By Megan McCurdy
Elm Staff Writer
There is more history to Chestertown than Washington College, namesake of the first president. The town itself dates back to the Colonial era, the spirit of which survives in the architecture of many the town’s buildings and houses to be decorated in authentic Colonial style and showcased in the annual Holiday House Tour.
WC’s First Lady Elisabeth Reiss, an active member of Chestertown’s richly historic community, is spearheading a dual town tour and fundraiser for local schools. Since her 2010 arrival, Reiss has donated her time and efforts to supporting schools in and around Kent County. She has organized clothing and food drives, and she and her husband, President Mitchell Reiss, have donated hundreds of books to the Garnett Elementary School library.
The First Lady sees the 2012 Holiday House Tour, sponsored by the Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) of Garnett Elementary School and Kent County Middle School, as a fantastic opportunity to both showcase the history and Colonial charm of Chestertown and help support local institutions.
Tours of Chestertown’s most significant and beautiful historic buildings will run from 1-4 p.m. on Dec. 8 beginning at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Cross Street, where a 1780 vote renamed the former Church of England to the Protestant Episcopal Church in America.
Other prominent buildings include the Hynson-Ringgold House, a brick mansion built circa 1742 where George Washington once slept and where President and First Lady Reiss currently reside; the Custom House, built in the 1740s when Chestertown stood out as a prominent entry port of Maryland’s Eastern Shore; and Wide Hall, a riverfront mansion build by wealthy merchant and shipbuilder Thomas Smythe around 1770.
Docents in colonial garb will be stationed throughout the tour to answer questions about the houses and their décor and guide visitors through the experience. In true “living history” style, horse-and-buggyy rides, historical interpreters, children playing Colonial games, and members of the Maryland Loyalist Battalion will be featured throughout Chestertown’s historic quarter.
Additionally, visitors will be able to visit the award-winning Farmers Market in at Fountain Park, open 9 a.m. to noon, and a staging of “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” at the Garfield Center for the Arts at the Prince Theatre.
Tickets for the tour are $15 in advance at $20 at the door and can be ordered online at www.holidayhousetour.org. All proceeds will benefit Kent County Public Schools.
Reiss and the PTAs encourage visitors and families to spend the day in historic Chestertown and immerse themselves in rich past of Chestertown while enjoying authentic decorations of the 18th century.