Tea raises money for Quaker meeting house
DENTON — The Market Street Public House took on a whole new atmosphere recently when about 50 proper ladies with fabulous hats and polished silver tea pots turned out for a High Tea fundraiser to help with maintenance of the historic Tuckahoe Neck Quaker Meeting House.
Finger sandwiches were arrayed on a long table. Two women served tea at each end of the table, and the crowd came for a cup of tea and a plate of hors d’oeuvres. Silver tongs were used to plop white cubes of sugar into each cup. Milk was self serve. There were curried chicken salad sandwiches cut into triangles and refreshing cucumber sandwiches. People brought their fanciest china and silver to serve the food. The ornate silver teapots gleamed as if from the Victorian age.
“We started out as a committee for the preservation of the Tuckahoe Neck Quaker Meeting House. It is from 1802 and is the last standing meeting house in Caroline County,” said Jo Ann Staples. “We decided we did not want to see that building fall into disrepair. We have been fundraising for 24 months and have had donated to us over $27,000 for the restoration.”
Paddy Richards, a member of the preservation group, said, “It is at the Choptank Electric building, on Quaker Road in Denton.”
They were hoping to raise $2,000 from the tea event.
“We charge $20 to get a ticket and that gets you tea and everything else. I just need some tea to pour from my pot. I brought it from home. Several of the ladies pulled out their silver to make it very nice. And Brian Tyler of the Market Street Public House has been so nice. This place was jumping with music last
night,” Richards said.
With all the heirloom silver, the event looked fancy.
“There are maybe five or six pews in there. It was built in 1802,” Laurie Burke Shaw said of the church building.
“I am amazed at the turnout, and I am delighted with what’s been done. Carol Blue Donahue is really in charge of this affair. She is originally from Canada and has a lot of experience with teas. I drink English Breakfast tea all the time,” said Staples, who has a master’s in history.
“We have done very well. The sky is the limit. Part of the restoration is done and we have a plan to continue on in the springtime. The building just can’t stand cold weather. We are thinking of opening the building for tours — to form a docent organization paid to do that — sort of like our Rural Life Museum,” Staples added.
She said their organization goes under the umbrella of the Caroline County Historical Society for a 501(c)(3) tax structure, but otherwise it is independent.
As funds were not unlimited, the group decided to restore three of the four sides.
“We have restored the north, west and south. The south is really the front of the building,” she said.
During Staples’ presentation she gave credit to Donahue for organizing the tea fundraising event.
“The food looks delicious, and I hope I get some too,” she said.
Donahue gave a short speech as well. She thanked Brian Tyler for donating the space to the group, and the Culinary Institute that sliced all the cucumbers for the cucumber sandwiches.
Tyler, owner of the Market Street Public House, said, “We have a lot banquets, a lot of fundraisers, a lot of functions. We try to support local efforts. Blue Donahue is a good friend of ours. She has been coming here forever. So anything she wants to do, we are always supportive.”
A celebration of thanks was held at the Tuckahoe Neck Quaker Meeting House in September to commemorate the 219th anniversary of the first meeting held there. At that time, recent renovation work was highlighted.
For more information or to donate to the cause, contact Staples at jstaples51@gmail.com or 410-479-0497.