A Shore Thing

Home is a haven in Talbot County, “the land of pleasant living.”

By Marion Butterworth

Photographer Lou Mazzatenta

On a recent summer’s morning, this dignified old house is alive with the sizzle of bacon and the lighthearted chatter of three friends who have gathered here. Ardis and Doug Eby’s second home on Maryland’s Eastern Shore is only two hours from Bethesda and a short boat ride away from the historic towns of Easton and St. Michaels. These long-time friends stretch a girl’s night out into a weekend-long retreat, relaxing, reconnecting, and indulging in the luxuries afforded by the beautiful setting.

A Storied Past

Like many of Talbot County’s residences, the Eby’s property is inextricably linked to the water that surrounds it. The house’s center section dates back to 1849 when it was owned by The Baltimore & Chesapeake Steamboat Company.

“There was a railroad track that ran next to the house to transport goods offloaded from the steamboats onto the dock,” says Wayne Adkins, estate manager for the Ebys.

In 1937, the house was sold for $500 at public auction because its owner couldn’t pay the back taxes of $7. The lane that leads to the front of the house became part of the estate in 1957 when it was bought for $500.

A subsequent owner added on to one side of the house, and this space, backed by a screen porch, is now used as the living room. That addition was joined in 1987 by another on the opposite side of the original house, creating a pleasant balance. The second addition created a spacious kitchen and above it, a new master suite. It, too, is backed by a screen porch, enhancing the rear of the venerable structure with a graceful symmetry.

Because this Colonial-style house was approached by the water in its early years and later by land, the front and back façades are equally elegant.

With more than 600 miles of tidal shoreline, Talbot has more than any other county in the country. It was one of the first European settlements in the new world because the area’s waterways provided an easy means of travel.

Easton, known then as the “East Capital” of Maryland, became the principal seat of residence for influential families such as the Tilghmans, Lloyds, Goldsboroughs, and Hollydays, who shaped the Eastern Shore’s social, political, and economic history. Many of their homes remain today, composing the Eby’s storied waterfront neighborhood.

Lulled into Languor

Gone are the railroad tracks, replaced with lush green lawns covered by towering pecan and chestnut trees. This leafy ceiling shades a hammock as it sways to the beat of silky breezes wafting off the Tred Avon River.

In this place, where the lap of water and languid call of gulls engenders a sense of timelessness, Ardis and her friends Sheila and Michelle continue a legacy of friendship that began years ago beside baby pools in Bethesda when their children were toddlers.

The friends put aside the daily demands of family and work. Instead their most pressing decision is whether to take a dip in the pool, cruise around on one of the boats, or just continue to sit there in the sun.

Outfitted for Fun

What was once an industrial port surrounded by tributaries that supported fishing villages and coastal farming communities is now the weekend retreat for peace- and fun-seekers from the D.C. Metro area. The Eby’s property, affectionately dubbed Golden Cove by Doug in honor of their beloved golden retrievers, Tilghman and Choptank, offers diversions enough to fill a summer.

In addition to about 600 feet of bulkhead waterfront, including 10 feet of deep water at the end of a dock equipped with boatlifts, two Sea-Doo jet skis, a speed boat, a sailboat, and a fishing boat, there’s a skeet tower and range, a pool and hot tub, and a tennis court.

While Sheila and Michelle play a game or two of tennis, Ardis indulges in one of her favorite pastimes at the shore. After donning her pink Wellies and shooting vest, she loads up her 12-gauge shotgun. In the quiet afternoon, the rhythmic cadence of the thwack of the tennis ball is punctuated by the shouted, “Pull,” and seconds later, the blast, which sends an acrid-smelling burst of spent gunpowder aloft. “I grew up on a farm in Fort Valley, Va., between Woodstock and Luray. My brothers taught me to shoot there. They were avid hunters, as was my father,” Ardis says, explaining her nine out of ten score.

A Leisurely Lunch

As morning eases into afternoon, Ardis sheds her shooting gear and heads inside to escape the rising heat. While she prepares a light lunch, her home’s original, yellow tile floor feels agreeably cool beneath her feet.

In the kitchen that was renovated soon after they bought the house, granite countertops shine. Whitewashed maple cabinetry provides a casual counterpoint to high-end Bosch and Sub-Zero appliances.

Using a biscuit cutter, she cuts disks out of stacks of sliced white bread. Then, she beats softened cream cheese with a little horseradish and spreads it liberally onto the tea party-sized rounds of bread. After placing them on a serving tray, Ardis tops each with a thick slice of farm-fresh tomato, juices dripping as it’s sliced. She finishes each open-face sandwich with half of a hard boiled egg and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

The friends agree that the sandwiches are the perfect remedy for their growling stomachs and the summer heat, the piquancy of the horseradish subdued by the creaminess of the cheese; the acidity of the tomato the perfect foil to the egg’s richness. Over lunch they agree to squeeze in a boat ride before sacrosanct naptime.

Boating and Breezes

Some coastal communities have beaches as their centerpiece with swimming, surfing and skimboarding the primary water activities. Not so here. “The biggest draw is the boating,” says Ardis. Also, “the Eastern Shore is drivable,” she explains. “The family comes together here for holidays like Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July. There’s not a lot to do beyond the property. We like it for the solace.”

Solace to some might conjure quiet and calm, but that’s not what Ardis and her friends have in mind right now. They have a need for speed.

They file down to the dock, where Adkins is readying the boat lift. He puts her eight-seater Sea-Doo speed boat, aptly named “12-Gauge,” into the water and helps each lady aboard. Ardis pulls slowly and expertly away from the dock, revs the engine, and zips out into the Tred Avon.

She yells over the roaring wind, pointing out local spots such as the Inn at Perry Cabin. This historic St. Michael’s landmark, built just after the War of 1812 and named after Naval Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, was the scene of the reception in the movie The Wedding Crashers.

They jet up and down the river, slowing to better examine the grand estates that dominate the shore. Girl talk turns to the virtues of local restaurants and which they might favor that evening. Having had their fill of the full-throttled breeze, they disembark with tumbleweed hair-dos, anticipating the next step in their quest—a nap.

In this pleasure palace, napping can be a delightfully complicated decision. With 22 beds, there is no want for a soft place to fall—in fact, almost everywhere you turn, comfort awaits.