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November 26, 2025

Talbot Spy

Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

5 News Notes

St. Michaels Museum Launches War of 1812 in the Chesapeake Speaker Series Featuring Guest Ralph Eshelman

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The St. Michaels Museum is pleased to announce, as part of our continuing mission to bring the rich history of St. Michaels and the Chesapeake to life, 

The War of 1812 in the Chesapeake 2025-2026 Speaker Series.

Our first event will be with noted author, historian, and world explorer, Ralph Eshelman. His book, In Full Glory Reflected takes you on a riveting adventure during the War of 1812 in the Chesapeake.

DATE: Friday October 24th LOCATION: Christ Church Meeting Hall 103 Willow St.             

TICKET PRICE: $10.00  All proceeds will go to make improvements to the museum. PURCHASE TICKETS

SPECIAL OFFER: This event is FREE for our members, click here to become a member and receive free admission to this event, and all other events during your membership term: Click Here       Become a Member – St. Michaels Museum

MEMBERS ATTEND for FREE. Seats are limited, so reserve yours today. This link   https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-war-of-1812-in-the-chesapeake-tickets-1773654681899?aff=oddtdtcreator   will take you to our event page. Simply click on the ‘Get Tickets’. Enter your member email address in the ‘Promo Code’ at the top of the page-be sure to add number of tickets, click ‘Check Out’, fill in member information and get your Free tickets.

Since 1965, The St. Michaels Museum, located at St. Mary’s Square, has been a cornerstone of our community, dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich history of St. Michaels and our region.  Our museum has thrived thanks to the generous support of individuals like you, along with the dedication of our resident volunteers.

Should you have questions, please call: 202-893-6129

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

St. Michaels Museum’s Traditional Independence Day Celebration

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St. Michaels Museum’s Traditional Independence Day Celebration Friday, July 4, 2025

Children’s Parade starts at 10 AM Patriotic dress is encouraged for children, bicycles, tricycles, wagons & pets

10:30 Magician John Dodge

11 AM Patriotic Program Flag raising & Pledge of Allegiance Boy Scout Troop 741 Royal Oak Musicians Keynote Speaker: Pete Lesher, Talbot County Councilman, “Giving Back – Serving The Community”

Food, Drinks and Ice Cream Available by St Michaels Fire Dept and Boy Scout Troop 741

Parade Begins at St. Michaels Museum. 201 East Chestnut west to Talbot, Talbot north to Willow (just past Christ Church), Willow to Church, Church to Mulberry, Mulberry to St. Mary’s Square and back to St. Michaels Museum St. Michaels Museum will be open featuring our exhibits: “St. Mary’s Square” And Fredrick Douglass’s Years in St Michaels & Talbot County

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Christmas in St. Michaels at the The St. Michaels Museum

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The museum will be open free of charge during Christmas in St Michaels Weekend, December 8-10, 2023. The museum hours are Friday 1-4PM, Saturday 10AM-4PM, and Sunday 1-4PM.

We are excited to share a special display of miniature rooms created by Jo Storey, our Docent Coordinator. The display of miniature rooms shows what a home might have looked like, including Santa’s workshop. We are also pleased to have Jeffrey C. McGuiness, the author of the very popular and widely praised, ‘Bear Me Into Freedom: The Talbot County of Frederick Douglass’ on hand Saturday to sign his book and talk about his process in writing this book. The St Michaels Museum is also proud to be the publisher of this fascinating book.

Hope to see you at St. Michaels Museum during Christmas in St Michaels weekend. Come and enjoy the many exhibits on display that show the fascinating history of our wonderful town, including our diorama of the Battle of St Michaels. We are located at 201 E Chestnut St on St. Mary’s Square. For more information, visit our webpage www.stmichaelsmuseum.org.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

St. Michaels Traditional July 4 Independence Day Celebration

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On Tuesday, July 4th, St Michaels Museum will once again sponsor its traditional Independence Day Celebration at the Museum on the corner of East Chestnut Street and St. Mary’s Square. Events will start at 10 AM with a Children’s Parade. Children and parents should arrive at 9:30 AM. We encourage festively dressed participants with decorated bicycles, tricycles, wagons, and pets. Uncle Sam will lead the parade followed by the St. Michaels Fire Dept’s Antique Fire Engine, Maggie. The emphasis is having a good time and showing off for your parents, grandparents, neighbors, and friends.

