FOLLOW PILGRIMAGE ARROWS AND SIGNS. 

INFORMATION HEADQUARTERS - THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF TALBOT COUNTY GARDENS, 17 South Washington Street, Easton.  The Society’s gardens may be entered through the North Terrace on Washington Street.  The hand wrought iron gate was designed to compliment the Charleston gate at the far end of the garden and incorporates the Society’s “star” logo.  This garden was designed with the assistance of garden designer, Gordon Hayward, to create a beautiful public entrance to the garden.  It includes dwarf boxwood, spring and fall blooming camellias, oakleaf hydrangeas and native Sweet Bay magnolias.  The adjoining picket fence was designed after the Chase-Lloyd House fence in Annapolis.  The South Terrace Garden was the gift of the Talbot County Garden Club in 1961 and was redesigned and replanted in 2005.  The Nettie Jones Garden has rectangular beds and intersecting axes as is typical of classical garden design in the 17th and 18^th centuries.  The Alice D. Huxley Herb Garden has a sundial as its focal point.  The society’s gardens are maintained by the Talbot County Garden Club.  RESTROOMS ARE AVAILABLE

From the Historical Society, proceed north on Washington Street 0.2 mi. to traffic light at Bay Street.  Turn left 0.5 mi. to traffic light.  Bear right onto Route #322 North (Easton Parkway).  Proceed 1.6 mi. to left turn at traffic light at Airpark Drive.  Take immediate right onto Route #662.  Proceed 4.2 mi. on Route #662.  Turn left on Sharp Road.  Proceed straight 2.9 mi. (Sharp Road becomes Little Park Road.) to Todds Corner Road.  Turn right onto Todds Corner and proceed 0.3 mi. to Gross Coate Road.  Bear left onto Gross Coate Road and go 0.6 mi to Gross Coate.

(NOTE:   It is not necessary to begin your Tour at the Historical Society in Easton, especially if you’re coming from Baltimore, Washington, Wilmington and Philadelphia down Route #50.  You can go directly to the first property, which is Gross Coate.  Tickets and Tour Books will be there.  For those coming South on Route #50, follow the directions below rather than from the Historical Society.)

From Route #50 South, turn off at Route #662 South, Mile Marker 58, (Longwoods Road) just past the huge State Highway Safety Bulletin Sign.  Continue on Longwoods Road for 1.8 miles to Sharp Road.  Turn right onto Sharp Road and proceed straight 2.9 (Sharp Road becomes Little Park Road.) miles to Todds Corner Road.  Turn right onto Todds Corner Road and proceed 0.3 miles to Gross Coate Road.  Bear left onto Gross Coate Road and go 0.6 mi. to:

1.  11300 GROSS COATE ROAD, home of Mr. & Mrs. B. Francis Saul II. 

GROSS COATE, owned by the Tilghman family from l759 until 1983, sits on a beautiful point of land between Gross Creek and Lloyd Creek and looks out at the southern end of Wye Island. The land was patented to William Gross by Lord Baltimore in 1685. The house is of particular interest due to the many changes over the years, which are all quite evident in the variety and style of bricks. The original house, with three rooms down and three rooms up, had its entry facing the river landing on the north side. The kitchen would have stood alone. In 1798 a “new” kitchen was constructed and in 1850 a dining room was inserted between the kitchen and the main house. The floors in the dining room are of black walnut from a “windfall” of trees which were blown down in a storm.  In 1870 a three story wing was added to the south. This was lowered in 1914 by the well-known Baltimore architect, William Smith. He added a new wing to the north, with a loggia and bedrooms above. He then united all the various bits and pieces by wrapping a lovely veranda around it all. He also added a third story to the oldest part of the house and topped the whole creation with a higher, more elegant roof. The current owners are only the third family to own the house. The curtilage behind the house holds stables, a carriage house, smoke house, laundry and creamery. Another small building may have started as a school house before becoming a pump house. A grand old three-story barn was in a state of collapse when the current owners bought Gross Coate. A watercolor of this and all the other buildings may be seen in the west sitting room. The barn has been replaced with buildings echoing the grounds behind the house and efforts have been made to enhance the use of the property by native wildlife.

Return 0.6 miles on Gross Coate Road.  Bear right onto Todds Corner Road 1.5 mi. to Unionville Road.  Turn left onto Unionville Road and proceed 1.2 mi.  Turn right onto Tunis Mills Road.  Proceed 1.4 mi.  Turn right at stop sign to #2, #3, and #4 on the left. 

