1708 the original Courthouse
was built. The County seat remained here from 1707-1782,
at which time it was moved to Centreville.
In January 1977, the Board of Town Commissioners acquired
the original Courthouse property, which since 1782 had
served as a home, warehouse, drug store, grocery store,
restaurant, beer parlor, post office, and an antique shop.
Prior to 1977, the Board had established the Queenstown
Historic Preservation Committee for the purpose of securing
and restoring the property. Over 400 individuals and businesses
assisted with the restoration project. The opening of
the restored Courthouse took place on May 5, 1979, and
from spring of that year to August 2002, part of the building
housed the Queenstown Town Office. Today the restored
Courthouse serves as a tourist attraction for those people
who wish to take a step back in time.
Queenstown was the first and only town in Queen Anne’s
County to be attacked by the British during the War of
1812. The attack, which occurred in August 1813, took
place at the “Bowlingly” estate. The British
seriously damaged the estate and its contents before they
moved on to Kent Island. “Bowlingly” still
exists today as a private residence.
After having survived the War of 1812, a fire that almost
destroyed the town in 1820, the Depression years, and
the Mexican and Civil Wars, Queenstown still kept moving
forward.
In the early to mid-1850’s, Queenstown was a stop
for many steamboats, which would bring goods to the town
and carry passengers up and down the Chester River and
to Baltimore.
Today, agriculture and seafood harvesting are the dominant
economic factors in our area. Retail shopping outlets,
located in Queenstown, and the Queenstown Harbor Golf
Links, adjacent to the Town, are thriving and bring many
visitors to the Town.
Queenstown has three elected Commissioners, with one being
appointed by the Commissioners annually to act as President.
The Commissioners’ terms are staggered three-year
terms, with an election held every year in May.
The Queenstown Commissioners hold regular business meetings
the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month in the Town
Office. The meetings are open to the public and time is
reserved at the meetings for citizens to make inquiries,
offer suggestions, or register complaints.
|
