The Catherine Valliant Hill Research Center and Larry Denton Extended Museum is located at 25 S. Washington Street. This building previously housed Tharpe Antiques, which supported Talbot Historical Society for many years until its closure in 2018. It is now home to our extended museum, researcher center and staff offices.
The Research Center was named for S. Catherine Valliant Hill, who has been a volunteer and board member with the historical society for many years. Renovations of this building were made possible by a very generous donation by Catherine and her husband Thomas. The Extended Museum space was named for Lawrence Denton, who has been and continues to be an integral part of the life of the historical society. He was the director of THS for many years and continues to support THS as a board member.
The first room is the Denton Extended Museum Gallery. Our current exhibit is “With Valor and Honor”. This show will be on display through December 2025. Our hours are Wednesdays through Saturdays from 10:00am to 3:00pm.
“With Valor and Honor:
Talbot County’s United States Colored Troops During the Civil War”
The exhibit With Valor and Honor tells the powerful story of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) from Talbot County, Maryland, who served in the Civil War following the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863. This historic order allowed both free and enslaved Black men to join the Union Army and Navy. Enslaved men were manumitted by their owners for a $300 federal fee to serve as USCT soldiers.
Of the 180,000 Black men who served, 8,718 were from Maryland—and over 600 were from Talbot County alone. Their enlistment was significantly influenced by Frederick Douglass, a fugitive slave from Talbot County, who successfully advocated for Black participation in the war.
These men fought with extraordinary courage, often engaging in battles against Confederate forces that included former enslavers. Their service was not only a fight for the Union but also a battle for freedom—for themselves and future generations.
Following the war, many of these veterans helped shape a new future by acquiring land, establish Black communities, churches, and schools. Some had previously lived in Talbot County’s historic free Black neighborhood, “The Hill,” and had glimpses of freedom before the war. The most celebrated post-war community was Unionville, founded by 18 USCT veterans from Talbot County, symbolizing their commitment to securing civil rights and equality.
With Valor and Honor shines light on their sacrifices and contributions, bringing long-overdue recognition to the local men whose courage and perseverance helped reshape American history.
The exhibit and the broader project were made possible through collaboration with a wide range of community members and organizations, including the descendants of Talbot’s USCT veterans and the historic African American village of Unionville, one of many towns founded by formerly enslaved soldiers. Veteran support organizations such as American Legion Post 77, and the 3rd Regiment USCT Re-enactors of Philadelphia also played key roles in its development. We want to thank VFW Post 5118, Maryland 250 Commission and Delmarva Power Exelon for their critical financial support. The Historical Society also expresses deep gratitude to Dr. Clara Small, one of Maryland’s foremost scholars on African American history, for her guidance and insight.
“With Valor and Honor” is now open to the public Wednesday through Saturday from 10am-3pm. The museum is located at 25 S. Washington Street, Easton, Maryland. All are invited to visit and learn more about this proud, powerful and often overlooked chapter of American history. Please call 410-822-0773 for additional information.
The second room is our research library, the Hill Research Center. There are two computer workstations available for researchers, which can be used to view our collections in the PastPerfect catalog. A small library is also available for in-house use, including books and files on local events, locations, and people. Our center conference table can also be used to view documents or hold meetings.
The research library allows visitors to quickly search our collection for useful information.
The back room contains our administrative offices.
For more information on visiting the research center, please see our Plan a Visit page. If you would like to make a research appointment at the library, or would like to rent the conference room, please email or call 410-822-1287.
The research center started out very empty, as the previous paint and carpet was removed.
