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Princess Anne Town History

The town of Princess Anne was created by an act of Maryland's General Assembly in 1733. Located at a narrow point in the river known as the "wadeing place", the land was well elevated and conveniently suited for the purposes of a centraly located town in Somerset County. Twenty-five acres of David Brown's "Beckford" plantation were purchased and divided into thirty equal lots with "Bridge Street" (Somerset Avenue) serving as the main north/south avenue. The new town was named in honor of the twenty-four-year-old daughter of King George II.
     The original courthouse was erected on the corner of Bridge and Broad Streets. When it burned in 1832, the court buildings were relocated to the Prince William Street site. During the nineteenth century, the town was expanded beyond its eighteenth century limites with new houses erected in each direction, giving testimony to the prosperity of the times. Princess Anne is distinguished by many fine Federal Style dwellings as well as mid-to-late nineteenth century Victorian houses and turn-of-the-twentieth-century commercial structures.
  1. Old Presbyterian Church Lecture Hall, c. 1860. This gable-front frame structure was originally used by the Manokin Presbyterian congregtion. 30548 Prince William Street.
  2. Somerset County Courthouse, 1904-05. This Georgian Revival brick courthouse replaced the second building erected in 1832-33. 30512 Prince William Street.
  3. C.H. Hayman House, 1898. This large Queen Anne style frame house provides an interesting display of Victorian and Colonial Revival design features. 30491 Prince William Street
  4. Dougherty House, c. 1835, c. 1837. A combination of vernacular Greek Revival and mid-19th century cottage architecture. 30490 Prince William Street.
  5. Judge Levin T.H. Irving House (Episcopal Rectory), c. 1850. A Greek Revival house attributed to carpenter Seth D. Venables, who worked in Princess Anne during the mid-19th century. 30480 Prince William Street.
  6. Teackle Gatehouse, c. 1805. One of two entrance buildings, erected on the Teackle estate which housed hired, as well as slave, staff. 30466 Prince William Street.
  7. Fontain-Fitzgerald House, c. 1852. A pristine example of mid-19th century Greek Revival design with an intact two-story portico and side-lighted entrances. LHD. 30459 Prince William Street.
  8. Francis Barnes House, c. 1853-54. A well-designed example of the mid-19th century bracketed house crafted by Seth D. Venables. 30449 Prince William Street.
  9. Rufus Parsons House, c. 1858. Occupying a prominent corner of the old Teackle estate, this two-story frame dwelling is an unusual example of Greek Revival design. 30448 Prince William Street.
  10. Teackle Mansion, c. 1802; 1818-1819. A highly elaborate example of Federal style architecture built by Littleton Dennis Teackle, one of the area's most influential men of the early 19th century. NR. 11736 Mansion Street.
  11. Seth Venables House (Simplicity), c. 1852. This two-story frame dwelling was builty by Seth D. Venables for himself and his family. 11748 Mansion Street.
  12. William Geddes House (Tunstall Cottage), c. 1755. The oldest dwelling in Princess Anne. Notable is the distinctive exterior chimney with free-standing stack. 11790 Church Street.
  13. Charles Jones House, c. 1780, one of the few 18th century houses located on part of Lot 3, one of the original thirty lots. 11816 Somerset Avenue.
  14. Woolford-Elzey House, c. 1788, c. 1840. The core of this large frame house dates to the 18th century. Later the exterior was extensively altered. 11828 Somerset Avenue.
  15. Election House, c. 1870, and Manokin River Park. Used as a focal point for the landscaped Manokin River Park, the old Election House was relocated to this site when the Park was conceived during the late 1980s.
  16. Manokin Presbyterian Church, 1756; 1871-72; 1888. The original congregation was established around 1683. NR. 11890 Somerset Avenue.
  17. Nutter's Purchase, c. 1800. This frame house was erected as part of a tannery complex. 30455 Flurer's Lane
  18. Linden Hill, c. 1835. A very important and well preserved example of Federal/Greek Revival domestic architecture erected in a stpped, or "telescope" form. 11923 Somerset Avenue.
