Small town lockups are typically simple and unremarkable structures designed to hold lawbreakers temporarily. However, the Town of North East, MD, at the top of the Chesapeake Bay, boasts a unique municipal lockup that stands out from the rest. This two-story brick structure, designed by architect Levi O. Cameron in 1885, features distinctive three-pronged turrets…
Category: Community Studies
Talking About Ferries on the Delaware River
Last week, I delivered a talk titled “From Here to There: Ferries and Bridges Cross the Delaware” at the New Castle Court House Museum. Despite the stormy weather on a Thursday afternoon, an enthusiastic and sizeable crowd gathered in the historic courtroom to attend the program. Crossing the Delaware River presented a formidable challenge in…
Historian Interviewed by TV Station After Loss of Historic Hotel
As a social historian specializing in community studies, I am often asked to do media interviews after catastrophes or significant accidents. These tragedies can profoundly impact the social, economic, and historical fabric, altering lives, historic buildings, landmarks, and artifacts. This was the case this week. After a three-alarm fire destroyed a 170-year-old hotel in Elkton…
Discussing the Impact of Disasters on a Community With Fox News
Various things make up the shared historical memory of a community. These narratives take assorted forms, but the most jarring materialize when an unthinkable tragedy strikes. Whether a storm or accident, the catastrophes are seared deeply into the collective memory of residents. They shatter many lives and became part of history in the aftermath —…