Betterton
A little town that is slightly off the beaten path, Betterton's folklore has it that when the first home in Betterton was torn down in the early 1900's skulls were found under the floorboards. It is said that this was done in order to ward off evil spirits!
Betterton has a history with humble beginnings that experienced its development over a 70 year period as a seaside resort, made possible by the passenger steamboat lines. Originally a little fishing village with a handful of houses, a sawmill, a store, a school, and a church, by the 1880's, the watermen's wives were serving meals and renting rooms to the first passengers. As word spread, Betterton's popularity grew.
In the late 19th century, an emerging middle class from Baltimore and Philadelphia had leisure time and the steamboat lines carried them to their recreational destinations. Betterton is the last community still intact from the golden age of the great steamboat lines.
During Betterton's heyday, there were several hotels. However, it was the simple cottages and the rooming houses that contributed most to its simple charm as a resort. Passengers aboard the steamboats made there way to Betterton from the late 1870's into the 1930's, but the Great Depression saw the decline of the steamboat lines. By 1951, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge was built, and then Betterton stopped in time.
Present day Betterton has bayside condos that are used for weekend getaways, and a 5 acre waterfront park with a beautiful sandy beach. There is a 500 foot boardwalk, a fishing jetty, a public pier, and it's only 20 minutes from Chestertown. Betterton is a unique spot a million miles from suburbia, offering quiet relaxation by the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Sassafras River . Life's Better in Betterton!
