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B−History
History · Stevensville

Stevensville dates to 1850, and 5 of its places are on the National Register

More historic than 46% of U.S. towns · #105 of 261 in Maryland. What drives it

Most of Stevensville was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1992. 5 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 82 buildings. Below: 18 old photos and papers and maps from 1892 on.

1850founded
5on the National Register
2%homes built before 1940
18old photos & papers
1famous people
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Stevensville’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Stevensville began

When was Stevensville founded?

1850

Stevensville dates its founding to 1850 (Wikipedia’s history). Its post office opened in 1801.

2020 census: 7,442176 years

How historic is Stevensville?

B−

More historic than 46% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.

What drives the grade ↓
Founding year: Wikipedia. First post office: 1801.The full story ↓
History grade

What drives Stevensville’s History grade

On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Stevensville is more historic than 46% of U.S. towns, #105 of 261 in Maryland. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.

B−
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Stevensville’s overall grade.
Founding era1850, from Wikipedia: founded 1850–1899, an older era than 37% of U.S. townsC+Homes built before 19401.8% of homes (±2.0) · typical MD town 3.3% · U.S. 8.4%C−National Register5 listings, 88 historic buildings, 100.0 per 10,000 residents · typical MD town 0.9 · U.S. 2.4A
All U.S. towns we grade (21,289)Ahead of 46%
NewerOlder
Maryland towns of 2,500+ (261)Ahead of 60%

Few Maryland towns list much on the Register (a typical Maryland town has 0.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Stevensville’s 100.0 sits above most of its state (85% of Maryland towns have fewer) while its 88 historic buildings outnumber those of 89% of U.S. towns.

NoteThe founding year comes from Wikipedia alone; no second source gives 1850.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to B+. The pre-1940 share (±2.0 points) is firm at this size.

Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →

What stands out about Stevensville’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

Lost villages3 post offices opened and closed inside today’s Stevensville, and 6 old place names are still on the map.A historic districtThe Stevensville Historic District takes in 82 historic buildings.On the map since 18924 editions of the USGS map, 1892 to 1973. Watch Stevensville change.A town in old photos18 old photos, postcards and papers, 1933–1980.
★ What stands out · Places that used to be

Lost post offices, old corners and burying grounds

Stevensville’s post office has been open since 1903. Three other post offices opened and closed inside today’s town.

Kent Island
1801–1807
Broad Creek
1813–1876
Kent Island
1876–1903
Stevensville
1903–today
18001910today
Hamlets and corners on the map
Baldwin AcresBay CityCloverfieldsKangaroo BeachKent CoveMatapeake
3cemeteries and burying grounds inside Stevensville
Christ Lutheran ChurchStevensvilleWesley

US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

On the National Register

5 listings protect 88 historic buildings

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
5
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
88
each building in a district counts
first listed
1979
Christ Church
Christ ChurchCray HouseStevensville BankStevensville Historic DistrictFriendship
BuildingsDistricts

Architectural styles listings

Queen Anne2
Vernacular1
Classical1
Colonial Revival1
Bungalow1
Cape Cod1
Christ ChurchQueen Anne
Cray HouseBuilding
Stevensville BankBuilding
Stevensville Historic DistrictVernacular
FriendshipColonial

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

On the map

Stevensville on the map, 1892 to 1973

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Stevensville. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Stevensville on the 1892 USGS mapStevensville on the 1904 USGS mapStevensville on the 1942 USGS mapStevensville on the 1973 USGS map1892Annapolis sheet · 1:62,500

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Stevensville.

The story

How Stevensville came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Stevensville.

Read it all →

Stevensville was founded in 1850 as a steamboat terminal. Today, the Stevensville Historic District contains roughly 100 historic structures dating back to the town's early days.

