Kirwan House (Maryland) facts for kids

The James E. Kirwan House and Store is a special place on Kent Island, Maryland, that works like a living museum. It is located south of the village of Chester in Queen Anne's County, Maryland.

From 1889 to 1955, it was a busy spot with a general store, a place to cut wood (a lumber mill), a barrel-making shop (a cooper's mill), and a blacksmith shop. It was also a small port on Kirwan Creek, helping people trade goods. In 1998, the whole property was given to the Kent Island Heritage Society. They turned it into a museum so people could learn about its history.

A Look Back in Time

James E. Kirwan was born in Baltimore. He worked for the Maryland oyster navy. This group patrolled the Chesapeake Bay to stop illegal oyster dredging. In 1867, Kirwan married Mary Rebecca Gardner. They settled in Queen Anne's County.

The couple had three children: Charles (born 1868), Sophia Lavinia (born 1870), and Lemuel (born 1872). An old map from 1877 shows Kirwan owned a home and store. It was on the west side of what is now Dominion Road. Even though it was advertised as a Stevensville business, Kirwan's store was in a smart location. It was between the village of Chester (then called Sharktown) and the fishing town of Dominion.

How the Store Was Built

People in the area have a story about how the current store was built. In 1889, a big flood in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, washed a lot of wood into the Chesapeake Bay. This wood floated all the way to the shores of Kent Island. The story says that Kirwan bought this wood. He used it to build the new store on the east side of Dominion Road.

The property covers about 300 acres of farmland. It has a picket fence on one side and a path leading to Kirwan Creek on another. The main building, built around 1889, is a large wooden house with the store attached.

Other Buildings on the Property

Next to the house, there is a wooden dairy building from around 1889. There is also a wooden pump house and two wooden sheds. These smaller buildings were added around the 1940s. You can also see a concrete fountain and parts of concrete garden walls from that time.

Why This Place Is Important

The James E. Kirwan House and Store is a very important historical site on Kent Island. It is listed with the Maryland Historical Trust. It is the only preserved example of a 19th-century general store and farm on Kent Island.

This site shows how people lived and traded before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was built. Back then, the Eastern Shore of Maryland was more isolated. Places like Kirwan's store had everything people needed. They had many different goods and traded by sea.

Today, the Kent Island Heritage Society helps people learn about this history. They open the Kirwan House and other sites, like the Stevensville Bank and Cray House, to the public every month. Guides are there to give tours and share stories about the past.