The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1922-03-06
New Home OF
Cambridge WOman's Club

The quaint Old house on High
Street that was recently purchased
by the Woman'S Club of Cambridge
has had an interesting history. A
member OF the club has from vari-
Gus sources collected scattered bits
of information about the property
pieced together the story runs thus:
Many years ago William Van Murray
Of the Clan Murray of Scotland, hay
ing embraced the cause of the pro-
tector in the rebellion of 1715, was
forced to flee the country. He went
to France, but soon settled in the
village of Cambridge. He was a
physician and he rapidly mended his
broken fortunes; in 1879 he pur-
chased from Lord BaltimOre's pat
entee a large part of the land upon
which the present Cambridge stands.
Dying in 1859 DR.. Murray left five
children of whom one was James
Murray In Juneo the same year,
James Murray conveyed to his
daughter Mary, lin consideration of
love and affection" a section of the
land located between the South side
of High Street and the creek. This
was land he had purchased in 1923
from John Kirke, an eX-lndlan fight
er. This daughter Mary was the
wife OF the Rev. Daniel Maynadier
who was for many years rector of
Great Choptank Parish. Sometime
after the gift of the land the May
nadiers erected thereon this dwell
ing, long known as the sycamore
Cottage from the great trees that
surrounded it. Mr.. Maynadier was
the son of another Rev. Daniel May
nader who was the rector of White
Marsh Parish, in Talbot County. A
French Hugenot the elder Mr.. May
nader, had fed from Langnedoc at
ter the revocation of the Edict OF
Nantes, and going first to England
had finally settled in Maryland. The
wife of the rector of White March is
the heroine of one of the most fam
Gus weird tales of Talbot County.
Four generations of Maynadiers own
ed the sycamore ttage"-Mary
Maynadier willed it. to her grand
daughters, Hanna and Margaret.
These ladies lived in it until their
deaths in the tWenties. The house
then passed to William Murray May
nader; and then to his son Henry G.
Maynadier who in. 1928 sold it to Mr..
Henry Page and his wife, Charlotte.
This was the Hon. Henry Page who
was delegate from Dorchester Coun-
ty to the State Convention that first
suggested Henry Clay as President
of the United States.
He was q disting uished lawyer, a
leading politician and was State Sen
ator 1t was probably from the
Sycamore Cottage that Mr.. Page
went out to meet another dis
tinguished member of the Cam
bridge bar in their famous duel
brought about by q political quarrel.
At a distance of ten PAGES they ex-
changed shots without serious effect
to either and later reserved their
friendly relations. Mr.. Page, as
about 1910, sold the house to Mr..
Jeremiah Wright who moved it to-
its present location; and in the
grove OF Sycamore trees Mr.. Page
built the Dixon House. Mr.. Wright,
at the time of moving the cottage,
made some small addition and e.
placed the Colonial windows with
large modern ones. Since then the
building has been owned and rented
by many people The Woman's Club
is now occupying the lower front
rooms. A rear room is being en-
larged and repaired for the use of
the Free Library. The club expects
to restore and improve the entire
building and make of it a fitting
home for the organization and a
permanent centre from which many
community activities can be di-
raotad M r N