Village of Tunis Mills: The next four locations, three houses and the chapel, are in the village of Tunis Mills.   This small village, now entirely residential except for the chapel, was once a thriving small town comprised of schools, stores, various canning factories, a steamship wharf and the largest lumber mill on the Eastern Shore from which it draws its name.  Lumber from the mill was shipped to ship building towns, such as St. Michaels, for many years during the latter part of the 19^th Century.   An exhibit about the history of the village and environs including many historic photographs will be on display in the parish house of All Faith Chapel.  Information about the African-American community on the Eastern Shore including the adjacent communities of Copperville and Unionville will be included. 

2.  26287 TUNIS MILLS ROAD, home of Bruce Ragsdale and Richard Scobey. As with many of the houses in this community, the cottage was constructed for the lumber mill workers over 100 years ago. Today a colorful front garden adorns the village lane leading to the bridge over Leeds Creek. Aside from the ginko tree in the front and the magnificent crepe myrtle just through the garden gate, the garden designed by the owner is in its fourth season. In true cottage garden fashion, this experienced gardener has filled the generous borders with favorite plants such as sixteen roses, many on decorative trellises and pillars to adorn walls and create vertical interest. Wanting an environmentally friendly, high summer garden retreat with a succession of bloom, he selected many native plants, herbs and vegetables for their ability to thrive during a Chesapeake summer. The boundary plantings in this garden are well chosen in form and texture to capitalize on the borrowed landscape. One of the beautiful new plants selected for a mixed boundary border opposite the screened porch is Magnolia ‘Alta’ known for its dense, upright columnar habit.

3.  ALL FAITH CHAPEL - EPISCOPAL, 26281 Tunis Mills Road, the Rev. Dr. Charles Walthall, Rector.  Miles River Parish families began meeting in a vacant general store in 1884 when severe winter weather made it difficult for parishioners to reach St. John’s Church on the banks of the Miles River. The remodeled building served as All Faith Chapel until 1929 when that building was moved to the rear of the property to become the parish house. The present church was constructed with lumber donated by Howard Lloyd of Wye House and milled at the local sawmill. Many other donations of time and materials kept the cost down to $3,166. Inside the wood paneled chapel are pews used in the old store and a baptismal font original to the c. l839 St. John’s Church. Beautiful kneelers symbolizing the spiritual meaning of eight flowers were designed by Frances Parker and executed by the church women. Located in the parish house is an exhibit of the history of the village of Tunis Mills. Restrooms are available.

4. MAGNOLIA HOUSE, 26271 Tunis Mills Road, home of Samantha and Tom McCall. The century old house is sheltered by a 250 year old red oak. A lush organic garden has evolved over ten years as Samantha has taken horticulture classes and consulted with local design and horticulture experts as well as landscape designer Gordon Hayward. The entrance walk circles the front garden and leads through gates past the raised “club house” to a series of four sunny borders and woodland gardens set against the backdrop of the house and small sheds. A large Magnolia grandiflora grove encloses a secret meditation garden room watched over by Kuan Yin, the Chinese goddess of compassion. Another garden room is the more formal four square design viewed from the sunporch and exhibiting the rare standard form of Hydrangea ‘Tardiva’. Each garden room is furnished with distinctive and strategically placed seating. A restored Lutyens bench rescued from Hammond Harwood House in Annapolis resides amid the tree peonies. Strong design lines, focal points, hardscapes and garden art are played against the fluid lines of the plant lover’s collections of clematis, epimedium, shrubs and magnolias.

Proceed 0.1 mi.  Turn left on Mill Point Road.  Proceed left around corner (Daffin Road) 0.1 mi.  Turn right onto Leed’s Landing Road.  Continue 0.3 mi. onto Leed’s Landing Circle and turn left to

5.  LOBLOLLY COVE COTTAGE  9640 Leed’s Landing Circle, is the home of Nancy Thompson.  A walk along the pine-lined lane leads to a shade gardener’s delight and classroom.  Informal gardens in all shades, textures and forms of green and variegated foliage form the backdrop and embrace the house.  Bright flowers bloom inside the house all year long on handmade rugs and pillows, upholstery, draperies and art.  Continuing the garden theme are displays of china with game bird and floral patterns, porcelain birds and crystal animal sculptures in the family room.  A screened porch leads to the waterside gardens.  On the left side of the property the extensive hosta garden features forty labeled varieties set in vignettes of native ferns and shade loving perennials and shrubs.  Paths ornamented with Italian terra cotta and cobalt blue glazed pots lead to the pergola and a charming garden shed.  Follow the fox chasing the hare topiaries along the riverbank to shrub borders featuring many varieties of boxwood, camellias, garden sculpture and specimen understory trees such as the Chinese fringe tree, the pale yellow Magnolia ‘Elizabeth’ and the coral-bark maple. 

