Historic Vienna

  Customs House  c. 1790

The town of Vienna was designated a Port of Entry by the Maryland Assembly in 1762, and the Office of the Customs Collector was moved to town in 1768. The first Federal Inspector was appointed under the new Constitution in 1791, and the present Customs House was apparently built during this period. A brisk trade in tobacco and white oak lumber kept the port busy and the office in use until after the Civil War. The Customs House still stands on its original foundation.

A Brief History of Vienna, Maryland:

The Early Years

Located on the tidewater shores of the Nanticoke River in Dorchester County, Vienna was formally founded in 1706 as decreed by the Colonial Assembly. Rich in tradition and history, its region was first mentioned by Captain John Smith during his exploration of the Nanticoke River in 1608.

This tract of land was a portion of ten thousand acres along the north shore of the Nanticoke River granted by Charles Calvert to Lord Baltimore. The entire tract was patented in 1664 as Nanticoke Manor.

In 1671, a ferry service for crossing the Nanticoke River was established. That service continued until 1828 when the first bridge was constructed across the river.

The Town prospered through trade and commerce, shipbuilding and nearby tobacco farming. By 1768, it became the Custom's District of the region.  Vienna was competing with a new town called Baltimore.

The Revolutionary War

During the Revolutionary War, Vienna was an important source of goods and supplies to the Continental Army. The British vessels raided the Town at least five times taking ships and provisions.

In the War of 1812, Vienna was again attacked by British forces. It is believed that during this war the Town built a stone wall along its waterfront placing cannons on top. The wall was built from stones used as ballasts from the ships that anchored here. Remains of this wall can be seen southeast of the Customs House located on the corner of Water Street and Church Streets.

Blockade Runners on the Nanticoke

The Governor of the State of Maryland during the Civil War, Thomas Holiday Hicks, who is credited with keeping the State from seceding from the Union, was a former resident of the Town.

Blockade Runners from the south made their way up the Nanticoke River during the war, where Confederate sympathizers from town outfitted them with vital food and supplies for the beleaguered rebels.

Present Day

Present day Vienna is no longer the commercial hub of Maryland. However, the town layout has not changed. Much of the past architecture survives, and a determined effort has restored the physical qualities of many homes as well as the heritage of a town proud of its past and interested in its future.