With its relaxed lifestyle, gracious residents, amicable merchants, and tree-lined streets, Centreville is a classic example of small-town America. The town was created to implement a 1782 Act of the state Assembly that authorized removal of the courthouse and government functions of Queen Anne’s County from Queenstown to a more central location. When suitable land was acquired ten years later, logic prevailed in naming the place to reflect the site-selection specification. The aberrant spelling “Centre-Ville” stemmed from the adulation of all things French following the Revolutionary War. Actually, the site was chosen not only because of its central location, but also because of the maritime access provided by its proximity to the headwaters of the Corsica River.

Building of the federal-style courthouse began in 1791; the first recorded case was heard there in 1794. The same building—with 19th-century additions— still graces the town square and proudly wears the mantle of oldest courthouse in continuous use in the State of Maryland. Queen Anne’s County Historical Society displays other notable examples of 18th century architecture: Wright’s Chance (built before 1744) and the Tucker House (c. 1794). The fine houses built by sea captains near the Wharf also are among the oldest dwellings to be found in Centreville.

History is reflected in the diverse architecture seen along the streets of the town—elegant Victorian homes with their wrap-around porches, neo-classical public buildings, late-19th-century commercial rows, late-20th-century institutional and government structures, and all the variations and curiosities in between.

Today, Centreville remains the governmental and legal center of Queen Anne’s County and the commercial center of the surrounding agricultural community. Busy state Route 213 runs through the town. A business park at the south end of town is progressing nicely. There is a modern library and a comprehensive high school, a middle school, and an elementary school. The people who live and work in Centreville are in step with the world but have managed to preserve the traditional lifestyle of their town.