East New Market Business Directory

East New Market is a small, historic town in central Dorchester County, about six miles northeast of Cambridge, with a population of around 390. Originally settled along a Choptank Indian trail in the 1660s and formally incorporated in 1832, the town grew into an important crossroads and commercial center for the northern part of the county, with boarding houses and hotels serving travelers along the main north-south route. The East New Market Historic District, the first in Dorchester County listed on the National Register of Historic Places, preserves about 75 structures spanning 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century architecture, including the restored East New Market Train Station. The town's economy today is modest and largely residential, supporting a handful of small local businesses and services for the surrounding farming community, with most retail and employment concentrated nearby in Cambridge. East New Market's enduring character comes from its preserved architecture and its history as an early center of education, religion, and agriculture in the county, making it a quiet but historically significant stop within the Mid Shore region.