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Photo credit: Paul Baker Touart, 01/2003

Centreville Historic District

Inventory No.: QA-541

Date Listed: 11/13/2004

Location: Centreville, Queen Annes County

Category: District

Period/Date of Construction: 1746-1950

Resources: 408 (327 contributing, 73 non-contributing)

Description: Centreville, the county seat of Queen Anne's County, is situated on an elevated ridge of land framed by branches of the Corsica River. Primary road access is through MD 213 which splits at the south entrance of Centreville, with Commerce Street on the east as the northerly route and a parallel avenue, Liberty Street, which heads south. Route 213 follows roughly the historic north/south highway that connects the principal towns of the upper Eastern Shore. Centreville is laid out on a rough grid plan with several streets or alleys, principally MD 304 (Water Street), intersecting Commerce and Liberty Streets. The heart of Centreville is defined by the historic public square, which retains a late-18th century courthouse that still houses county government functions. The courthouse square is flanked on its south side by Lawers' Row, a particularly important street in Centreville boasting a fine assortment of 19th and early-20th century commercial and public buildings. The town's historic business district is primarily confined to the area bounded by Liberty Street on the west, Banjo Lane on the east, Godwin's alley on the south, and the juncture of MD 213 on the north end. The southeast end of this central business block was destroyed in a 1902 town fire. The Centreville National Bank at the southeast corner of North Commerce Street and Lawyers' Row and the former Queen Anne National Bank next door were both constructed in 1903-04 in the Beaux-Arts style, part of the rebuilding effort following the fire. Most of the central business district is defined by 18th, 19th, and 20th century structures in varying degrees of alteration and/or preservation. The historic housing stock of Centreville surrounds the business district on the north, south, east, and west. On the northwest side of Centreville, the section of MD 304 known as Chesterfield Avenue leads to a significant collection of historic buildings fronting the Corsica River. On the southeast side of Centreville the historic district embraces the oldest structure in town, the 1746 gambrel-roofed brick dwelling known as Providence. The collection of over two dozen brick and frame dwellings dating from the first generation of the town's history, between 1794 and 1820, includes a group of one- and two-story houses, many of which are based on center hall and side hall plans of single-pile and double-pile depth. Included in this group are many finely built Flemish bond brick houses distinguished by well executed Federal exterior and interior finishes. Particularly conspicuous is the large number of gambrel-roofed dwellings, the most known for an Eastern Shore town. Another cluster of early structures is located on the district's north end. Among these is the former Centreville Academy, a two-story c. 1803 Flemish bond building considered to be the oldest school in the county, and possibly the state. It operated in its original function for a century. The early stock of Centreville's domestic architecture is oriented largely to Commerce and Liberty Streets, the two principal avenues that constituted the town's focus during its formative years. Intermingled with the Federal dwellings is a smaller number of second-quarter 19th century houses that represent the influence of the Greek Revival of the 1840s and 1850s. A number of Federal houses along Commerce and Liberty Streets were heavily modified in Greek taste during this period. In the post-Civil War era, a range of popular romantic revival and eclectic Victorian house forms and designs were erected. Around 1880 a group of 1 1/2-story tenant houses was erected on the south shore of the Corsica River for merchant and ship captain John H. Ozmon. These rare structures have a one-room plan and two-story front porches facing the river. Chesterfield Avenue, between Broadway and the intersection of Watson Road, is lined with a series of late-19th and early-20th century houses, mostly of frame construction erected after 1880 when the town center had been substantially built out. Among these are Victorian revival styles as well as Colonial Revival and bungalow forms. Centreville's black population resided on the south side of the town, in the vicinity of the original African-American Methodist Church, erected in 1873. The Charles Wesley U.M. church on South Liberty Street stands currently near the site of the original structure. The lots south and east of the church were occupied by the town's black population during the third and fourth quarters of the 19th century, especially along Little Kidwell and Holton Streets. Standing at the end of Little Kidwell Street is the former black school, erected during the 1930s. The old National Guard Armory, built c. 1926 on South Liberty Street, was later converted to a residence and business site. By 1950, the town had substantially achieved its present form and appearance.