The parade starts at St. Michaels Museum, 201 E. Chestnut Street. The route is East Chestnut west to Talbot St., Talbot north to Willow (just past Christ Church), Willow to Church, Church to Mulberry, Mulberry to St Mary’s Square and back to St. Michaels Museum. There will be no floats or vehicles other than the fire department’s antique fire truck ‘Maggie’ leading the parade. It is a special event only for children. The Phillips Wharf Fish Mobile will be available to entertain and educate children. Food and Refreshments will be available from the St. Michaels Fire Department.

At 11AM the Traditional Program will begin with Boy Scout Troup 741 raising the flag and leading a Pledge of Allegiance in front of the Museum. A formal program will follow on the Teetotum front porch with a benediction, patriotic songs, and our featured speaker CBMM Curator Pete Lesher. The Royal Oaks Musicians will provide music. Following the program, magician John Dodge will perform for everyone. St Michaels Museum will be open with free admission. St. Michaels Museum, 201 E. Chestnut Street, St. Michaels, Maryland 21663, 410-745-6591. www.stmichaelsmuseum.org

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

St. Michaels Museum 2023 Season Announcement

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St Michaels Museum is excited to announce that the museum is open for our 2023 season with a total new look for the Chaney House and expanded exhibits. Our Betty and George Seymour room allows us to present an expanded history of St. Michaels with more room for visitors to explore our history comfortably.

Our 2023 exhibits include the following: the expanded Frederick Douglass exhibit with his connections to St. Michaels in 1833–1838 until he was sent to Baltimore after his attempted escape from slavery, ending with his triumphal return in 1877.

Our new diorama of St. Michaels in 1813 that gives a two-dimensional view of the town as well as an exhibit on the August 10th, 1813, Battle of St. Michaels August 26 attempted attack. It illustrates how town residents joined the St. Michaels Patriotic Blues militia together with other Talbot County militias to successfully defend the town. It highlights local citizen and Revolutionary War veteran Brig. General Benson, leader of all the militias during the August 10th Battle and the August 26th British attempt to invade St. Michaels. Artists and authors connected to St. Michaels are featured and dominant town occupations like shipbuilding, the sea food industry and tourism are highlighted.

During the 2023 season, May through October, the Museum will be open on Fridays (1-4), Saturdays (10-4) and Sundays (1-4). Admission for adults is $5, Children under 18 are free. If you are a member of the museum there is no charge for you and your guests.

Our July 4th celebration begins with our popular Children’s Parade at 10. Traditional flag raising, music and a speech given by CBMM Curator and Talbot County Councilman, Pete Lesher will begin at 10:30.  The Museum will be open to the public that day free of charge.

The popular Docent-led St. Michaels Walking Tours are available from May through October 2023. The Walking tours of the town begin at the museum at 10:00 on Saturdays. Fees are:  $20 Adults, Youths 18 are free. Private tours on other days and times can be arranged by calling Kate Fones @ 410-745-4323 or Scott Hercik @ 703-713-2100.

The “Frederick Douglass in St. Michaels 1833-36 & 1877” takes place on the 1st Sat of each month. This tour is given as a 90-minute tour that gives a view of the early life of St. Michaels’ most famous 19th century resident and most important African American Abolitionist.

The “Historic St. Michaels: its People, Places and Happenings” tour takes place on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Saturdays of the month. This tour is a 90-minute half mile walking tour. It highlights St. Michaels from the 18th to 20th Centuries. Hear Details about the town’s historic buildings,

interesting characters and events. We are located at 201 E. Chestnut St, on historic St. Mary’s Square, in St Michaels where there is usually plenty of street parking. For more information visit our website at www.stmichaelsmuseum.orgor by phone at: 410-745-9561.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

St. Michaels Museum Annual Meeting Sunday April 23

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All are welcome to attend the annual meeting of St. Michaels Museum at St. Mary’s Square on Sunday, April 23, from 1 to 2:30 in the St. Michaels Library Meeting Room at 106 Fremont Street in St. Michaels.

The meeting will focus on the work the Museum is doing to preserve a rare and remarkable St. Michaels home built by three free African American brothers in the mid-19th century, the Chaney House. When completed, it will provide a window into the lives of the people who called it home 170 years ago.

The presentation is entitled Unpacking & Preserving the Chaney House (1851): Freedmen’s Housing and Architecture in a Shipbuilding Town.

