St. Augustine Church, originally called the Manor Chapel, was one of the 30 churches paying tithes to the Bishop of London in 1690. It was the place of worship for the early settlers of Bohemia Manor, a 20,000-acre estate granted to Augustine Herman by the Lord Baltimore in 1660. Herman was the first naturalized citizen of the colony. In 1733, the vestry raised 55,000 pounds of tobacco to build the brick Chapel, and Augustine Parish was then formed, embracing "all that land between the Elk and Bohemia Rivers." By the early 1800's, the church building deteriorated. A frame church was built in the 1830's, consisting of a plain Doric style. The inside provides an example of colonial houses of worship with wood-paneled box stalls from the first half of the 20th century. St. Augustine Church fell into disuse, and only one service a year was held at Easter. In 1962, the Society for the Preservation and Restoration of Old St. Augustine was formed, money was raised, and many historic items were donated by members, including needlepointed kneelers. An 18th-century log cabin was donated to the parish and erected for the vestry. Its sister cabin (Boone's Cabin) is found on Woodstock Farm (featured stop on tour). Recently, the church was selected for 'Cecil County's Network to Freedom' that commemorates the quest for freedom along the underground railroad. During the Revolutionary War, British forces camped at St. Augustine and recruited enslaved people, offering them freedom and severance pay at the end of the war. Despite the loss, the Crown made good on the promise and compensated the four men who joined them at the church.

The Great House is located on the north shore of the Bohemia River and is considered Cecil County's best example of early Georgian vernacular architecture with original 18th-century woodwork. The farm property, known as Great House Farm, was originally part of Bohemia Manor, the 20,000-acre land grant of Augustine Herman, dating to 1660. Hermon sold 3,750 acres were given to Dutch Labadists in 1683 to build America's first communal settlement. By the early 1700s, the Labadist Settlement had disbanded, and Samuel Bayard purchased the property and built the Great House. Great House dates to the 1720s and is unique in the southern part of the county for the double-pile four-room plan, each with corner fireplaces, but without a central hall. In lieu of a center hall plan, the southeast corner of the house serves as a grand entrance and stair hall. The entrance includes heavily molded millwork, staircase handrail, turned balusters, and a corner fireplace. The Great House was restored by Mr. and Mrs. Richard duPont, Jr. in the 1960s, and still remains in the family today. The Great House is furnished with period furniture, family heirlooms, artwork by family members, and needlepoint by the current owner's grandmother, Allaire duPont (owner of nearby Woodstock Farm). The Great House features a spectacular setting overlooking the Bohemia River and has had buffalo, peacock, retired show horses, and a family pet donkey in residence at the farm. Great House owners have transformed the grounds into a pastoral waterfront retreat with beautiful landscaping and gardens on the largest agricultural preserve in Cecil County.

Woodstock Farm, formerly the home of preservationist, philanthropist, and thoroughbred breeder Allaire duPont, features the tour's next two attractions: Boone's Cabin and Kelso Memorial. Allaire moved to Cecil County to raise horses for her Bohemia Stable after World War II. Woodstock Farm was home to the renowned Kelso, named Horse of the Year for an unprecedented 5 years, 1960 -1964. His memorial gravesite is adorned by Greek garden columns and tall, stately trees. The memorial garden includes other home-bred horse notables, along the west side of the lane. Kelso's memorial reads "Where he gallops, the earth sings". Driving further down Woodstock Farm Lane for another 0.6 mile to the end of the lane (Stay on the main road). Boone's Cabin sits at the end, on the north shore of the Bohemia River. This historic 18th-century log cabin is originally from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and was given as a wedding present from Richard duPont to his wife, Allaire, in the 1930's. It was carefully transported to the farm and situated by the river. Allaire held legendary meetings, parties, and functions, entertaining many luminaries for decades until her death in 2006. Her collection of period and personal furnishings remains. As you head to your next stop, enjoy the beautiful horse country and town of Chesapeake City. Allaire duPont was instrumental in preserving Chesapeake City.

