Rock Hall, Maryland, is a small, tranquil community nestled in Kent County on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. Settled by fishermen and recently released indentured servants lured by subsistence fishing and farming, the town soon earned a reputation for enormous hauls of rockfish; thus, Rock Haul (later Rock Hall) was named. Eventually shipbuilding and other water-oriented enterprises developed, and the town evolved. More than 300 years later, farmers and watermen still provide the basis of the community's economy, and the residents are evermore dedicated to historic preservation. In Images of America: Rock Hall, vintage photographs depict Rock Hall harbor, Tolchester Beach, Eastern Neck Island, and the Chesapeake Bay.
Author Robin Wood Kurowski is an eighth-generation native of Rock Hall who started her work life at Hubbard's Pier and Seafood at age 13. As co-owner of Gratitude Yachting Center, she has come to represent a new kind of water enterprise, one that caters to cruising, boating, and fishing enthusiasts. Her coauthors are Patricia Joan O. Horsey, a lifelong resident of Kent County and avid local genealogist and historian, and R. Jerry Keiser, county librarian and history buff.