QUEEN ANNE’S COUNTY
Administrative Offices
107 North Liberty Street
Centreville, MD 410-758-4098
www.qac.org
Chamber of Commerce
1561 Postal Road
Chester 410-643-8530
www.qacchamber.com
Highways
U.S. 301, Route 213
In 1631 when the early colonists first settled the New World, the first site established in Maryland was a trading post on Kent Island. While the traces of Claiborne’s fort are only acknowledged today with a simple historical marker on the southern tip of the Island, this locale continues to be the hub of commerce for Queen Anne’s County. The watermen’s boats moored at “the Slip” in Kent Narrows still traverse the natural channel beside the myriad of modern pleasure vessels.
Each one of the small towns and villages that make up Queen Anne’s County represents a puzzle piece of the area’s beauty and charm. In the friendly community of Grasonville, you’ll discover a collection of specialty shops and antique stores with hand-crafted treasures or collector’s items. Queenstown alone offers over 60 designer outlet shops. To the north, rich farmland surrounds small towns like Church Hill and Sudlersville—each with its own unique character and history. Nearby, the unassuming community of Crumpton springs into life every Wednesday when Dixon’s Furniture Auction moves into full swing.
Economy and Transportation
County living in Queen Anne’s County strikes a successful balance between business, marine activity and agriculture set against the backdrop of open rural spaces and gracious tidewater landscape. Queen Anne’s County welcomes a growing number of new enterprises each year. Among the important companies from diverse industries that have settled in the lovely business parks are Tidewater Publishing Company, PRS Guitars, SEW Friel, HydraSearch Technical Products and Armour Swift-Eckrich. Rich natural resources combine with a quality workforce that takes advantage of local career and technical training programs.
Regarded as the gateway to the Eastern Shore, Queen Anne’s County is ideally situated within the fourth largest market in the United States: the Washington/Baltimore consolidated Metropolitan Statistical Area, Centreville, the county seat, is 49 miles southeast of Baltimore and 94 miles south of Philadelphia. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge and the new Kent Narrows Bridge facilitate travel from the western shore to the county’s many scenic amenities. An efficient highway system provides easy access to six interstate highways and four major airports: Baltimore-Washington International Airport, National Airport, Dulles Airport and Philadelphia International Airport.
Education and Healthcare
Students receive an outstanding education in public and private schools that offer an enviable teacher/pupil ratio and emphasize the growth, development and expression of individual talents. The dedication to educational excellence in Queen Anne’s County is evidenced by the Upper Shore Career Connections—a partnership of school, government, college and business leaders working together to prepare tomorrow’s workforce for the challenges of the future.
Options for higher education near home include the Chesapeake College, a regional, two-year institution that offers Associate degrees, certificates, letters of recognition and college-track programs. The Center for Business and the Arts serves as a regional economic development source and a cultural venue for the Eastern Shore. Other colleges and universities within an easy commute are Washington College, Salisbury State University, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in Princess Anne, and Delaware State University just 20 miles away in Delaware.
Healthcare resources center around Kent & Queen Anne’s Hospital in Chestertown, a facility that delivers state-of-the-art care to residents of both counties. Continued growth and expansion over the years culminated in an affiliation with Johns Hopkins Medicine in 1997, a movement that ensures access to Hopkins’ wide array of specialized healthcare services and exceptional resources.
Lifestyle
Tradition and a sense of history are always prevalent in Queen Anne’s County, where community spirit remains unchanged by population expansion and ever-growing business development. People and nature enjoy a rare harmony in this paradise of recreational opportunities enjoyed by hunters, golfers, boaters, cyclists and fisherman. Miles of colorful shoreline and fertile farmland produce record grain harvests and offer choice habitat for generations of native wildlife and waterfowl that migrate along the Atlantic flyway. Even the hard-working watermen are able to harvest their plentiful crops against the picturesque backdrop of the Chesapeake Bay.
Residents of Queen Anne’s County have a tendency to play as hard as they work. Numerous county organizations actively present the arts and culture throughout the year in the form of seminars, workshops, exhibits and concerts. From the Watermen’s Festival in June to the spectacular powerboat races in July and August, the calendar is always filled with special events and celebrations. An arts and crafts show or perhaps an oyster and crab feast might be planned to raise funds for local, regional and national charities.
