Compote Dish, Dorchester County

From the USS Maryland Silver Service

Maker: Samuel Kirk & Sons (1815-1979)
Object: Compote Dish, Dorchester County
Date: 1906
Medium: Sterling Silver
Dimensions: Overall height, 4 1/2"; Overall diameter, 10 1/8"; Diameter of base, 5”
Accession number: MSA SC 1545-0927-5

The USS Maryland silver service includes a total of four compote dishes representing Caroline, Dorchester, Queen Anne’s, and Worcester counties on the Eastern Shore. The exact date and legal origin of Dorchester County are unknown, but it was in existence by February 16, 1668, when a writ was issued to the county sheriff by the Lord Proprietary. It was named for Sir Edward Sackville (1590-1652), the 4th Earl of Dorset, a family friend of the Calverts.

While the four scenes on each piece are unique to that particular county, the overall appearance of each compote is identical. The Great Seal and the Cruiser are each surrounded by sprays of oak, chestnut, sassafras and linden. Oyster shells around the base connect the pieces to the Eastern Shore, and the rope borders symbolize the nautical theme of the service.

Around 1740, a third generation Marylander Col. Henry Hooper constructed a two and a half story brick manor house with two foot thick walls supported by heavy arched foundations. It differed from other homes of the period, as it only had one wing connected directly to the house without a hyphen. The house was destroyed in a fire in 1922.

Sitting on a hill overlooking the Choptank River, the Cambridge-Maryland Hospital opened in 1904. It was designed by Baltimore-based architect George Archer. The hospital was known for its many porches, which allowed patients to get fresh air and take in views of the water. The hospital as it was built in 1904 is shown on the compote dish.

Old Trinity Episcopal Church is thought to have been built before 1696. It is a small, one story brick structure, with a few wooden pews on either side of the aisle. Repairs were made to the church in 1801 and 1818, and extensive interior renovations took place in the 1850s. Additional changes were made in the 1910s, but it was restored to its 18th century appearance in the 1950s. It remains an active Episcopal Church, likely one of the oldest in continuous use in the nation.

The first courthouse in Cambridge stood from 1767-1770. It was torn down to make room for a larger courthouse, which was destroyed by fire in 1852. The third courthouse, depicted on the compote dish, is an Italianate structure built in 1854 and enlarged in 1931. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

As the county courthouse, it was the center of Cambridge’s political and economic life. The courthouse’s connection to the legacy of slavery is recognized, and in 2005 it was named by the National Park Services as an official site of the Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. In 2022, “Beacon of Hope,” a 12-foot bronze sculpture featuring Harriet Tubman by Wesley Wofford was installed in front of the courthouse.

© Copyright  August 07, 2024  Maryland State Archives