I steered my car into Oxford, Maryland—population about 600—I felt a sense of calm settle over me. My breathing slowed, my body eased.

Like all visitors to Talbot County, I found myself immersed in chapters of America’s past. Native Americans lived here long before Captain John Smith surveyed the region in 1608. English settlers arrived in the 1630s, laying the foundation for what would become a storied history. 

MUSEUMS

Today, each town preserves a piece of that past through its museums.

The Tilghman Watermen’s Museum celebrates those who have made their living on the rivers and bays, telling their stories through videos, boat models and tools of the trade.

The crown jewel of the area is the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum and Lighthouse in St. Michaels.

The Oxford Museum features a lighthouse lens named for Augustin-Jean Fresnel, the 19th-century engineer who created a brighter, more powerful beam. Other exhibits highlight the region’s watermen, oyster industry and local wildlife. 

Talbot County is also home to the oldest continuing free Black community in the United States. Their legacy is honored at the Water’s Edge Museum in Oxford, which portrays the lives of Black farmers, watermen and others who played vital roles in the region’s commerce and culture.  

The crown jewel of the area is the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels. What began as a modest collection has grown into an 18-acre world-class facility featuring historic buildings, more than 100 boats and models, decoys and even a relocated lighthouse.

HISTORIC TOWNS

Each town in Talbot County has its own story to share and together they weave a fascinating history.

Easton (population 17,000) is considered the “big city” of Talbot County. One of its most treasured sites is the Third Haven Meeting House, dating back to 1684. Among the notable Quakers who worshiped there was William Penn.

An early Colonial home in Talbot County.

St. Michaels traces its origins to the mid-1600s as a trading post for trappers and tobacco farmers. Later, it became a shipbuilding center. During the War of 1812, the British navy bombarded the town, but its residents cleverly foiled their attack by turning off their house lights and hanging lanterns in nearby trees, at which the Brits aimed their fire—earning St. Michaels the moniker “the town that fooled the British.”

A WATERMAN’S WAY OF LIFE

Crossing the short drawbridge to Tilghman Island, the first sight that greeted me was Pride, a 10-by-40-foot mural depicting a waterman in his boat, vessels docked nearby, and the seafood for which Talbot County is famous. 

A plaque pays tribute to the people “who have been working the Chesapeake Bay waters since the 1800s,” recognizing their endurance, perseverance and respect for the natural world.

I chose Oxford as my home base for its serene setting. Established in 1683, this charming hamlet of brick sidewalks lead past white picket fences enclosing elegant historic homes.

In colonial times, Oxford was a booming port and later a ship-building hub. It also became the writing retreat of James Michener, who penned his novel “Chesapeake” here.

Oxford also is notable for two other landmarks. One is the Robert Morris Inn, built in 1710 as a private home and operating as a hotel since 1800. Among its distinguished guests were George Washington and Robert Morris, a British-born merchant who financed the American Revolution and signed the Declaration of Independence. 

The original wood paneling and oak timbers were crafted by ship carpenters, and the fireplace bricks arrived from England as ship ballast. 

The village is also home to the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry, the oldest privately owned ferry boat in the country. It began transporting passengers in 1683 and now also carries vehicles, bicycles and motorcycles across the Tred Avon River.

Local waters provide the region’s “holy trinity” of seafood A crabbing boat, a common sight in Talbot County, sets out on the water.

WATERWAYS & WILDLIFE

With about 600 miles of shoreline in Talbot County, I was never far from a river or the Chesapeake Bay, which are dotted with marinas. The area is a haven for bald eagles, ospreys and migratory birds, as well as bull sharks, cownose rays and bottlenose dolphins. 

The county’s coastline is sprinkled with historic hotels, boutique inns and charming B&Bs. When it comes to dining, local waters provide the region’s “holy trinity”—crabs, rockfish and oysters—complemented by fresh, locally  grown vegetables and fruit available at roadside farmers markets from spring to fall. 

IF YOU GO...

Visit TourTalbot.org

Tilghman Watermen’s Museum
6031 Tilghman Island Road,
Tilghman, MD
410-886-1025
TilghmanMuseum.org

Oxford Museum
101 S. Morris St., Oxford, MD
410-226-0191
OxfordMuseumMD.org

Water’s Edge Museum
101 Mill St., Oxford, MD410-226-1227
WatersEdgeMuseum.org

Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
213 N. Talbot St., St. Michaels, MD
410-745-2916
CBMM.org

Robert Morris Inn
314 N. Morris St., Oxford, MD
410-226-5111
RobertMorrisInn.com

Oxoford-Bellvue Ferry
101 Strand, Oxford, MD
410-745-9023
OxfordFerry.com