Significance: The Centreville Historic District is significant for its association with the development of Queen Anne's County. Laid out during the 18th century as a new county seat, Centreville has served as the center of commerce and government for over 200 years, and remains the largest and most diverse urban center in Queen Anne's County. The district derives additional significance for its exceptional collection of 18th, 19th, and 20th century buildings chronicling the architectural development of an Eastern Shore community. Among Centreville's residential, commercial, and ecclesiastical buildings are representative examples of the various architectural types and styles which characterized towns in the region during the period.

District Resources (408) (327 contributing, 73 non-contributing)

From associated listing in National Register nomination form. C = Contributing, NC = non-contributing, blank = not evaluated.

Address	Status	Resource Name and MIHP (if any)
103 Belvedere	C
106 Belvedere	C
201 Belvedere	C
202 Belvedere	C
203 Belvedere	C
204 Belvedere	C
205 Belvedere	C
206 Belvedere	C
207 Belvedere	C
208 Belvedere	C
209 Belvedere	C
210 Belvedere	C
211 Belvedere	C
212 Belvedere	C
214 Belvedere	C
216 Belvedere	C
218 Belvedere	C
220 Belvedere	C
222 Belvedere	C
224 Belvedere	C
211-213 Broadway	C
215-217 Broadway	C
218 Broadway	C
219-221 Broadway	C
220 Broadway	C
222 Broadway	C
223 Broadway	C
224 Broadway	C	QA-340 -- John Hersey Hall House (Margaret Pippin House)
2647 Centreville Road (MD 213) & Mill Stream Branch	C	QA-347 -- Chester Mill (Emory's Mill)
Centreville Road (MD 213) over Old Mill Stream Branch	C	QA-492 -- Bridge (SHA 17021)
Centreville Wharf	C	QA-201 -- Captain John H. Ozmon Store
Chesterfield Avenue	C	Board of Education of Queen Anne's County
103 Chesterfield Avenue	C
107 Chesterfield Avenue	C
109 Chesterfield Avenue	C
111 Chesterfield Avenue	C
113 Chesterfield Avenue	C
115 Chesterfield Avenue	C	QA-339 -- James Yates Residence
201 Chesterfield Avenue	C
203 Chesterfield Avenue	C
207 Chesterfield Avenue	C
209 Chesterfield Avenue	C
303 Chesterfield Avenue	C	QA-341 -- Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church
303 Chesterfield Avenue	C	QA-342 -- Mother of Sorrows Rectory
304 Chesterfield Avenue	C
305 Chesterfield Avenue	C
306 Chesterfield Avenue	C	QA-343 -- Newnam House
307 Chesterfield Avenue	C
308 Chesterfield Avenue	C
309 Chesterfield Avenue	C
310 Chesterfield Avenue	C
311 Chesterfield Avenue	C
313 Chesterfield Avenue	C
315 Chesterfield Avenue	C	QA-344 -- Barton-Henry House
317 Chesterfield Avenue	C
401 Chesterfield Avenue	C
402 Chesterfield Avenue	C
403 Chesterfield Avenue	C
405 Chesterfield Avenue	C	QA-345 -- Edwin H. Brown House (Valliant House)
406 Chesterfield Avenue	C
407 Chesterfield Avenue	C
411 Chesterfield Avenue	C
421 Chesterfield Avenue	C
437 Chesterfield Avenue	C
501 Chesterfield Avenue	C
505 Chesterfield Avenue	C
Chesterfield Avenue Extended	C	QA-196 -- Wharf House (Part of Chesterfield, Dockery's Lot)
Church Lane	C	QA-329 -- St. Paul's Church Parish Hall
S. Commerce Street	C	QA-330 -- Centreville Armory
101-103 S. Commerce Street	C
102 N. Commerce Street	C	QA-321 -- Connors' Pharmacy
