Easton

Talbot County is known for its 600 miles of coastline along Maryland’s Eastern Shore, but in the rural village of Cordova, the seas are of corn and soybeans. Homes, a post office and a couple of businesses make up the village center, which is surrounded by farmland in every direction. Cordova thrived in the early 1900s thanks to an active railroad and a large cannery, but trucking put the railroad out of business, and most employers followed. Cordova is quieter today than it was 35 years ago, says Teresa Wood Dawson, president of the Cordova Community Historical Society, and “looks the exact same as it did in the 1920s,” except for the modern clothes residents wear. Many are lifers, part of multi-generational Cordova families who have formed tight bonds. When a tractor catches fire, neighboring farmers join forces with firefighters to put it out. For six decades, locals have gathered at the local firehouse for a country fair. One of the village’s remaining businesses, Tuckahoe Seafood, is a spot for locals to converse. In fact, it’s where the historical society got started, says Wood Dawson, co-owner of the seafood market. “Whenever I’d have locals come in, we’d start talking about history or stores. I’d jot them down. We’d exchange pictures. We have our own collection of Cordova memorabilia.” In the center of the village is Cordova Community Park, where kids can scale rock walls and tumble down slides. Kids in Home Run Baker Little League play games at the Chapel District Elementary School baseball field. Cordova is less than 4 miles from Frederick Douglass Park on the Tuckahoe. Named for the famed abolitionist, the park is near the farm where Douglass was born into slavery more than 200 years ago. Signs at the 100-acre park along Tuckahoe Creek tell the story of his life, and a pollinator garden is under development. A museum, trails and kayak ramps are planned for the park, but those additions are still in the design phase. Tuckahoe Seafood and Triple Creek Winery are the main highlights of Cordova’s small business sector. The first is a market selling Maryland crabs from April to November. Some people travel 35 miles from Dover, Delaware, to Cordova for a taste. Triple Creek is a family-run winery where patrons can sip wine indoors next to a wood stove or at indoor picnic tables. Most shopping runs require a 10-mile trip to Easton, the county seat, where there’s a Target, Walmart, Lowe’s Home Improvement and multiple supermarkets. Downtown Easton is home to Euro-centric restaurants such as Scottish-inspired lounge The Stewart and Roman-style pizza joint Roma Alla Pala. Except for Cordova Baptist Church and Fairview Church of the Brethren, the closest houses of worship are also in Easton. The Cordova Volunteer Firemen’s Association hosts many of the village’s events, like barbecue fundraisers and community yard sales. One of the biggest is the Annual Country Fair, a Cordova tradition for more than 60 years. The three-day event in August features clown-dunking, hayrides and a parade. “That’s the highlight of the year for the community,” Wood Dawson says. The firehouse is also the site of March’s Cordova Day, a free festival with exhibits about the village’s history and local vendors, including woodworkers and biscuit makers. Cordova’s oldest houses are two-story Victorians near the center of the village. Ranch homes are also common in the middle of the community, where homes are close together. New traditional homes with colonial and Cape Cod features are outside the village center. They’re also spread out, with some houses sitting on 5-plus acres. Home prices for turnkey homes start around $250,000, climbing to $800,000 for houses with large plots of land. Young students can go to Chapel District Elementary in Cordova. Graded a B by Niche, the school is undergoing a $30 million expansion and renovation in 2024 to add more classroom space. Older children may attend Easton Middle School, graded a B-minus, and B-rated Easton High School. The nearest private schools are 8 miles away in Easton, where Saints Peter & Paul High School gets an A. Locals get around in cars, using two-lane highways such as Cordova Road to travel to Easton. The county seat is the closest place for Cordova residents to shop, go to the movies or check out a museum. Maryland Upper Shore Transit operates a bus line running from Cordova to Easton, a 30-minute one-way ride. Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and the beaches of Ocean City are all within 85 miles of Cordova.