Our speakers will be two experts in historic preservations, Robert Forloney and Michael Olmert.

Forloney has a 25-year career in the museum field. He is a professor in Goucher College’s Cultural Sustainability program as well as the museum studies programs at Johns Hopkins and the University of Delaware.

Olmert is a professor in the English Department of the Univ. of Maryland, College Park. He wrote The Official Guide to Colonial Williamsburg and Kitchens, Outhouses, & Privies (Cornell Press). His TV writing has given him three Primetime Emmys and admission to the University of Maryland Alumni Hall of Fame.

The talk will cover where the Chaney house fits into the social and architectural history of the late 18th and 19th centuries and where the structure is now headed as a textbook on the history of enslavement, vernacular architecture, the principles of Georgian and Federal architecture, the nature of enslaved life and post-enslaved life as well as the architectural responsibilities of preserving the past without confusing or totally missing what it’s trying to tell us.

For additional details, please go to the Museum’s website at:

https://www.stmichaelsmuseum.org/news/st-michaels-museum-closed-until-may-1-2023-special-tours-still-available

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

St. Michaels Traditional July 4 Independence Day Celebration

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On Monday, July 4th, 2022, St Michaels Museum will once again sponsor its traditional Independence Day Celebration at the Museum on the corner of East Chestnut Street and St. Mary’s Square.

Events will start at 10 AM with the Children’s Parade. Children and parents should arrive at 9:30 AM. We encourage festively dressed participants with decorated bicycles, tricycles, wagons, and pets. Uncle Sam will lead the parade followed by the St. Michaels Fire Department’s antique Fire Engine, Maggie. The emphasis is on having a good time and showing off for parents, grandparents, neighbors, and friends.

The parade starts at the corner of St. Mary’s Square and Chestnut Street. The route goes on Talbot Street and turns right onto Talbot St. turns right onto Willow St. (just past Christ Church), turns right onto Church Street, then left onto to Mulberry St. and then takes a right onto to St Mary’s Square, the parade ends at St. Michaels Museum. There will be no floats or vehicles other than the fire department’s antique fire truck ‘Maggie’ and Boy Scouts will lead the parade. This is always a special event for children only.

At 11AM the Traditional Program will begin with Boy Scout Troup 741 raising the flag and leading a Pledge of Allegiance in front of the Museum. A formal program will follow on the Teetotum Porch with a Benediction, patriotic and folk songs by the Royal Oak Musicians. The featured speaker is CBMM Curator Pete Lesher, whose topic is ‘A New Birth of Freedom.’ Following the program, the magician John Dodge will perform for everyone.

St. Michaels Museum will be open with free admission. Refreshments will be available from the St. Michaels Fire Department and the Boy Scouts. St. Michaels Museum at St. Mary’s Square, 201 East Chestnut Street, St. Michaels, Maryland 21663. Visit our website at www.stmichaelsmuseum.org to learn more about Where History Comes Alive.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

St Michaels Museum at St Mary’s Square ‘Where St. Michaels History Comes Alive’

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Plan a visit to St Michaels Museum to learn about the history of St Michaels including the War of 1812, the life of Frederick Douglass when he lived in the town as a slave, and the commercial development of this busy town.

An exhibit about the Hambleton Family of Martingham and Perry Cabin is on view. Come find out the 240-year history of St Mary’s Square. It was the center of a 1778 town plan put together by English factor James Braddock during the American Revolution. Braddock’s plan featured the Square and two gates, north and South. It was the center of the new town. The square was the home of the Methodist Sardis Chapel, as well as several schools.

Explore St. Michaels with a docent-led walking tour of the town that begins at the museum at 10:00 on Saturdays May through October. $20 adults, youths 17 and under are free. Private tours for a $50 Minimum on other days and times can be arranged by calling Kate Fones at 410-745-4323.

“Frederick Douglass, as a Slave, in St. Michaels 1833-36”

Second, Fourth and Fifth Saturdays of each Month

This tour is given as a 90-minute walking tour on the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Saturdays. The tour gives a view of the early life of St. Michaels’ most famous 19th century resident and the most important African American Abolitionist in the Civil War.

“Historic St. Michaels: its People, Places and Happenings”

First and Third Saturdays of Each Month

This tour is given as a 90-minute walking tour on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays. It highlights St. Michaels during the 19th Century. Stories will be told viewing many restored structures from that era and describing life of famous and typical residents of these times including Frederic Douglass.

