Mark’s Score 8.8
For many reasons, Oxford is one of my favorite places on the Delmarva. The natural setting on the Tred Avon River, is beautiful. The town is also full of charming colonial and antebellum architecture. The sidewalks are red-bricked and tree-lined, and its small size makes it very walkable. Unlike many other historic towns on the peninsula, who have obviously seen better days, it is well-kept and feels prosperous. Best of all, in spite of all these charms and in spite of being a stone’s throw away from major tourist towns, it is relatively free of crowds.
Oxford is one of the oldest towns in Maryland, having been granted a charter in 1683 when it was designated as an official seaport by the General Assembly. In 1694 Oxford and Annapolis were designated the only legal ports of entry for the entire province.
Even today, Oxford is still tiny, with a population of less than 1,000. In spite of its small size, it played a large role in the early years of the republic. Oxford was the home of Robert Morris, Jr. He was known as the “financier of the revolution,” and along with Alexander Hamilton is regarded as one of the architects of the American financial system. He was also one of only two men who signed all three of America’s founding documents, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the US Constitution. Oxford was also home to Tench and Matthew Tilghman. Tench was an aide-de-camp for George Washington and he delivered the news of Cornwallis’s surrender to the Continental Congress. Matthew was known as the “the patriarch of statehood,” having guided Maryland through the approval of the US Constitution. Ironically, the success of the revolution caused Oxford to lose its status as an exclusive port of entry, resulting in nearly two centuries of torpor.
In many ways Oxford reminds me of a typical New England village popularized by Norman Rockwell. There are many historic villages on the Delmarva, but none of them compare to Oxford. It is the complete package. It isn’t touristy like St Michaels. It doesn’t feel down at heel, like Princess Anne or Cambridge. It isn’t surrounded by ugly 20th Century suburban housing and strip malls like Easton and Berlin. Oxford and Snow Hill (my other favorite town) are two of only a handful of Delmarva towns that have preserved much of what they were without decay and commercialization.
Oxford is small town America at its best and most bucolic, right down to the single general store and ice cream parlor. When I walk the streets of Oxford, it is like walking through an American History textbook. Oddly, though the town can lay claim as the hometown of several important Maryland families, the only evidence of their existence is the Robert Morris Inn. If you are a history buff there is one enduring colonial legacy in Oxford, The Oxford-Bellevue Ferry. It is one of the oldest privately run ferry systems in the country, having been established in 1683. The ferry connects Oxford to Bellevue and is the only crossing of the Tred Avon River.
Delmarva is more than beach and bay; it is one of the oldest and most historically important areas in the country. Oxford embodies that historical context and should be a must see when visiting Delmarva.
Places rated in or near oxford
| Review date | Place | Category | Score |
| 2025 Jun | Capsize | Restaurant | 8.83 |
| 2025 Jul | Doc’s Sunset Grille | Restaurant | 8.73 |
| 2025 Aug | Scottish Highland Creamery | Retail/ice cream | 8.58 |
| 2025 Aug | Oxford Market | Retail/grocery, deli, wine | 8.12 |
Places Reviewed in or near Oxford
Leave a Reply