Exit drive to left, going around Leed’s Landing Circle, then retrace steps turning left onto Leed’s Landing Road, proceeding 1.8 mi. to Unionville Road.  Turn right.  Proceed 0.2 mi. to

6, ST. STEPHENS A.M.E. CHURCH CEMETERY, Route 370, Unionville Road, the Rev. Alfred C. Barnes, Jr., Pastor. One hundred slaves and free blacks from the Wye and Lombardy Plantations in Talbot County joined the US Colored Troops in 1863. Eighteen survived and returned in l866. With praises for their service, the Quaker owners of Lombardy Plantation, the Cowgill family, offered each a plot of land. The veteran soldiers built a school and a church, thus founding the community of Unionville. All eighteen Unionville soldiers are buried in the cemetery behind the church with Colored Union Army headstones as their markers. Today, descendants of those founding families still attend St. Stephens. At least once a year others come from all over the country to attend the church’s Annual Homecoming to celebrate and honor the memory of those buried there. Over the years members of the congregation have lovingly maintained the cemetery. With the help of Historic Cemeteries of Easton and other organizations, members have learned about the preservation of old headstones and the burial grounds.  The organization, Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area, meets at the church to discuss promoting, preserving and training in recording oral histories. Their work should capture much of the village’s rich history for the future.                  

Exit to left.  Proceed 2.2 mi. to Route #33.  Turn right.  Proceed 4.6 mi. to Route #329 East  (Do NOT take #329 West.)  Turn left.  Proceed 1 mi. to Bellevue Road (Note signs to Bellevue/Oxford Ferry).  Turn right.  Proceed 0.1 mi. to

7.   ROYAL OAK COMMUNITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH , K. C. Lee, Pastor.   If you ordered a box lunch you should pick it up here.  Restrooms are available.

Exit right.  Proceed on Bellevue Road 2.6 mi.  Turn right onto Ferry Neck Road “No Outlet” sign.  There are deep ditches on both side of Ferry Neck Road!  Proceed 1.1 mi. and make left turn toward Benoni Point. Continue bearing left on Ferry Neck for 0.8 mi.  Turn left to

8. 4851 FERRY NECK ROAD, home of Beth Loker and Donald Rice. The outline of the original farmhouse is seen in the central three stories of the house built in the 1880s. Brick wings, nearly doubling the size of the house, were added in the 1940s when Gene Tunney, 1926 Heavyweight Boxing Champion, owned the property. A small barn now serves as a garden shed and another farm building has been recycled to become a guest house with a long, sunny veranda. The current owners have enhanced the approach with a large circular strolling garden. Inside the house an amazing collection of antique furniture, paintings, historical prints and beautiful rugs are displayed in every room. There is a landscape by George Lorring Brown of the Boston School over the formal parlor mantel. A birdseye-view map of local civil war battlefields hangs in the library hall. The stairway leading to the second floor is dedicated to American presidents and George Washington is honored on the stairway leading to the third floor. Breathtaking views across the Tred Avon River to Oxford to the east and the surrounding countryside to the west are framed by charming arched windows. The side stairway from the office leads to the kitchen, dining room, pantry and out to the water side of the house on Fox Hole Creek.

Exit left and proceed 0.6 mi. bearing slightly right at fork and continuing onto gravel “Private Roadto:

9. POINT OF VIEW, 4562 Benoni Point Road, home of Linda and Kim Cassady. Poised on a curve at the mouth of the Choptank River with expansive views as far as the western shore, the house was designed to embrace the owners’ American collections as well as the site. Built in 2003, every room has double doors leading to the outside. Approaching the three- gabled facade, an entrance court is formed by the garage housing antique Cadillacs and the connecting colonnade. To the right of the wide, wainscoted center hall is the library lined with mahogany shelves displaying an “eagle” collection. Docents throughout the house are prepared to talk about the prized collections of antique glass in lighted cabinets and of the needlework displayed on the walls. Linda, her mother and grandmother have all been discerning collectors. A generous porch runs the length of the river side of the house and connects the master bedroom to the swimming pool. The family room, kitchen and breakfast room areas are designed to compliment antique furniture and American folk art. Featured on shelves bordering the rooms are carved birds, largely obtained at the Waterfowl Festival in Easton. Herb garden beds outside the kitchen door are raised to form sitting ledges for the gardener.