Aficionados of the arts will want to visit local venues that encourage and sponsor the performing and visual arts, from concerts by the highly acclaimed Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to Summerstock performances at Church Hill Theatre. Also in the summertime, residents can relax and enjoy free musical concerts in the “Thursdays in the Park” series provided by the Queen Anne’s County Arts Council.
Golfers, on the other hand, may be more interested in learning about the immaculately manicured Queenstown Harbor Golf Links. This nationally acclaimed, 36-hole championship course was rated as the best public course in the State of Maryland by Golf Digest in 1995. An active Parks and Recreation Department offers programs, special events, trips and facilities for residents of all ages. The Department manages nearly 600 acres of parkland that includes 10 community parks, 19 public landings and 4 undeveloped properties.
Life in Queen Anne’s County constantly strives for a fine balance between reverence for yesterday and an eye toward an even brighter future. The pace in Queen Anne’s County is decidedly relaxed and hospitality flows as naturally as the tide—yet, around every corner, the scales are finely balanced. The excitement of the nightlife in Kent Narrows contrasts with the serenity of small towns and villages that dot the countryside. The abundance of wildlife and natural habitats blend with an appealing array of housing and dining options, marinas, outlet stores and business parks.
As one of Maryland’s fastest-growing areas, Queen Anne’s County looks forward to the ultimate challenge of preserving the “Land of Pleasant Living” in the face of 21st century growth and development.
Kent Island
Town Hall
www.kentisland.cc
Chamber of Commerce
410-643-8530
www.qacchamber.com
Distinguished as the first English settlement in Maryland, Kent Island has experienced phenomenal growth since the opening of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Today, thousands of waterfowl and generations of farmers and watermen share the Island with commuters to Annapolis or points west and north. Kent Island has evolved into a comfortable suburb with a thriving business community, progressive schools and lovely new homes. Embraced by the Chester River on the north and the Eastern Bay on the south, the Kent Narrows channel divides the Island from the mainland. The major Kent Island towns of Chester and Stevensville are well-served by an efficient network of bridges and highways. Both communities are attracting newcomers to their pleasing mix of fine older homes and handsome new construction. Commercial expansion is following the residential boom, bringing shopping plazas filled with stores and services.
Centreville
Town Hall
410-758-1180
www.townofcentreville.org
Chamber of Commerce
410-643-8530
www.qacchamber.com
The county seat of Centerville also serves as local hub for business and commerce, providing employment for over 2,000 residents in its government offices, banks, schools and shops. Literally centered within an eight-mile radius farms and woodlands, the town provides abundant amenities for nearby rural residents. The epitome of small town America, Centreville offers diverse housing options and meticulously preserved examples of period architecture against the backdrop of charming, tree-lined neighborhoods. The 200-year-old history of Centreville becomes evident when you view the rows of handsome, towered Victorian Gothics that contrast with 2nd Empire mansard roofs and federal townhouses along brick sidewalks. In fact, every building style imaginable is represented in this closely knit, star-shaped community that stretches between two streams and reaches from the Corsica River landing to the railroad.
Stevensville/Stevensville South
Town Hall
410-758-4098
www.qac.org
Chamber of Commerce
410-643-8530
www.qacchamber.com
Once known as “Broad Creek,” the historic town of Stevensville is now a charming village that blends and finely balances both commercial and residential communities. As one of the primary communities on the rapidly growing Kent Island, Stevensville is committed to preserving its rich historical legacy. The Kent Island Heritage Society is particularly active in this quest, having carefully restored the gambrel roofed Cray House (circa 1839) and created a museum from the train station that was built in 1902 when the town became part of the Queen Anne’s Railroad Company. The Society is also responsible for the colorful and well-attended Kent Island Day celebration in May. Along Route 8, you’ll discover the natural beauty of the Terrapin Park and Nature trail with spectacular vistas of the Chesapeake Bay. In addition to walking the one-mile trail, residents can stroll along the boardwalk or stop to view the Island’s abundant wildlife from observation blinds.