104-106 N. Commerce Street	C	QA-322 -- Yates-Tolson Building
105-107 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-403 -- Ashley Building (Straughn Hotel, Ford Building)
108-112 N. Commerce Street	C	QA-323 -- Harmon Building
112 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-148 -- Blue Lantern Inn
114 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-149 -- Dr. John Wells' Office and Shop (Sinagra Real Estate)
116 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-150 -- James Croney House (Mildred Thompson House)
116 N. Commerce Street	C	QA-324 -- McKenney Building
119 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-140 -- Wright's Chance
120 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-151 -- Croney-Skinner house
121 N. Commerce Street	C	QA-147 -- Centreville Furniture Store
122 S. Commerce Street	C
123 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-243 -- Wright House
124 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-139 -- Tucker House
126 S. Commerce Street	C
128 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-236 -- Godwin House
128 N. Commerce Street	C	QA-325 -- Nelson Package Goods Store
132 N. Commerce Street	C
200 N. Commerce Street	C
201 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-257 -- Jackson Collins house
202 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-152 -- Holton House (Newmam House)
202 N. Commerce Street	C
203 N. Commerce Street	C
203 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-399 -- Harper Residence (Dr. Robert Price House)
204 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-331 -- Methodist Protestant Church
204 N. Commerce Street	C	QA-145 -- John Sause Law Office
205 N. Commerce Street	C
205-207 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-258 -- Female Seminary (Female School, 1876)
206 S. Commerce Street	C
208 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-404 -- Grace M.P. Church Rectory (Downes Music Shop)
209 N. Commerce Street	C
210 S. Commerce Street	C
212 S. Commerce Street	C
216 N. Commerce Street	C
220 N. Commerce Street	C
221 N. Commerce Street	C
223 N. Commerce Street	C
227 N. Commerce Street	C	QA-144 -- Rulie Boyles House
229 N. Commerce Street	C
301 S. Commerce Street	C
303 N. Commerce Street	C	QA-143 -- Dr. James Harper House (Dr. Frank's House)
304 N. Commerce Street	C
305 N. Commerce Street	C	QA-142 -- Tamlyn House
305 S. Commerce Street	C
306 N. Commerce Street	C
307 N. Commerce Street	C
308 N. Commerce Street	C
310 N. Commerce Street	C
311 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-446 -- Rectory Hill (Dickson Lot, Tilghman Property)
328 S. Commerce Street	C
334 S. Commerce Street	C
336 S. Commerce Street	C
338 S. Commerce Street	C	QA-276 -- Seward House
403 N. Commerce Street	C
404 N. Commerce Street	C
406 N. Commerce Street	C
408 N. Commerce Street	C
417 S. Commerce Street	C
419 S. Commerce Street	C
N. Commerce Street at Lawyer's Row	C	QA-307 -- Centreville National Bank
200-212 Corsica Street	C	QA-198 -- Captain's Houses
Court House Square	C	QA-146 -- Queen Anne's County Court House
201 Creamery Lane	C
402 Creamery Lane	C
104 Front Street	C	QA-199 -- Vincent Sabecki House
108 Front Street	C	QA-200 -- Clinton Waters House