In addition to the Stevensville Historic District, the Christ Church, Cray House, Friendship, Legg's Dependence, Mattapax, and Stevensville Bank are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

On July 24, 2017, an EF2 tornado hit Stevensville, causing damage to homes, trees, and power lines and injuring one person.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Stevensville, 1801 to 1991

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1801Post officeThe Kent Island post office opens
  3. 1807Post officeThe Kent Island post office closes
  4. 1813Post officeThe Broad Creek post office opens
  5. 1850
    FoundingStevensville is established
  6. 1876Post officeThe Broad Creek post office closes
  7. 1876Post officeThe Kent Island post office opens
  8. 1892On the mapFirst mapped by the U.S. Geological Survey
  9. 20th century
  10. 1903Post officeThe Kent Island post office closes
  11. 1933In the archiveHistoric American Buildings Survey D. H. Smith, Photographer 1940 NORTHEAST VIEW - Stinto…
  12. 1940In the archiveHistoric American Buildings Survey D. H. Smith, Photographer 1940 SOUTHWEST VIEW - Stinto…
  13. 1980In the archiveCasual Crates Collection shop in
  14. 1991Born hereLaney Jones is born here
By decade

Stevensville, decade by decade

3 decades in the archive, from the 1930s to the 1980s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1930s7 items
Historic American Buildings Survey D. H. Smith, Photographer 1940 NORTHEAST VIEW - Stinton, State Route 8, Stevensville…1933Historic American Buildings Survey D. H. Smith, Photo…Historic American Buildings Survey D. H. Smith, Photographer 1940 WEST VIEW - Stinton, State Route 8, Stevensville, Que…1933Historic American Buildings Survey D. H. Smith, Photo…Historic American Buildings Survey E.H. Pickering, Photographer December 1936 - Carvel House, Kent Point Road vicinity,…1936Historic American Buildings Survey E.H. Pickering, Ph…Historic American Buildings Survey E.H. Pickering, Photographer December 1936 - Kent Island (Brick House), State Route …1936Historic American Buildings Survey E.H. Pickering, Ph…Historic American Buildings Survey E.H. Pickering, Photographer December 1936 - Stinton, State Route 8, Stevensville, Q…1936Historic American Buildings Survey E.H. Pickering, Ph…Historic American Buildings Survey E.H. Pickering, Photographer December 1936 - Stinton, State Route 8, Stevensville, Q…1936Historic American Buildings Survey E.H. Pickering, Ph…Historic American Buildings Survey E.H. Pickering, Photographer December 1936 LIVING ROOM - Shippen Creek Road (Farm), …1936Historic American Buildings Survey E.H. Pickering, Ph…
1940s1 item
Historic American Buildings Survey D. H. Smith, Photographer 1940 SOUTHWEST VIEW - Stinton, State Route 8, Stevensville…1940Historic American Buildings Survey D. H. Smith, Photo…
1950s–1970snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
1980s10 items
Casual Crates Collection shop in1980Casual Crates Collection shop inDiggs Country Store in1980Diggs Country Store inStructures in1980Structures inStructures in1980Structures inStructures in1980Structures inStructures in1980Structures inStructures in1980Structures inStructures1980StructuresStructures1980StructuresStructures1980Structures
1990snothing yet
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Add from your album
Then & now

Stand where they stood

No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.

Historic American Buildings Survey D. H. Smith, Photographer 1940 NORTHEAST VIEW - Stinton, State Route 8, Stevensville…
Retake this viewHistoric American Buildings Survey D. H. Smith, Photographer 1940 NORTHEAST VIEW - Stinton, State Route 8, Stevensville…, 1933

Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Stevensville’s page.

Retake this view · +15
Help out

Finish Stevensville’s story

Most archives stop around 1920. The photos from after that are in family albums, not libraries.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
3 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewHistoric American Buildings Survey D. H…: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

ChesterIts storyC−

Questions about Stevensville’s history

What year was Stevensville founded?

In 1850, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. Stevensville’s post office opened in 1801.

How does Stevensville rank for history?

Stevensville is more historic than 46% of U.S. towns, #105 of 261 in Maryland. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.

What is on the National Register in Stevensville?

5 listings: 4 buildings, among them the Christ Church (listed 1979, the first), and 1 historic district, the Stevensville Historic District, with 82 contributing buildings. 88 historic buildings in all.

How old are the homes in Stevensville?

2% of Stevensville’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.0 points), against a typical 3.3% for a Maryland town; the median home was built in 1992.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
Start a conversation
Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

From Wikimedia Commons (15), the Library of Congress (3), the National Register of Historic Places (5), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.