Denton’s New Vibe by Tracey F. Johns
Put yourself (safely) in a place of street concerts, outdoor poetry readings, cornhole tournaments, farm-to-table dining experiences and waterfront parks. Now place these experiences on a hilltop along the picturesque Choptank River and you’ll find yourself experiencing the new vibe of Denton, Maryland. Denton’s new vibe resonates with a feeling of renewed and reimagined energy, firmly rooted in the Town’s early beginnings and as a nod to its original name, Edentown. Denton was first named after the last royal governor of Maryland, Sir Robert Eden. The name Edentown became shortened over time
to Denton, with the tiny settlement established in 1781, and incorporating in 1802. Eden, however, also means a delightful place or paradise; celebrating a blissful state of great delight, happiness or contentment. And today, Denton embraces that ‘edenistic’ spirit by drawing artists and art-lovers together in celebration of the Town’s culinary, visual and entertainment delights. “Denton is a mix of old and new, with the past a vital part of who we are as we also embrace the new,” says Downtown Denton Main Street Manager Audrey Clemens. “The vibe of Denton’s is a tapestry of life on the Eastern Shore.” That tapestry includes the new
145
