Talbot County Courthouse (Maryland)

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Talbot County Courthouse
Talbot County Courthouse, Easton, Maryland (2008).jpg
General information
Architectural styleGeorgian
Town or cityEaston, Maryland
CountryUnited States of America
Coordinates38°46′30″N 76°04′36″W / 38.7749°N 76.0766°W / 38.7749; -76.0766
Construction started1794
Cost£3,000
ClientTalbot County, Maryland
Design and construction
ArchitectCornelius West

The Talbot County Courthouse is located at 11 North Washington Street in Easton, Maryland, United States. The courthouse houses the chambers and courtrooms for the judge of the Circuit Court for Talbot County, as well as the clerk's offices, jurors' assembly room, the master's office and the offices of the Talbot County Council.

History[]

The abolitionist Frederick Douglass was held in the jail at the rear of the courthouse after his aborted attempt to escape slavery on April 2, 1836.

On May 27, 1862, Union Army General John Adams Dix issued orders for the arrest of Judge Richard Bennett Carmichael, suspected of being a southern sympathizer after requesting juries to serve indictments against federal officials who arrested three men acting disruptively at a union rally in November 1861. More than 125 deputies and soldiers surrounded the courthouse; two of them entered the courtroom and seized Carmichael. A man named John L. Bishop beat Carmichael over the head with his pistol until the judge was unconscious. Carmichael was dragged out of the courtroom and taken by steamer to Fort McHenry. Six months later he was released without ever being charged or tried for any crime.[1][2]

Statues[]

The "Talbot Boys" Confederate monument
Main article: Talbot Boys monument

There are two statues in front of the courthouse: a Confederate monument installed in 1916, and one of Frederick Douglass, installed in 2004.

References[]

  1. ^ "Arrest of Judge Carmichael". Talbot Co. Circuit Court archive. Talbot County Courthouse, Easton, Maryland.
  2. ^ "Suspension of Civil Liberties in Maryland: The Case of Richard Bennett Carmichael". Teaching American History in Maryland. Maryland State Archives. Archived from the original on May 19, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2008.
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