Editing Chestertown, Maryland (section)

== History ==
[[File:KentCountyCourthouseMD 2015.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Kent County Courthouse in Chestertown]]
Founded in 1706, Chestertown rose in stature when it was named one of the English colony of Maryland's six ''Royal Ports of Entry''.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Townshend |first=Anna |date=2019-05-01 |title=Small-Town Maryland Marina Takes Command of the Waterfront |url=https://www.marinadockage.com/small-town-maryland-marina-takes-command-of-the-waterfront/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Marina Dock Age |language=en}}</ref> The shipping boom that followed this designation made the town at the navigable head of the [[Chester River]] wealthy. In the mid-eighteenth century, Chestertown trailed only [[Annapolis]] and was considered Maryland's second leading port.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2017-02-28 |title=10 Things You Didn't Know About Kent County |url=https://www.chesapeakebaymagazine.com/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-kent-county/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=Chesapeake Bay Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref>

A burgeoning merchant class infused riches into the town, reflected in the many brick mansions and townhouses that sprang up along the waterfront. Another area in which Chestertown is second only to [[Annapolis]] is in its number of existing eighteenth century homes.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2013-06-28 |title=Our Historic Downtowns |url=https://whatsupmag.com/news/historic-downtowns/ |access-date=2024-12-17 |website=What's Up? Media |language=en-us}}</ref>

As of the 1790 census, Chestertown was the [[Mean center of United States population|geographical center]] of population of the United States.<ref name="census.gov">[https://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/cb01cn66.html 2000 U.S. Population Centered in Phelps County, Mo.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121222020843/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cenpop/cb01cn66.html |date=December 22, 2012 }}, a U.S. Census Bureau press release</ref>

Chestertown was incorporated in 1805, and was named for the [[Chester River]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=2499|title=Profile for Chestertown, Maryland, MD|publisher=ePodunk|access-date=August 24, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502192240/http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=2499|archive-date=May 2, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The town is noted for its abundance of historic properties. [[Airy Hill]], the ''[[Bernice J. (skipjack)|Bernice J.]]'', [[Brampton (Chestertown, Maryland)|Brampton]], [[Carvill Hall]], [[Chester Hall]], the [[Chestertown Armory]], the [[Chestertown Historic District (Chestertown, Maryland)|Chestertown Historic District]], [[Chestertown Railroad Station]], [[Denton House (Maryland)|Denton House]], [[Gobbler Hill]], [[Godlington Manor]], the ''[[Island Image (log canoe)|Island Image]]'', [[Lauretum]], [[Radcliffe Mill]], [[Reward-Tilden's Farm]], [[Rose Hill (Chestertown, Maryland)|Rose Hill]], the ''[[Silver Heel (log canoe)|Silver Heel]]'', the [[Charles Sumner Post No. 25, Grand Army of the Republic]], [[Thornton (Chestertown, Maryland)|Thornton]], [[Washington College#Facilities|Washington College: Middle, East and West Halls]], and [[White House Farm (Chestertown, Maryland)]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref>