Claiborne, Maryland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Claiborne, Maryland
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 Claiborne, Maryland
Location in Maryland
Claiborne, Maryland
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Maryland |
| County | Talbot |
| Elevation | 3 ft (0.9 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
21624
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| Area code(s) | 410, 443, and 667 |
| GNIS feature ID | 583793 |
Claiborne is a small, unincorporated community in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. It sits on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay, close to where the Eastern Bay meets the larger Chesapeake. In 2000, about 147 people lived here in 84 homes.
From the late 1800s to the 1930s, Claiborne was a very busy port. It was a key spot for ferries that carried both people and cars across the Chesapeake Bay. During this time, the village had many stores, hotels, a post office, and churches. An elementary school was added in 1912. Claiborne was also home to the "Miracle House," a special place where children exposed to tuberculosis could get fresh air and a summer vacation. The importance of Claiborne as a ferry hub decreased in the 1930s. All ferry service stopped completely in 1952, a few months after the Chesapeake Bay Bridge opened.
Contents
What is the History of Claiborne?
Before the 1870s, Claiborne was part of a nearby postal community called McDanieltown. The name "Claiborne" honors William Claiborne. He was a fur trader who started an English settlement on nearby Kent Island, Maryland in 1631.
Early Settlements and Land
One of the first land grants in Claiborne was "Rich Neck Manor." This large area of 2,000 acres was given to Captain William Mitchel in 1649. Later owners of Rich Neck built a chapel in the 1650s. This chapel, called the Rich Neck Manor Chapel, is still standing today, but it is on private property. Important historical figures, like Matthew Tilghman, who led Maryland's group to the Continental Congress, lived at Rich Neck.
During the War of 1812, British ships sailed past the entrance to Claiborne's harbor. They landed in McDanieltown, which was very close to Claiborne.
The First Claiborne: "Old Claiborne"
The part of town now known as "Old Claiborne" was located on Tilghman's Creek, facing the Miles River. Around 1867, John Hansel Tunis started a steam sawmill there. A wharf was built in 1867 to support a planned resort called "Bingham's Mineral Springs." This resort offered ferry service three times a week between Old Claiborne and Baltimore.
By 1877, John Tunis's son, Joseph Tunis, expanded the family business. He added the Claiborne Oyster Company, a boatyard, and more wharves. He also made his father's sawmill bigger. There was a general store at the end of Rich Neck Road. Joseph Tunis also planned a new community with 188 lots. He advertised these lots for sale, hoping to attract many new residents. He even had a slogan: "Young man don’t go West, but to Claiborne.” However, the village did not grow as Joseph Tunis had hoped. By 1893, he gave up on his plans.
The "New" Claiborne and the Railroad
A second community, known as the "new" Claiborne, began in 1886. This happened when General Joseph B. Seth and the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad Company agreed to start ferry and railroad service. This service would connect Claiborne with Bay Ridge, on the western side of the Chesapeake Bay. Seth and others imagined a resort town, similar to Bay Ridge, and planned the "new" Claiborne, calling it "Bay City."
Even though "Bay City" never became the big resort they hoped for, Claiborne became very important. This was because the ferries started running, making Claiborne a main stop on the Eastern Shore. In 1890, the Baltimore & Eastern Shore Railroad Company finished building a railroad line from Claiborne to Easton, Maryland. This meant passengers arriving in Claiborne could continue their journey by train all the way to Ocean City, Maryland.
Ferry Services and Their Decline
Ferry service by the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railway continued until 1924. By 1928, the company went bankrupt. The railroad line from Claiborne to McDaniel was removed in 1938.
In 1912, another ferry company, the Eastern Shore Development Steamship Company, started service between Claiborne and Annapolis, Maryland. This company struggled to compete with the established railroad ferry and eventually failed in 1916.
A new ferry company, Claiborne-Annapolis Ferry, Inc., began service in 1919. On Sunday evenings, traffic would often back up for miles in Claiborne. People were waiting for the ferry to take them across the Chesapeake Bay. This increase in car traffic led the state to improve the road between Claiborne and Easton. In 1921, bus service was added from Claiborne to other towns. In 1926, the company introduced a new type of ferry called a "double-ender," which made the service even better.
In 1930, the main ferry terminal for cross-Bay trips from Annapolis moved from Claiborne to Matapeake on Kent Island. This made the trips much shorter for most people. While direct service between Claiborne and Annapolis continued for a while, it was greatly reduced by the mid-1930s.
In 1938, the ferry route to Claiborne changed. It then ran only between Claiborne and Romancoke, Maryland on Kent Island, Maryland. This meant there was no longer direct cross-Bay service from Claiborne. Ferry service stopped completely in December 1952, just a few months after the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was built. This bridge connected the two shores directly, making the ferries unnecessary.
The historic skipjack Claude W. Somers was recognized for its importance in 1985.
Train Connections to the East
As late as 1924, the Baltimore, Chesapeake and Atlantic Railway ran daily passenger trains from Claiborne. These trains went east to various places on the DelMarVa peninsula. Destinations included Easton, Hurlock, Salisbury, Berlin, and finally, Ocean City, Maryland. In 1924, the trains switched from steam power to gasoline-powered rail cars.
However, by 1928, the successor railroad company had stopped passenger train service from Claiborne. Travelers could still catch train connections in Easton at that time. This train service from Easton ended by 1938.
Images for kids
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A view of the Claiborne Wharf, once a busy ferry terminal.
