Discover Stevensville

Explore Stevensville through two themes: the history of Historic Stevensville and trails on Kent Island that take in natural and waterfront scenery. For planning your trip, the specific differences between the routes are as helpful as the town’s architectural and transportation history: they can help you decide which aspects of the destination interest you most.

Trails on Kent Island

The South Island Trail is seven miles long, paved and free of motor vehicles. On Kent Island, it runs parallel to Route 8; the route stretches from Matapeake State Park to Romancoke Pier. The trail offers a route for cyclists, walkers and runners. Its length, surface and layout give you several points of reference if you want to choose a route based on these features.

By contrast, the Cross Island Trail begins at Terrapin Nature Park in Stevensville and runs to the Kent Narrows Waterfront District. The 279-acre nature park sits on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Opportunities to observe wildlife, waterfront views and wooded sections lined by tree canopies are characteristic of the Cross Island Trail’s scenery. The two trails therefore emphasize different aspects: the South Island Trail is described in terms of its length, paved surface and layout, while the Cross Island Trail is characterized by nature observation and changing scenery.

Art and historic sites

First Saturdays in Historic Stevensville features local artists and historic sites each month from April through December. Dates may change, so check when the program is taking place before your trip. The Kent Island Federation of Arts displays works by local artists and current exhibitions in Stevensville. It also offers art classes. This gives you a glimpse of the local art scene alongside the history of the buildings.

The Historic Stevensville Arts and Entertainment District is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This designation applies to the named district. Within the historic theme, the individual buildings can be distinguished by their different construction methods and histories.

Construction methods and preservation history

Built in 1809, the Cray House is a surviving example of “Post and Plank” construction. In this method, hand-sawn beams are mortised and tenoned into upright corner posts. This description identifies not only a construction date but also a specific joinery technique that differs from the construction of other historic buildings.

Historic Christ Church adds another chapter to this picture with a different construction history: the Gothic Revival building dates to 1880 and was built with wooden pegs instead of nails. Its date and construction detail offer a point of comparison with the Cray House, whose “Post and Plank” construction is defined by the way its beams join the corner posts.

The Stevensville Train Depot also has a multifaceted history. The Queen Anne’s County Railroad Company built it in 1902 to transport goods from Queenstown to Love Point. From there, the goods were carried onward to Baltimore by steamboat across the Chesapeake Bay. In 1988, the depot was moved to its present location in Historic Stevensville and restored by the Kent Island Heritage Society. Its history thus connects the former transport of goods by rail and steamboat with a later period of preservation and relocation.

Discover more destinations: Grasonville, Church Hill.

Return to the main travel overview: Queen Anne's.