East New Market
Property Reports
40 Main Street
Fletcher's Folly (1872 - ca. 1970)
In 1872 Major S. Fletcher built Fletcher's Folly, likely the largest house in East New Market. Fletcher's Folly was torn down around 1970. It is hard to imagine that such a large beautiful estate was allowed to fall into disrepair and then be demolished. Some of the elaborate iron columns on the porch still survive. A one story home at the northeast corner of Route 16 and Green Point Road proudly displays some of the former ironwork of Fletcher's Folly. The land on which Fletcher's Folly stood is now a grassy lot. The only appropriate development for this lot that is now for sale would be reconstructing Fletcher's Folly or creating a park for the citizens of the town. Adjoining the grassy lot to the north abutting the road is a strip of land that was once part of the Fletcher's Folly property and contained the M.S. Fletcher Stores as well as other stores.
Thomas Collins purchased the house in 1910 and owned it until it was foreclosed upon in 1937. His son, Boots Collins stated that when he lived there as a child, the third floor was occupied by bee hives that his family would use to collect honey.
Portrait and Biographical Record of the Eastern Shore of Maryland: Chapman Publishing Co., 1898.
Joseph E. Henry, a business man of East New Market, was reared in this village. He went to sea at age 10. From ages 13 to 19, he clerked in a general store, then came to East New Market and clerked in the store he now owns. He learned the drug business under Dr. H.W. Houston. Dr. Houston died when Joseph E. Henry was 23, then he bought the business. On 31 October 1886, Mr. Henry married Nettie W. Fletcher, daughter of Captain M.S. Fletcher. They had children: Edith, Clarence, Frank, and Edward. Mr. and Mrs. Henry are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. (p. 773 - #623).