About this Event
Have you ever dreamed about being a fly on the wall for a moment in history? Join us for a tour of "Maritime Mysteries"
Proceeds will contribute to the Preservation Fund for Tucker House (c.1790) & Wright's Chance (c1744) in the Centreville Historic District of Queen Anne's County.
The 2025 Holiday Candlelight Tour features 14 Colonial and Victorian stops, showcasing a once-thriving maritime port in the heart of Queen Anne's County.
It is said the Centreville Wharf became an emergency port shipping rations to General George Washington's starving troops at Valley Forge and that these provisions were decisive in the progress of the war.
Legend also has it that espionage occurred in the rivers and creeks surrounding Centreville. There are two identically named "Earl's Coves" used to divert and confuse the British during the American Revolution .
The Holiday Candlelight Tour of Historic Homes offers a unique glimpse into Centreville's past, showcasing its once-thriving maritime industry. Each of the 14 stops on the tour shares a part of this rich history..
Feel free to come in Colonial or Victorian dress. Top hats are welcome! We'll be having a costume contest.
This ensemble of four identical frame houses was built by prominent local schooner captain John H. Ozmon to provide housing for his sailing crew and other workers. They are the oldest surviving buildings along the Centreville waterfront, reflecting the maritime trade and the transfer of agricultural goods on Maryland’s Eastern Shore during the late nineteenth century. Ozmon, master of the schooner Kent by age twenty, ran a shipping business and by the time of his death in 1902 owned much of the Centreville Wharf area. He built as many as twenty houses, of which only these survive.
Pascal’s Chance, constructed in 1820, sits on land with a colonial-era grant. To secure its claim on America's East Coast against other imperial powers, the English crown encouraged settlement. Amidst challenges from local Protestants against Maryland's Catholic Calvert family, George Paschal was granted this land in 1666. The land, located on the northeastern banks of the Corsica River (a Chester River tributary navigable by his ships), was granted in exchange for Paschal's transportation of goods and people from England to help settle the area. Part of this agreement required cultivating at least a portion of the property and building a dwelling.
The beautiful house on the hill that sat empty for years is now a place filled with the love of a family, the laughter of little girls, the barking of a beloved Golden Retriever, and the conversation of guests enjoying holiday dinner. The Peter family has truly given Pascal’s Chance a second chance.
Edwin House, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is another home on the tour lovingly restored by a young family who have settled in Centreville. Edwin House is one of best examples of early 20th century dwelling in Centreville including elements of the Shingle and Colonial Revival styles, as well as Mission-style detailing.
The home likely served as a farm homestead and is restored to honor that warm vibe.The grand porch which wraps around the front was used for "courting" at the turn of the 20th century.
This is yet another home on the tour that makes you just wish you were a fly on the wall in its early history. Scratched in the masonry in the basement is the name of the likely builder and date: "W.H. Neale 1915."
Built in 1872, the Elizabeth A. Turpin House belonged to a local "Land Grant" family. The Turpins, Huguenots, had emigrated to America to escape religious persecution.
Elizabeth, Dr. Turpin's widow, raised five children in this home. The house still emanates a vibrant energy, hinting at the boisterous Victorian children who once filled its rooms. The original walnut balustrade, spanning three stories and 38 steps, now boasts a perfect patina, likely smoothed by the joyful slides of countless small Victorian bottoms.
Elizabeth A. Turpin House is on the National Historic Register as an excellent of early Victorian Architecture.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Queen Anne's County Historic Courthouse, 100 Courthouse Square, Centreville, United States
USD 0.00 to USD 44.52
