a century ago. In the early days of railroading, a crew was assigned its own caboose, which served as their home for days at a time. The crew consisted of the conductor, the flagman and the brakeman. These rolling homes were equipped with mattresses and bed linens, easy chairs, iceboxes and cook stove. The culinary talents of the crews became legendary.

Stevensville Train Depot and Caboose

The Cray House is one of a handful of post-and-plank buildings to survive in Maryland and is also important as a rare survival of the small, two-room plan houses that were a dominant part of the pre-industrial landscape. In this case, the hall-parlor plan had only one heated room on each floor, yet despite the modest size, the house was finished with a full complement of interior trim, including beaded board partition, beaded baseboards, a two-piece chair rail, refined trim and first-floor mantel. The house was sold at public auction in 1914 and was lived in by Nora Cray, a widow, along with her three children. In 1975 her heirs donated the house and lot to the Kent Island Heritage Society, who have restored and furnished it. The meat house in the rear, although moved to this site, is a rare example of what was once a common feature of houses in the region. The Kent Island Garden Club maintains a herb garden behind the house.

William Claiborne, who came from England by way of Jamestown, Virginia, established a trading settlement in 1631 at Kent Fort, located at the southernmost end of Kent Island. Claiborne was most concerned that a church also be built so the settlers could continue to worship as they did in their homeland where the Church of England was the established church. In 1632, he brought The Reverend Richard James to the Kent Island shore to conduct worship services at Kent Fort. The earliest mention of the "framing of a church" was in 1636, probably at or near Kent Fort, but no location or description of the building exists. The struggles between Claiborne, an Anglican, and Lord Baltimore, a Roman Catholic, included several naval battles in the Chesapeake and many bloody skirmishes in a conflict between Maryland and Virginia over who would control Kent Island. In 1658, MarylandThe struggles between Claiborne, an Anglican, and Lord Baltimore, a Roman Catholic, included several naval battles in the Chesapeake and many bloody skirmishes in a conflict between Maryland and Virginia over who would control Kent Island. In 1658, Maryland gained control of the island. ln 1692, The Church of England was officially established in the colony and the counties in Maryland were divided into parishes. An annual levy of forty pounds of tobacco was laid upon all taxables (heads of households). Records show that there were 146 taxables on Kent Island paying a total income of 5,840 pounds of tobacco or a value of roughly $1,000 a year in present day money. Thus, tobacco was the funding source for the construction of the island's first church buildings.References to a church in 1652 and again in 1712 gave evidence to the existence of Anglican worshippers in the area. Four church buildings, constructed on the same site throughout a period of some two hundred twenty-eight years, were situated at Broad Creek, the Island's first town and were the predecessors to Historic Christ Church. The existing church was built in 1880 when the town center became Stevensville, named after the original land owners, James and Charles Stevens.The present church is a fine example of Queen Ame style architecture. The unusual chimney style is known as lancet, a style that dates back to the 13th century. The building contains many wooden pegs rather than nails and some of the bricks used in the foundation were from the earlier churches at Broad Creek.The Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Queen Anne's County purchased the property in July 2003 after recognizing the historical significance since it at one time housed the oldest continuous Episcopal congregation in the United States. That purchase also included the adjacent parsonage which predates the church by forty years and in 1866 was used to house the Chesapeake Female Institution, a day school for young ladies.The docents for Historic Christ Church are members of The Kent Island Heritage Society, Inc. and restoration efforts are under the auspices of the Queen Anne's County Department of Parks and Recreation. Grant funding has been obtained from The State of Maryland Board of Public Works, The Maryland Historic Trust, and Preservation Maryland.

The present church is a fine example of Queen Ame style architecture. The unusual chimney style is known as lancet, a style that dates back to the 13th century. The building contains many wooden pegs rather than nails and some of the bricks used in the foundation were from the earlier churches at Broad Creek. The Church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Queen Anne's County purchased the property in July 2003 after recognizing the historical significance since it at one time housed the oldest continuous Episcopal congregation in the United States. That purchase also included the adjacent parsonage which predates the church by forty years and in 1866 was used to house the Chesapeake Female Institution, a day school for young ladies.

Historic Stevensville Walking Tour

Cray House

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Backstory and Context

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