Wye Mills, Maryland

Wye Mills is an unincorporated community in Talbot County, Maryland, United States, located at an altitude of 13 feet (4 m).

Notable landmarks

Wye Mills is the home of the Wye Mill which has been in nearly continuous operation since 1682. Today, it houses a museum in addition to its mill operations.

The Wye Oak (Maryland's honorary state tree, which was destroyed on a June 6, 2002 by a severe thunderstorm), was located in Wye Mills.

The Old Wye Church or St. Lukes is the only Anglican church that is dated back the 18th century in Talbot County. The church opened in 1712.

The Wye House is a plantation mansion listed on the National Register of Historic Places, dating back to between 1780 and 1790. Also listed are the Old Wye Church, Miller's House, and Wilton.

The town also harbors Maryland's first regional community college, Chesapeake College.

Historical events

Two important events have taken place, in part, in Wye Mills.

Wye Accords

After the failure of the Oslo Accords of 1993 to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, former President Bill Clinton held a summit in Wye Mills in October 1998. Both King Hussein of Jordan and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat attended the summit. Several issues were settled, however some of the main issues, like boundaries, were left untouched and still are sources of conflict.

Elián González

For a short time, Elián González and his family resided in Wye Mills during the Elián González affair of 2000. González was at the center of a controversy involving parental custody and Cuban-American relations. After Elián was reunited with his father, the two were sheltered from the media at the remote Wye Mills Plantation while other relatives attempt to acquire visitation rights and the legal battle intensified.