On June 11 Pickering Creek Audubon Center’s Tour, Toast & Taste will be held at Herb and Patrice Miller’s Myrtle Grove in Easton. The event will afford guests a rare look inside Myrtle Grove and a great opportunity to socialize and add culinary adventures to their social calendars for the next year. At this year’s gala event, Pickering Creek will welcome back nationally recognized artists, father-son duo, Ken & Brad Kolodner to entertain guests with a captivating soundscape of hammered dulcimer, banjo and fiddles.
Myrtle grove dates to the early 1700’s and is beautifully placed along the Miles River.
When asked why they would open their delightful retreat to guest, Patrice Miller responded, “We know how impactful experiential learning is and are delighted to support the efforts of Pickering Creek by welcoming guests to Myrtle Grove.”
The Miller’s have been tremendously supportive of this year’s Tour, Toast and Taste, said Mark Scallion, Pickering Creek’s Director, “the beautiful cedars, magnolias and many other ancient trees their property hosts speak to their conservation ethic as owners of Myrtle Grove.”
Myrtle Grove’s original owner, Robert Goldsborough, arrived in America from England, and settled on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. At age thirty he bought a tract of land on the Miles River known as Ashby, which was deeded to him on October 16, 1690. Robert Goldsborough of Ashby deeded the Myrtle Grove land, carved from the Ashby tract, to his son, Robert Goldsborough II. As a wedding gift, Robert Goldsborough also built his son a small frame house on the Myrtle Grove parcel, which still stands today.
The oldest portion of the Myrtle Grove house, constructed between 1724 and 1734 using wide beaded clapboard over logs, was built in the early Georgian style. This older part of the telescope house has an “L” shaped central hall with one room on either side. The sitting room—called the prayer room by the Goldsborough family—is located across the hall from the dining room, and contains fireplace walls that are entirely paneled.
The newer, brick wing of the house at Myrtle Grove was built in 1790 by Robert Goldsborough III, a judge and twice-serving United States Senator. The bricks of the house were made at Myrtle Grove, and the outline of the excavation where the clay was dug may still be traced. The bricks were laid in a Flemish bond pattern.
Former Board Presidents Bill and Mary Griffin enjoy the 2015 Tour Toast and Taste
In front of the Myrtle’ Grove’s main residence stands a small, one-story building, which Judge Robert Goldsborough (Robert Goldsborough III) erected and used as an office. The building dates to 1770, and is believed by some historians to be the oldest law office in the United States. The 18th century paneling remains intact. Inside the office, a narrow staircase to the left of the fireplace leads to a small room where students slept after reading law during the day with Judge Goldsborough.
Following the home tour on June 11th, guests will move to the spacious greens outside the home overlooking the Miles River where they will enjoy cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres and live music while signing up and purchasing dinners and events at a wide variety of special locales to be held throughout the year. Dinners and events ranging from classic gourmet meals to themed ethnic dinners, local and historical specialty dinners, kayaking adventures, BBQs, and Crab Feasts will be available for purchase. There is something for everyone to benefit the conservation education work that is conducted daily at Pickering Creek.
This year’s Tour, Toast and Taste is generously sponsored by Herb and Patrice Miller, the Dock Street Foundation, the Frederick Richmond Foundation, Bruce Wiltsie and Bill Davenport, the Pickering Creek Board of Trustees, the Chesapeake Audubon Society, Bill and Mary Griffin, the Tilghman Family, Cheryl Tritt and Phillip Walker, Dr. Stuart Strahl, Bartlett, Griffin and Vermilye, The Wilford Nagel Group at Morgan Stanley, Richard Scobey and Bruce Ragsdale, George and Cemmy Peterson, Colin Walsh and Carolyn Williams, Wayne and Jodi Shaner, Phillip and Charlotte Sechler, Ken’s Creative Kitchen, The Hill Group at Morgan Stanley, Ewing Dietz, Fountain and Kaludis, Easton Utilities, Avon Dixon Insurance and The Star Democrat.
For over 30 years, Pickering Creek Audubon Center has provided environmental education opportunities to students of the Eastern Shore, moving them from awareness of their watershed to conservation action in their communities. Since establishing a well-reputed elementary education program in partnership with Talbot County Public Schools 22 years ago, Audubon has added meaningful watershed experiences for middle and high school students to it’s continuum of education along with community outreach education about the region’s unique saltmarshes. Pickering Creek reaches the people of the Eastern Shore throughout their academic careers outdoor learning experiences that encourage them to continue interacting with the outdoors frequently.
Tickets and more information are available online at www.pickeringcreek.org. For more information call the Center at 410-822-4903.
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