Great News! Our Popular Children’s Parade will once again be a part of our traditional 4th of July celebration this year at our grounds July 4, 2022!! Visit our new website for all the news and details about our 4th Celebration and all museum activities!

The St. Michaels Museum is open Fridays from 1-4, Saturdays 10-4, Sundays 1-4. We are located at 201 E. Chestnut St, on historic St. Mary’s Square, in St Michaels where there is usually plenty of street parking. Website – www.stmichaelsmuseum.org and phone 410-745-9561.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

St. Michaels Museum’s New Look!

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The St Michaels Museum invites you to view the new addition to the museum as well as the new arrangement of the museum exhibits. Explore the history of the museum’s three 19th century buildings: the ca. 1860 Teetotum used as a commercial duplex, the 1865 Sewell House, home of waterman Jeremiah Sewell, wife Harriet and their large family, the 1851 Chaney brother’s House, a rare opportunity to see a home built and owned by free African Americans before the civil war. Museum exhibits cover such topics as the 1813 Battle of St. Michaels, the life of Frederick Douglass, when he lived here as a teenage slave from 1833 to 1836 and his dramatic return in 1877, as well as the commercial life of the town over the years, and the local art and crafts of St. Michaels.

This year there are new extended hours. The museum will be open every Saturday in November thru December 4th from 1-4. During Christmas in St Michaels Weekend December 11th and 12th we will be open Saturday 11-3 and Sunday 1-3 with no entrance fee.

The popular docent-led walking tours of St Michaels will begin at the museum at 10:00 am the charge for adults is $15 and $5 for youths (6-17). Private tours can be arranged for $20 by calling Kate Fones @ 410-745-4323 or Scott Hercik @ 703-713-2100.

“Historic St. Michaels: its People, Places and Happenings” takes place on the First and Third Saturdays of each month. This tour is a 90-minute walking tour that highlights St. Michaels from the late 18th century and the 19th century to present day. The town’s buildings, people and events are covered.

“Frederic Douglass, as a Slave, in St. Michaels 1833-36” takes place on the second, fourth and fifth Sat of each month. This tour is a 90-minute walking tour that covers the St. Michaels that Frederick Douglass knew as an enslaved teenager. It tells of his family roots in Talbot County, how he became a famous abolitionist as well as his civil rights activities and his dramatic return to the town in 1877.

St. Michaels Museum Hours:
October: Fridays 1-4, Saturdays 10-4, Sundays 1-4.
November Thru December 4th: Saturdays 1-4
Christmas in St Michaels Weekend December 11th& 12th
Saturday 11-3, Sunday 1-3: No Admission charge

The museum is located at 201 E. Chestnut St, on historic St. Mary’s Square, in St Michaels where there is usually plenty of street parking. Visit our website at www.stmichaelsmuseum.org for more information or call 410-745-9561.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

St. Michaels Museum at St. Mary’s Square Opening Day May 29

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St Michaels Museum will re-open with a new look, new addition, and expanded exhibits on Saturday May 29th for the 2021 season. The addition allows us to present an expanded history of St. Michaels with more room for visitors to explore our history.

The new exhibits include a diorama of St. Michaels in 1813 and an exhibit on the 1813 Battle of St. Michaels. The exhibit tells the story of the Patriotic Blues militia and Brig. General Benson, leader of all militias during the August 10th Battle and the August 26th British attempt to invade St. Michaels.

The museum offers the history of St. Mary’s Square, the heart of St. Michaels created by Englishman James Braddock in 1778, as well as the life of Frederick Douglass in St. Michaels from his attempted escape from slavery in 1833 to his triumphal return in 1877.

The 2021 season runs from June through October, the Museum is open on Fridays from 1 to 4, Saturdays from 10 to 4 and Sundays from 1 to 4. Admission for adults is $4, children 10-17 $1, for children under 10 there is no charge.  If you are a member of the museum there is no charge for you and your guests.

The popular Docent led Walking Tours of St. Michaels will begin on Saturday May 29th beginning at 10. Fees are $15 adults, $5 youth (10 – 17), for children under 10 there is no charge. Details of the tours are available on the website at www.stmichaelsmuseum.org. To register for Saturday tours or for private tours, contact Kate Fones @ 410 745-4323, [email protected] or Scott Hercik at 703 713-2100, [email protected].

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.