  19. Metropolitan United Methodist Church, 1866. This expressive example of Gothic Revival religious architecture was built on a site occupied from 1744 to 1831 by the county jail. 30518 Broad Street.
  20. Washington Hotel, 1797; 1838 and later. A hotel or ordinary has operated on this site since the mid-18th century. 11784 Somerset Avenue.
  21. John W. Crisfield Law Office, c. 1847-48. This two-story gable front frame building is an important survivor of antebellum frame commercial architecture. 11787 Somerset Avenue.
  22. Old Bank of Someret, c. 1884. This two-story brick commercial building is an unusual combination of Gothic Revival and Romanesque motifs. 11739 Somerset Avenue.
  23. John W. Crisfield House (Somerset House), c. 1852 and earlier. This prominent Late Federal/Greek Revival house was erected by the former United States senator. LHD. 30556 Washington Street.
  24. Anna L. Haines House, c. 1909. This brick townhouse was erected with a T-shaped plan extended by two-story bay windows on both street elevations. 30560 Washington Street.
  25. The Laura House, c. 1905. This T-plan dwelling is trimmed with modest Victorian features including the tuned post front porch. LHD. 11728 Beechwood Street.
  26. Colonel George Handy House, 1805-06. A well-built frame house sheathed with original beaded weatherboards and joined on the lot by a sawn log smokehouse with a pyramidal roof. LHD. 11719 Beechwood Street.
  27. Boxwood Garden, c. 1850 and later. The origins of this boxwood parterre date to the mid-19th century. LHD. Corner of Somerset Avenue and Washington Street.
  28. General George Handy House, c. 1845 and later. An interesting example of a c. 1870 remodeling of a Greek Revival House. LHD. 11695 Somerset Avenue.
  29. Joshua W. Miles House (Hinman House), c. 1890. This impressive dwelling is an elaborate example of Queen Anne style architecture and was probably designed by Baltimore architect Jackson C. Gott. 11673 Somerset Avenue.
  30. William W. Johnston House, c. 1834-35. Afinely detailed Federal Style dweling erected on the south edge of town and built to face the town center. 11653 Somerset Avenue.
  31. Levin Woolford House, c. 1853. the only example of the Second Empire Style in town. 11601 Somerset Avenue.
  32. Waters House, c. 1859. with its mid-19th century revival style architecture, was erected well south of the original thirty lots. 11571 Somerset Avenue.
  33. Frank Collins House and Dairy Barn, c. 1910 and earlier. At the south end of Princess Anne historic distric, this imposing brick dwelling with Colonial Revival detailing is joined on the property by a brick dairy barn that predates the house. 11510 Somerset Avenue.
  34. Rudolph S. Cohn House (Alexander House), c. 1885. Queen Anne style Victorian house designed in a "T" shape with an early 20th century wraparound porch. 30538 Linden Avenue.
  35. Cassius Dashiell House, 1896. This cross-gabled house displays intricate Victorian sawnwork and generous front and side porches. LHD. 11600 Beckford Avenue.
  36. Beckford Avenue Tenant Houses, c. 1870. These two-story, two-bay frame dwellings were erected for tenant families who worked on the Beckford property. 11679 and 11685 Beckford Avenue.
  37. Beckford, c. 1803. A superbly designed Flemish bond brick house with finely executed Federal details, erected by John Dennis, a former United States senator. NR. 11692 Beckford Avenue (Private Drive)
  38. St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 1767-73; 1859, 1896, originally a chapel-of-ease for Somerset Parish. 11700 Church Street.
  39. Littleton Long House, c. 1830. A well-preserved example of a Federal/Greek Revival frame house with restored portico. 11696 Church Street.
  40. Princess Anne Railroad Station, 1913 This broad hip roofed rectangular structure is typical of stations built in the early 20th century. When passenger service was discontinued, this building was reworked for a day care center and later a real estate office.
WEBMASTER'S NOTE:
I had the chance to go around the town of Princess Anne to photograph, and never have a seen such a perfect site to photography "Americana". This town is breathtaking in it's cleanliness and history. Norman Rockwell would have had plenty of material to work from in this town.
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