David Hundley Ferguson

David H. Ferguson, an historic preservationist and a dealer of oriental rugs, fine art, and period antiques for the past 50 years, died at home on January 25, 2012. He was 77. Throughout much of his recent illness he remained a steady and beloved presence in downtown Chestertown, greeting customers and friends, and discussing town and world affairs at his place of business, David H. Ferguson Oriental Rugs on High Street. Born in Lynchburg, VA, on August 5, 1934, he was one of six children of the late Claude Musgrove Ferguson and Madeline Dowdy Ferguson. On antiquing jaunts throughout Virginia, David Ferguson was well known and highly respected for his discerning eye and his vast knowledge of antiques. David studied finance at the University of Virginia, where he was a member of the Chi Psi fraternity. During his travels as a top salesman with Prudential Life Insurance Company, he came to Chestertown and fell in love with the community he found here. Mr. Ferguson moved from Wilmington, DE, to Chestertown with his first wife, Patricia Frawley Gates, in 1960. He filled their home on High Street with beautiful rugs and fine antiques, and they taught their three daughters to know the difference between Chippendale and Sheraton period furnishings. As a member of the Kent County Historical Society, he helped launch the Chestertown Candlelight Tour, an annual house tour featuring Chestertown’s most significant and lovingly preserved homes. An original member of Preservation, Inc., and a former member of the Historic Zoning Commission, David Ferguson went to great lengths to use historically correct design elements and to employ master craftsmanship in his painstaking restorations. He built a replica 18th-century Williamsburg home for himself and his second wife, the late Hila Caulley Ferguson, in Kennedyville, and incorporated exquisite historic details in his renovation and expansion of their home on Cannon Street. Mr. Ferguson also enjoyed his forays into the restaurant business. Under his ownership, The Hotel Rigby in Betterton offered elegant décor and a splendid view of the Chesapeake Bay, as well as the best Southern cooking this side of the Mason Dixon line. Patrons of Andy’s Tavern might remember its earlier incarnation as Steaks, Etc., where David ran a brisk lunch and dinner business. In addition to brother, Sanford L. Ferguson and his wife Mary of Lynchburg and brother, Marshall T. Ferguson of Wilmington, DE, David is survived by daughters, Holly Ferguson Rhodes and Heather Oakleaf Ferguson, both of Chestertown; granddaughters, Molly M. Rhodes and Katherine C. Rhodes, also of Chestertown; and many nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his wife, Hila; his daughter Carolyn Hope Ferguson; a brother, Claude H. Ferguson; and sisters, June Ferguson Loren and Nancy Ferguson Devries. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, February 4, 2012, at 11 a.m. at Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Chestertown. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Historical Society of Kent County, PO Box 665, Chestertown, MD 21620 or to Kent County’s Community Food Pantry, PO Box 346, Chestertown, MD 21620.

David Hundley Ferguson

August 5, 1934 - January 25, 2012