Potter Hall was built by a War of 1812 Gen. William Potter, who married Colonel Richardson’s daughter, connecting two prominent families in U.S. and Caroline County history. (Photo courtesy Caroline County Historical Society)
Caroline County, known as the “Green Garden County” of the Eastern Shore, is rich in agriculture, history and architecture.
That will all be on display through the Caroline County Historical Society’s Sweet Caroline Historic Homes Tour on Saturday, May 17.
“This one-day event celebrates the heritage of Caroline County by showcasing not only the architecture of these historic properties but the lives of those who lived in them,” the Historical Society said. “Guests can admire the craftsmanship of skilled artisans and marvel at the preservation efforts that have kept these homes standing for generations.”
The tour features five properties with seven historic buildings to include a working gentleman’s farm from 1803; the personal home of the late JOK Walsh, an avid preservationist in the county; a colonial/federal period mansion and shipping port, the Hardcastle family legacy home, an Italianate Victorian home, a historic Black school and an early 1800’s log cabin. Four of the five homes are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and some of the homes on the tour have not been open to the general public until now.
“This is long overdue,” said Wendi Grazzini, one of the the tour’s organizers, who noted the last tour of this kinds for the county was held in 1995.
The self-driving tour includes stops at Castle Hall in Goldsboro, Marble Head in Ridgely, Knotts Walsh in Denton, as well as Memory Lane and Potter Hall in Williston.
The Historic Homes Tour not only provides a captivating glimpse into the past but helps illuminate the need for future preservation of historic properties in the county.
Funds raised from the tour will support the restoration of the 1927 Denton Firehouse on the corner of 3rd and Gay Street with the goal of creating more exhibit spaces and interactive displays in conjunction with the Museum of Rural Life on Second Street.
The Museum of Rural Life is also managed by volunteers and is free to the public. The museum will be open the day of the Historic Homes Tour, with exhibits featuring World Wars I and II, Harriet Tubman, The Eastern Shore’s canning boom, and actual 18th and 19th century homes from the county re-constructed within the museum’s walls.
The Caroline County Historical Society is all-volunteer non-profit organization working to preserve as much of the county’s history as possible.
The home tour committee consists of homeowners, society members and friends working tirelessly to make this possible.
Sweet Caroline committee members include Kathy Holden, Co-chair, Amanda Aslansan, Michael McCrea, Carolyn Spicher, Cathy and Rick Schwab, Cathy Spence, Diana Lapsley, Erika Gailunas, Jan Galt, Kathy Mackel, Lisa Moser, and Pamela Aall and Don Barker.
Potter Hall was built by 1812 Gen. William Potter, who married Colonel Richardson’s daughter, connecting two prominent families in U.S. and Caroline County history. Like Castle Hall, Potter Hall is a telescopic house capturing beautiful views of the Choptank River, once being the site of a robust shipping port.
After visiting the home on a whim, Wendi and Christopher Grazzini purchased Potter Hall in 2020 and moved to Caroline County from Virginia in June 2022.
“I think all of us have felt called to our houses,” Wendi said.
For fans of the Victorian era, Memory Lane is an Italianate-style dwelling with extensive porches, an octagonal cupola, ornate millwork, and even a four-seater outhouse.
“The woodwork is beautiful,” Grazzini said. “That’s the appeal of that house.”
A display of hand stitched quilts will be on display inside the home compliments of the Fiber Arts Center of the Eastern Shore.
Castle Hall was built in 1781 by Thomas Hardcastle, an active participant in the Revolutionary War and one of the largest landowners in the region. Part of a larger farm of the same name, the home itself is on a 5.7 acre parcel that was subdivided from the farm in the late 20th century.
The main structure is a three-part “telescope” house, built in stages, with each successive addition being smaller than the previous one. The original 2 1/2-story portion is the largest of the three parts and stands at the northeast end. The smallest of the three parts is constructed of both wood framing and brick, unlike the rest of the structure which is almost entirely brick.
In some cases, stops on the tour are linked together. When Marble Head fell into disrepair and was about to be burned by the Greensboro fire department, it was Walsh who stepped in, stopped the destruction and negotiated a $3,000 deal to purchase the house.
Historical society members not only stabilized the building through their own funds but played an active role in finding a steward to purchase the property.
“They cleaned up that house, they advertised, they showed it and they found a buyer for it,” Grazzini said.
The home was built in stages between 1803 and 1820.
In fear of losing another historic building, an early 1800’s log cabin in Greensboro has since been moved to Marble Head for proper preservation.
Walsh was well-known for his county pride and family property remains loaded with antiques and local artifacts.
“I think everyone has a great sentimental value to what he was able to do for the county,” Grazzini said.
Tickets for the tour can be purchased online at https://carolinehistory.org/2025-caroline-county-historic-homes-tour/
Tickets are $40 in advance and $45 on the day of the event.
“Whether you’re an architectural enthusiast, a history buff or simply ready for a local cultural experience, this tour promises to leave you with lasting memories of timeless beauty that these homes represent,” said the historical society.
