Our home state of Maryland is constantly evolving as are the people who choose to live and work here. Maryland has much to offer that might not be common knowledge to residents and tourists.
About two hours south of Baltimore on Maryland’s Eastern Shore lies a small town named St. Michaels. This historic town was founded in 1672, where it served as a trading post area for both trappers and tobacco farmers, and is also known as “the town that fooled the British.”
As you enter what some may call this “sleepy town,” you are greeted with a red and white sign that reads, “Welcome to St. Michaels.” After about a minute drive past the sign, you will notice that the town consists of many small businesses, markets, and shops.
One boutique designer, Jeannette Silva, shared how her small business was able to thrive in a town like St. Michaels and what inspired her to open her own shop, Silva Wear.
“I went to craft shows all around the area, but I always sold the best in St. Michaels, where I live, so I opened a tiny little shop and 13 years later I am a full-fledged boutique,” Silva said.
Silva shared how she was inspired to begin making jewelry about 13 years ago when she went on a trip to Key West, and she saw an artist who knits wire and makes necklaces and bracelets.
“I went home after that and could only remember how to crochet. So, I sat in my kitchen crocheting wire until I figured out patterns for different kinds of jewelry which is what really inspired me to start my boutique,” Silva said.
Another local business owner, who along with his wife founded the St. Michaels shop Oyster House and Antiques, had a unique start to opening his shop, where he shares the importance of keeping his store doors open for the pleasure rather than the profit.
Greg Virgil, store owner, shared how he and his wife became very interested in antiques dating back to 1980. They started out by going to antique shows and auctions, and after a while realized they had accumulated too many antiques. This was when they decided to open their first shop in Pennsylvania, before moving to St. Michaels.
Virgil shared how both he and his wife have been selling their antiques for over 47 years and are now permanently located in St. Michaels.
“I retired from my full-time job in 2017 and thought I needed a hobby. I always loved music, so I decided I would collect vinyl records. It was easy when we decided to open a shop again since we had such an excessive amount of both vinyl records and antiques,” Virgil said.
Here, Virgil noted the uniqueness of combining two seemingly different items, vinyl records and antiques, and selling them together under one roof, sharing how both categories in his eyes are “antiques,” making it easy to pair the two together.
Both Vigil and Silva highlighted the impact that tourism had on both of their businesses, with the tourist season being at its peak from the spring through Christmas, while emphasizing the unpredictability of both the consumers and the area.
This town features license plates from all different areas and with further recognition and promotion of the small businesses that make the town what it is, this could turn into a “must see” spot in Maryland.