Founded in 1661, Bohemia Manor is one of Cecil County's most historic sites. In 1661, Lord Baltimore, Cecilius Calvert, the first Governor of Maryland, awarded a land grant to the notable Czechoslovakian merchant and cartographer, Augustine Herman, as a tribute to his homeland of Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia. Herman was granted the land in recognition of creating the Map of the Chesapeake Bay. The estate grew to include thousands of acres and provides a legacy and deeper appreciation of the many points of interest in Cecil County named in Augustine Herman's honor. The property became a vital secluded hub for the Jesuits in the 1770's and was established as a plantation and school, a precursor to Georgetown College. Senator Thomas Bayard, a direct descendant of Augustine Herman, built the classic Georgian manor house on the property in 1920. In 2005, the historic manor house was restored, and a state-of-the-art Chateau Bu-de Winery was built by nationally renowned firms of Archer- Buchanan Architecture and Dewson Construction. Current owners have made many improvements and opened Bohemia Manor Farm Winery, as well as the manor house, with an entire list of events and venues. Bohemia Manor Farm includes 3,600 feet of water frontage on the Bohemia River and 2,900 feet on Manor Creek, hundreds of acres of tillable fields, impeccably maintained lawns, and panoramic water views. The spacious manor home offers many luxurious amenities, including 11 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a grand ballroom, exquisite period wall coverings, 10 wood-burning fireplaces, a gourmet kitchen, and a guest cottage, available for weddings and private events.

Cherry Grove Farm offers a glimpse into Cecil County's colonial past when the farm was owned by the prominent Governor of Maryland, Thomas Veasy. The original main house dates to the mid to late 18th century and is of Dutch colonial design and log construction. Very few houses reveal as much about vernacular building traditions as Cherry Grove, which has three 18-century methods of construction: hewn log, timber frame, and post-and-hewn plank. The house features period wood flooring, original paneling, exposed beams, numerous fireplaces, and a screened-in porch to capture summer breezes. In addition to the main house, the farm features a tenant cottage and working farm buildings. Cherry Grove is set on 400 acres with 10,000 feet of waterfront at the confluence of the Bohemia and Elk Rivers. Cherry Grove was purchased and restored by its present owners and offers a timeless country setting where history abounds. The original one-room log cabin was found during the restoration, and subsequent additions helped to preserve the log structure. Cherry Grove is furnished with many interesting historic furnishings and family items, including the handsome table made from a black walnut tree that fell on the property after a storm. Legend has it that the fireplace in the dining room has a special significance to the Veasey family. Belted Galloway cows at Cherry Grove Farm are family pets and set a pastoral scene at this historic and charming Cecil County landmark property.

Formerly the home of Dr. & Mrs. Bud Wright, Labadie Mill House is a restored 18th-century brick dwelling situated on land owned by Augustine Herman and sold in 1682 to the Labadists, a religious sect led by Jean de Labadie. Herman's son, Ephraim, was a member. Located on the Bohemia River, the house began construction in 1684, and it is believed to be the first European commune in North America with a major trade route between the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays. By 1726, the austere sect had disbanded, but the land has remained in agriculture ever since and includes the Labadie Mill House. The house dates to 1750 and is noted for its Flemish bond brick façade with rare belt course, fine woodworking, walk-in fireplaces, period hinges and metal work, as well as original millstones used on garden paths. It has remained in the family. The lovely, paneled trophy room displays noted equestrian trophies, including the first woman to represent the U.S. Olympic Eventing Team, World Champion Pairs Driving, and the 100-mile endurance winner, Lana duPont Wright. The guest loft is named The Wister Loft after Lana's Olympic history-making mount in the 1964 Olympics, Mt. Wister. International competition photos are seen in the house as well as needlepoint furnishings made by Lana and her mother, Allaire duPont, noted needlepoint artist and owner of nearby Woodstock farm.

Northview is Maryland's premier thoroughbred breeding establishment and has retained this reputation for decades. Originally part of Winfields Farm, which was owned by 20th-century Canadian investor, business tycoon, and industrialist, E.P. Taylor, Northview is the home of the world's leading sire, Northern Dancer, widely considered the most influential thoroughbred in history. In the 1970s – 80s, Northern Dancer commanded $1 million dollar stud fees and still stands today as the #1 sire of stakes racehorses. Northview Stallion Station was created by the partnership of Allaire duPont, Richard Golden, and Tom Bowman to continue the legacy of Windfields and promote Maryland's rich thoroughbred history and industry. Currently, Northview is home to the top three regional stallions on the East Coast: Great Notion, Uncle Lino, and Golden Lad. The farm is situated on 135 acres near the northern branch of the Bohemia River. The barns and paddocks are home to countless mares and foals. The stallion barns commemorate the stalls with name plaques of the famous stallions that resided there, including Northern Dancer. The operation is now owned by Richard Golden's children and David Wade serves as the longtime manager. Walking the barn aisle, you are walking in the footsteps of champions.