101 Glendale Avenue	C
103 Glendale Avenue	C
105 Glendale Avenue	C
107 Glendale Avenue	C
111 Glendale Avenue	C
115 Glendale Avenue	C
101 Holton Street	C
103 Holton Street	C
105 Holton Street	C
106 Holton Street	C
107 Holton Street	C
110 Holton Street	C
111 Holton Street	C
Kidwell Avenue	C	QA-104 -- Providence (Mary Brown Farm)
102 Kidwell Avenue	C
103 Kidwell Avenue	C
104 Kidwell Avenue	C
105 Kidwell Avenue	C	QA-237 -- Lowe House
106-108 Kidwell Avenue	C
110 Kidwell Avenue	C
112 Kidwell Avenue	C
114 Kidwell Avenue	C
116-118 Kidwell Avenue	C
120 Kidwell Avenue	C
122-124 Kidwell Avenue	C
126 Kidwell Avenue	C
128 Kidwell Avenue	C
130 Kidwell Avenue	C
132 Kidwell Avenue	C
202-204 Kidwell Avenue	C
203 Kidwell Avenue	C
205 Kidwell Avenue	C
206 Kidwell Avenue	C
207 Kidwell Avenue	C	QA-348 -- Ewing House
208 Kidwell Avenue	C
305 Kidwell Avenue	C
309 Kidwell Avenue	C
315 Kidwell Avenue	C	QA-541-1 -- House
315-316-317 Kidwell Avenue	C
321 Kidwell Avenue	C
325 Kidwell Avenue	C
331 Kidwell Avenue	C
341 Kidwell Avenue	C
101 Lawyers Row	C	QA-308 -- Queen Anne's National Bank (Centreville Town Hall)
103 Lawyers Row	C	QA-309 -- Centreville Observer
105 Lawyers Row	C	QA-310 -- Keating Building
107 Lawyers Row	C	QA-311 -- Office Building
109 Lawyers Row	C	QA-312 -- Harper Building
111 Lawyers Row	C	QA-313 -- David Bryan Law Office
115 Lawyers Row	C	QA-314 -- Vachel Downes Office (Perry Building, Queen Annes Building)
117 Lawyers Row	C	QA-315 -- Keating Office Building (William Keating IV Law Office)
119 Lawyers Row	C	QA-316 -- Howard Wood III Law Office
S. Liberty Street	C	Chesterfield Cemetery
100 N. Liberty Street	C	QA-317 -- Dandy Hall
101 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-326 -- Harry Chambers House
102 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-161 -- Dyre Betton House
103 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-320 -- Barbara Jackson House
103 N. Liberty Street	C
104 N. Liberty Street	C
104 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-160 -- Layton Residence (Layton House)
105 N. Liberty Street	C	QA-405 -- Methodist Episcopal Church
106 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-159 -- Davis Residence
107 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-158 -- Vernon Brosius Residence (Brosius House)
108 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-157 -- Methodist Episcopal Parsonage (Robert Thompson Residence)
109 S. Liberty Street	C
110 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-156 -- Blair Robinett Residence (Robinett House)
111 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-242 -- Madison Brown House
112 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-327 -- Draper House
113 S. Liberty Street	C
115 S. Liberty Street	C
201 S. Liberty Street	C
202 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-154 -- John Sause Residence (Wilson Harris House)
203 S. Liberty Street	C
205 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-240 -- Methodist Protestant Rectory (Alice Shea Residence)
206 S. Liberty Street	C
207 S. Liberty Street	C
208 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-153 -- Keating House (Covington House)
216-218 N. Liberty Street	C
220 N. Liberty Street	C
