C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience

The C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience is an institute at Washington College, in Chestertown, Maryland, that promotes the research and study of American history and culture. Founded in 2000, the C.V. Starr Center at Washington College is one of many educational initiatives funded by the Starr Foundation, a private foundation with assets of over $1.25 billion. The inaugural director of the C.V. Starr Center, Edward L. Widmer, served under Bill Clinton as special assistant to the president for national security affairs; among other accomplishments, he wrote foreign policy speeches and advised the president on topics related to history and scholarship as senior advisor to the president for special projects. Since 2006, Adam Goodheart, a historian, journalist and author of 1861: The Civil War Awakening, has served as director of the Center. In addition to its academic components, the C.V. Starr Center works closely with external groups to sponsor events of public interest, such as the Poplar Grove Project, a recovery and recordation project in collaboration with the Maryland State Archives, and hosts readings and lectures often focused on topics of local interest, such as Chesapeake Bay history.

The C.V. Starr Center for the Study of the American Experience is headquartered in Chestertown’s Custom House, a building constructed in the 1740s by Samuel Massey as a residence for the Ringgold family and known for its detailed Flemish bond brickwork with glazed headers., The location, beside the public dock at the intersection of High and Water Streets, has always been central to much of Chestertown’s daily activity in commerce, industry, and tourism. Over its 200+ year history, the Custom House has changed hands several times. Senator James Alfred Pearce, who later chaired the Joint Library Committee of Congress and served on the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents, lived in the Custom House in the late 19th century. One of the building’s most influential owners, Wilbur Ross Hubbard, carried out a major renovation and restoration project in the 1970s before bequeathing the house to Washington College. The front portico is another recent addition, designed by consultant Michael Bourne to integrate local motifs. Buildings of this style, size, and period are now rare in the territory that once comprised the original 13 colonies. In 1969, the National Park Service recognized the Custom House on the National Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings. In addition to the C.V. Starr Center, the Custom House serves as home to the Center for Environment & Society and the Washington College Archaeology Lab.

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