Walk 0.1 mi. to:

10. BENONI POINT, 4533 Benoni Point Road. Renowned architect Arthur Cotton Moore FAIA designed his 4,000 square-foot home of stainless steel and glass to embrace the beauty of the site at the confluence of the Tred Avon and Choptank Rivers, yet to withstand assaults of nature such as hurricane force winds. The house has been featured in The Washington Post, the New York Times, HGTV, and Waterfront Homes by E. Ashley Rooney. The entry courtyard leads to the foyer which curves to the master bedroom wing on the left, the guest wing on the right and two entrances into the great room. A glass wall curves over to form part of the ceiling 26 feet high. Oak bookshelves line interior walls and a balcony curves above the fireplace wall.  Some of the furniture Mr. Moore designed for the house still remains as well as his outdoor sculptures. His signature style which he termed Industrial Baroque is represented in the wavy, curved lines of tables and architectural details inside and out.  The shelves-only kitchen also has a glass wall and opens to a solarium. Exiting from the hall of the guest wing leads to the black gunite tiled lap pool and the gently sloping ramp to the roof deck where Mr. and Mrs. Moore held parties. Native plants protect the delicate one mile shoreline. A pathway between the berm of Skyrocket Juniper and the walled cutting garden leads back to the parking meadow. Owner: Rickman Family Trust

Retrace steps returning 5.3 miles to Route #329.  Turn right.  Proceed  0.8 mi. to Hopkins Neck Road.  Turn right.  Proceed 1.4 mi.  Turn left to

11. OAK HAVEN (Gardens and Park only) Hopkins Neck Road. A long driveway past pastures, meadows and ponds leads to the large Greek Revival house on a cove of the Tred Avon River. The house was originally a country inn. The present owners employed Garden Designs of Easton to establish lovely garden scenes which are beautifully manicured and organically maintained. Each amenity on the estate from the vegetable and cutting gardens to the old smoke house, wisteria covered dining terrace, pool and riverside decks is landscaped for variety and sensual pleasure. An inlet of the river has been dammed to create a water garden with an island, stepping stones and bridge. Crossing the dam leads to an oyster shell path through the parkland along the river’s edge. Tailgating for lunch will be permitted in the parking meadow adjacent to the inlet.

Exit right onto North Point Road and proceed to stop sign.  Turn left onto Hopkins Neck Road.  Proceed 0.5 mi. to Bayfield Road.  Turn left.  Proceed 0.1 mi.  Turn right to:

12. BAYFIELD,  26545 Bayfield Lane, is the home of Susan and Richard Granville. The expanded Georgian style house on the banks of the Tred Avon River evolved in the imaginations of its owners long before it was built in l999. The stucco and brick facade gives the appearance of a manor house with a long history. The entry courtyard of river birches and yew hedges leads into the large central hall which continues through the width of the house to the screened porch and river view beyond. While true to its formal Georgian roots with beautiful arched doorways and generous moldings, the interior is designed to accommodate a modern family in large airy rooms and intimate cozy ones. Furnishings, accessories and art selected from three generations of family acquisitions are arranged against a light background of peach, yellow, green and cream custom designed carpets and vintage, chestnut wood floors. Cited on axes from the east facing sunroom doors is a formal three room garden punctuated with crepe myrtles. Walking around the water side of the house leads to the pool area with its rose pergola. Dick Granville designed the out buildings around which landscape designer, Gordon Hayward, planned gardens to compliment the brick kitchen wing of the home. The design process is featured in Mr. Hayward’s book Small Buildings Small Gardens, Creating Gardens around Structure, Chapter 11, “Putting It All Together.”

Return to Hopkins Neck Road.  Turn right.  Retrace steps 2.4 mi. to Route #329.  Turn right and continue 1.4 mi. to Route #33.  Be wary of deep drainage ditches!  Turn right to go to Easton, 4.3 mi. to Route #322. 

TO BALTIMORE, WASHINGTON, WILMINGTON AND PHILADELPHIA:  turn left at Route #322.  TO SALISBURY and NORFOLK:  turn right.