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Kent County
Maryland

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Kent County History and Details

In 1608, Captain John Smith explored and mapped a portion of what is now Kent County.

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kent-county-courthouse-chestertown-md

The county was named for the county of Kent in England. In 1642, the governor and council appointed commissioners for the Isle and County of Kent. This act appears to have led to the establishment of Kent County. In 1675, the first county seat was New Yarmouth. The seat was briefly moved upriver to Quaker Neck, and then to the site of modern Chestertown. Before the American Revolution, New Town on Chester, now Chestertown, was a port entry for the counties of Cecil, Kent, and Queen Anne’s.

Washington College, the oldest college in Maryland, is located in Kent County. It was the first college charted in the nation after the Declaration of Independence and was founded by William Smith in 1782. George Washington authorized the use of his name and gave the college its largest gift of 50 guineas. Washington served on the Board of Visitors and Governors for five years. The college has been host to four United States Presidents, including George Washington, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. All were awarded honorary degrees from the college.

War of 1812. It was the only war Kent County would experience on its own soil. During the spring and summer of both 1813 and 1814, residents faced immediate threats from the enemy as the British terrorized the Chesapeake, looting and burning farms and towns. Kent County citizens and local militia were tested and stood their ground with ingenuity and determination during the burning of Georgetown, the rescue of the Kitty Knight House and the Battle of Caulk’s Field.

The county is located on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It is one of only two counties in Maryland, the other being Garrett, that is not in a Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 20,197 people, 8,165 households, and 5,272 families living in the county. The median income for a household in the county was $50,141 and the median income for a family was $63,507.

This county contains the following incorporated municipalities:

Towns

  • Betterton
  • Chestertown (county seat)
  • Galena
  • Millington (partly in Queen Anne’s County)
  • Rock Hall

 

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kent-county-sassafras-river-drawbridge-georgetown-md

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