Island Schooling by Gary D. Crawford
For the first 184 years of its history, Tilghman’s Island was a private farm, known locally by the names of its owners: Foster, Lowe, and so on, and finally Tilghman. In 1843, the last owner, Gen. Tench Tilghman, began selling off parcels of land, a process that continued for 21 years. The i sla nd sold of f f rom t he bot tom up, w ith the r ich farms and orchards surrounding Black Walnut Cove going first. By 1851, six large southern parcels had been purchased, and three smaller ones in the north. Lots soon were subdivided, and the population grew fairly rapidly. By 1860, only a few parcels remained unsold. THE FIRST SCHOOL We can be reasonably certain that the first island school was built between 1850 and 1860. The 1860 census recorded 57 households and 305 individuals, more than enough to justify a school. Moreover, the head of one household, Mr. Edgar Thomas, listed his occupation as “teacher.” As it appears on the 1858 Dilworth map, we may use that as the date of its founding. Joseph Harrington donated a one-acre plot at the northeast cor-
ner of his “Hickory Ridge Farm,” on the west side of the Main Road. That location at the foot of the road to Bar Neck was a good one for the time, as few families then resided on the northern half of the island.
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