Tylerton, Maryland


Tylerton is an unincorporated community located on Smith Island in Somerset County, Maryland, United States. To get to Tylerton, board the 'Capt'n Jason II' at Crisfield, Maryland for a 12-mile ride. It is a waterman village of 50 residents that is separated from the rest of Smith Island, making it very remote. Activities on this island include walking, running, fishing, boating, crabbing, biking, canoeing, and kayaking. One of the main attractions in this community is the Inn of Silent Music, which is located on Tylerton Road. The Drum Point Market, located on Center Street it sells beverages, homemade Smith Island cakes, homemade crab cakes and other Chesapeake Bay specialties. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Smith Island Study Center is located on Back ST of Tylerton.

History and language

settlers arrived on the island in the 17th century, arriving from Cornwall, Wales, and Dorset via Virginia.
A notable feature of the island is the local dialect which is like the dialects of the West Country of England and the dialect of Cornwall. The dialect contains some relict features indicative of its origins. This dialect is like the Ocracoke Brogue, sometimes referred to as the Outer Banks Brogue.
The Island Belle was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.