227 N. Liberty Street	C
229 N. Liberty Street	C
231 N. Liberty Street	C
301 N. Liberty Street	C
302 S. Liberty Street	C
304-306 S. Liberty Street	C
305 S. Liberty Street	C
307 S. Liberty Street	C
307 N. Liberty Street	C
309 N. Liberty Street	C	QA-195 -- Joshua Kennard House
309 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-241 -- Bishop-Long House (Old St. Paul's Rectory)
311 N. Liberty Street	C
311 S. Liberty Street	C
313 S. Liberty Street	C
313-315 N. Liberty Street	C
317 N. Liberty Street	C
319 N. Liberty Street	C
321 N. Liberty Street	C
323 N. Liberty Street	C
325-327 N. Liberty Street	C
329 N. Liberty Street	C
331 N. Liberty Street	C
333 N. Liberty Street	C
405 S. Liberty Street	C
407 S. Liberty Street	C
409 S. Liberty Street	C
413 S. Liberty Street	C
415 S. Liberty Street	C
417 S. Liberty Street	C
421 S. Liberty Street	C	QA-402 -- Asbury A.M.E. Church (Charles Wesley U.M. Church)
N. Liberty Street and Academy Lane (100 Academy Lane)	C	QA-141 -- Centreville Academy
S. Liberty Street & Church Lane	C	QA-155 -- St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Little Kidwell Avenue	C	Faith Tabernacle Church
102 Little Kidwell Avenue	C
108 Little Kidwell Avenue	C
110 Little Kidwell Avenue	C
202 Little Kidwell Avenue	C
204 Little Kidwell Avenue	C
206 Little Kidwell Avenue	C
210 Little Kidwell Avenue	C	QA-702 -- Historic Kennard School
216 Little Kidwell Avenue	C
218 Little Kidwell Avenue	C
304 Little Kidwell Avenue	C
306 Little Kidwell Avenue	C
310 Little Kidwell Avenue	C
311 Little Kidwell Avenue	C
314 Little Kidwell Avenue	C
Little Kidwell Avenue (321?)	C
Pennsylvania Avenue	C	QA-349 -- Railroad Station (Centreville Freight Station)
107 Price Street	C	QA-238 -- Mary Thompson House
401 Railroad Avenue	C
402 Railroad Avenue	C
412 Railroad Avenue	C
416 Railroad Avenue	C
418 Railroad Avenue	C
420 Railroad Avenue	C
426 Railroad Avenue	C
430 Railroad Avenue	C
434 Railroad Avenue	C
438 Railroad Avenue	C
442 Railroad Avenue	C
446 Railroad Avenue	C
450 Railroad Avenue	C
454 Railroad Avenue	C
South end Spring Street	C	American Legion
114 Spring Street	C
118 Spring Street	C
103 Tilghmans Lane	C
202 Tilghmans Lane	C
203 Tilghmans Lane	C
204 Tilghmans Lane	C
205 Tilghmans Lane	C
206 Tilghmans Lane	C
208 Tilghmans Lane	C
102 W. Water Street	C
103-105 E. Water Street	C
106 W. Water Street	C
107-109 E. Water Street	C
111-113 E. Water Street	C
111-113 W. Water Street	C
112 W. Water Street	C	QA-319 -- J.W. Perry Building
115 E. Water Street	C	QA-351 -- Barton Brothers Warehouse (C.P. Walters' Carpenter Shop)
117 E. Water Street	C
117 W. Water Street	C
118 W. Water Street	C	QA-194 -- Connolly House
119 E. Water Street	C
120 W. Water Street	C	QA-318 -- E.G. Benton Building
121 E. Water Street	C
125 Water Street	C	QA-417 -- E.G. Benton's Shoe Store (Original Benton Shoe Shop)
201 E. Water Street	C	QA-197 -- William Carmichael House
202 W. Water Street	C
204 E. Water Street	C
205 W. Water Street	C
206-208 W. Water Street	C	QA-334 -- Miriam Chambers House
210 W. Water Street	C	QA-335 -- E.J. Mitchell House
211 E. Water Street	C	Acme Supermarket
212 W. Water Street	C	QA-336 -- B. David Skinner House
214 W. Water Street	C	QA-337 -- Helen Roe House
