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January, 1931
(The Denton Journal)
A letter postmarked Pocomoke City, Worcester County, received at the State Department of Health last week, was found to contain ten belated birth certificates. The earliest of the births occurred sixty-three years ago; the most recent, thirty-seven years ago.
The ten "babies" survived the perils of infancy and are all living. So is the attending physician, Dr. Issac Thomas Costen, by whom the records were filed for registration. All of the births took place in Pocomoke City. The records were accompanied by the following letter:
"Realizing the value and frequently the neccesity of birth registration and having reached the age of 97, I am desirous (before it is too late) to have registered the births of my own daughters, as well as a granddaughter, a nephew, and several nieces whose births I attended and am forwarding the Certificates of Birth with this letter for the purpose of registration."
"Will you please make the proper registration and forward to me proper receipts, etc. Yours very truly, Issac Thomas Costen, M.D."
The correspondence was referred to Dr. John Collinson, Chief of the Bureau of Vital Statistics of the State Department of Health; the births were duly registered, and the customary engraved certificates were sent in acknowledgement. The present law requires a birth to be reported within four days of its occurrence.
Though Dr. Costen has not been in active practice for some years, his name is still listed in the Directory of the American Medical Association. The published record shows that he began the practice of medicine in 1857.
April, 1931
Pocomoke City's oldest resident, Dr. Isaac T. Costen, died at his home at the age of 98. Dr. Costen had practiced medicine for many decades and was Pocomoke City's first mayor.
April, 1974
By a vote of 413 to 324, Pocomoke City residents voted to save the century old former home of Dr. Isaac Costen. The home was currently under city ownership and town officials had heard suggestions that the home be demolished to make way for more parking spaces for downtown businesses. The Spirit Of Newtown Committee was formed, headed by Mrs. Myrtle Polk, to help save the historic home.
October, 1976
Having undergone two years of restoration work an open house for tours by the public was to be held at Pocomoke City's historic Costen House, the Market Street home of Dr. Isaac Costen. With support from Pocomoke City residents, Mrs. Myrtle Polk led The Spirit Of Newtown Committee in raising funds for the preservation project and the Costen House was now on the National Register Of Historical Sites.
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1 comment:
Wow! To think that the Costen House came so close to being demolished. But, during that era, the downtown was probably booming and parking had to be hard to come by.
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