The Chesapeake & Delaware Canal became operational in 1829, and with that completion, Bohemia Village (named for Augustine Herman's homeland) flourished and was renamed Chesapeake City. Church of the Good Shepherd was completed and dedicated in1883 and named the Episcopal Parish Church, to be included in the St. Augustine Parish. Good Shepherd is a Gothic revival with original pews and modest stained-glass windows. The altar triptych was painted by a lifelong parishioner. The Parish Hall was constructed by the James Adams', who retired to Chesapeake City. Their floating theater, which plied the waters from the head of the bay to the Carolinas, was the inspiration of Edna Furber's book, 'Show Boat', which subsequently was a Broadway hit. A painting of the floating theater hangs in the parish hall. The building once had a stage and dressing rooms, and was the first community hall in town. Currently, it is used for coffee hours, dinners, events, and meetings. Light refreshments and restrooms will be available in the Parish Hall. A share of the proceeds from the tour will be dedicated to rebuilding the church's wooden portico.

Bohemia Manor Farm Winery resides on the remaining 400 acres of the historic property of Augustine Herman's original 20,000-acre land grant. The ruins of Augustine Herman's The house still remains on the grounds across from the winery, and has commanding views of the Bohemia River. The winery was built in 2015 by Nowland Associates and modeled after the architecture of the Old Clock Tower in Prague, Czech Republic, which pays homage to Augustinian Herman's heritage. No expense was spared as the proprietors modeled their winery and vineyard practices after top wine producers in Europe and Napa Valley. The winery features a state-of-the-art wine production facility with stainless steel tanks specially designed for Bohemia Manor that continues to produce the finest Maryland wines. Take a tour of the winery and visit the newly renovated Tasting Room. Bohemia Manor Farm Winery overlooks the Bohemia River to the west and offers beautiful river views and sunsets. The Bohemia River, of course, gets its name from our resident hero, Augustine Herman (who hailed from Prague, in the Kingdom of Bohemia). Augustine Herman is buried on the property alongside his horse Casparus, who, according to legend, saved his owner's life by aiding in his escape from persecution in New York. The horse swam across the Hudson River and carried Herman all the way back to his beloved Bohemia Manor. Enjoy a glass of wine and a bite to eat (they have a restaurant on site, too) and soak in the history.

Mount Harmon is one of the few remaining colonial-era plantations open to the public and is a historic and scenic treasure. The Plantation is situated on a peninsula formed by creeks and inlets of the Sassafras River in Cecil County, Maryland, known on early maps as World's End. Mount Harmon features a manor house c. 1730, a formal boxwood garden, a colonial kitchen, a smoke house, slave quarters, a tobacco barn, a prize house, and a 200-acre nature preserve. The brick Georgian manor house is furnished with fine arts and an antique collection circa 1760 – 1810, which reflects its British and Scottish owners of that era. Mount Harmon was restored by a direct descendant of the colonial owners, Mrs. Marguerite duPont De Villiers Boden, who restored Mount Harmon to the period when her ancestors were prosperous merchants and traded with the British Isles. Mount Harmon was an official colonial port and shipped tobacco for inland plantations, as well as its own crops. Mount Harmon's furnishings reflect its British roots and have refined Georgian millwork and architectural details, including a widow's walk, with Chinese Chippendale railing, dormers, and a pedimented roof with dental cornice moldings and Palladian windows. Floor to ceiling wainscoting, butterfly shelved corner cupboards, Corinthian columns, and Scottish mantels adorn the interior and provide a stunning backdrop to the fine English, Scottish, and Irish antiques which represent Chippendale and Hepplewhite styles. Mount Harmon represents another chapter in the duPont family's heritage and legacy for historic preservation in Cecil County. Several noteworthy restaurants are located in nearby Fredericktown, including Fish Whistle at the Granary and the Kitty Knight House (see area restaurants listing at the beginning of the Cecil County Tour.