216 W. Water Street	C
302 E. Water Street	C
304 E. Water Street	C
305 E. Water Street	C
104 Watson Road	C
110 Watson Road	C
115 Watson Road	C
119 Watson Road	C
201 Watson Road	C	QA-244 -- Captain John H. Ozmon House
101 Wharf Lane	C
105 Wharf Lane	C
109,115,121,127 Wharf Lane	C
128 Wharf Lane	C
132 Wharf Lane	C
213 Belvedere	NC
226 Belvedere	NC
108 Broadway	NC
110 Broadway	NC
112 (?) Broadway (no listed address)	NC
Broadway Ave.	NC	Goodwill Fire Company
101 Chesterfield Avenue	NC
404 Chesterfield Avenue	NC
427 Chesterfield Avenue	NC
431 Chesterfield Avenue	NC
620 Chesterfield Avenue	NC
Chesterfield Avenue at Creamery Row	NC	Corsica Lighthouse Pub
Commerce & Water Streets	NC	Edwards Pharmacy
S. Commerce Street	NC
118 S. Commerce Street	NC
121 S. Commerce Street	NC	QA-239 -- Goldsborough House, site (McKenney House)
124 N. Commerce Street	NC
210 N. Commerce Street	NC
218 N. Commerce Street	NC
302 N. Commerce Street	NC
302-304 S. Commerce Street	NC	QA-350 -- Schmidt Residence
318, 320, 322, 324, 326 S. Commerce Street	NC
332 S. Commerce Street	NC
302 Creamery Lane	NC
Garden Lane (adjacent to Belvedere)	NC
99 Glendale Avenue	NC
109 Glendale Avenue	NC
113 Glendale Avenue	NC
104 Holton Street	NC
109 Holton Street	NC
112 Holton Street	NC
114 Holton Street	NC
201 Kidwell Avenue	NC
333-335 Kidwell Avenue	NC
203-205 N. Liberty Street	NC	QA-328 -- Frame Double House, site
308 S. Liberty Street	NC
310-312 S. Liberty Street	NC
402 S. Liberty Street	NC
408 S. Liberty Street	NC	Fellows, Helfenbein & Newnam Funeral Home
411 S. Liberty Street	NC
N. Liberty Street (between 220 and 227 N. Liberty)	NC
N. Liberty Street and Broadway (107 N. Liberty Street)	NC	QA-332 -- Centreville Jail, site
104 Little Kidwell Avenue	NC
106 Little Kidwell Avenue	NC
208 Little Kidwell Avenue	NC
210 Little Kidwell Avenue	NC	QA-702 -- Kennard Elementary School
220 Little Kidwell Avenue	NC
227 Little Kidwell Avenue	NC
301 Little Kidwell Avenue	NC
305 Little Kidwell Avenue	NC
316 Little Kidwell Avenue	NC
317 Little Kidwell Avenue	NC
318 Little Kidwell Avenue	NC
319 Little Kidwell Avenue	NC
324 Little Kidwell Avenue	NC
Northeast corner Broadway & Liberty	NC
Northwest corner of Broadway & N. Commerce	NC	Farmer's Bank of Maryland
Northwest corner of Liberty Street/Broadway	NC
104, 106, 108, 110, 112, 113, 114, 117, 120, 121, 123, 125, 126, 127, 130 Price Street	NC
Railroad Avenue	NC
Railroad Avenue	NC
404 Railroad Avenue	NC
408 Railroad Avenue	NC
Tilghmans Lane	NC
104 Tilghmans Lane	NC
210 Tilghmans Lane	NC
114 W. Water Street	NC
218 W. Water Street	NC
207 W. Water Street, 101 Belvedere	NC
E. Water Street at Banjo Lane	NC	Centreville Post Office
301-303 E. Water Street/Railroad Avenue	NC
102 Watson Road	NC
102,108,114,120 Wharf Lane	NC
434, 502 Chesterfield Avenue	C/NC
203 Broadway		QA-474 -- Price-Clough-Leonard House, site
Chesterfield Avenue		QA-333 -- Chesterfield, site
Chesterfield Avenue Extended		QA-261 -- Palmer Andrew House, site
N. Liberty Street		QA-401 -- Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church
219-219 N. Liberty Street		QA-413 -- J.O. Raisin Double House #3, site
221-223 N. Liberty Street		QA-414 -- J.O. Raisin Double House #4, site
Ridgeview Avenue		QA-346 -- Old Colored School, site