Description
Located where the Susquehanna River meets the Chesapeake Bay, the Maritime Museum invites you to come experience “Where Bay Life Begins.” Through its exhibits and programs the Museum endeavors to interpret the region’s rich maritime heritage. Encounter what life in the past was like on and by the water in the “Harvesting the Bay” exhibit. Engage in the boat building way of life through the Chesapeake Wooden Boat Building School, where students preserve the timeless art of wooden boat building. Embark on discovering the living Bay through the Susquehanna Flats Environmental Center. Join us as we launch a Capital Campaign to finish the facility and install a new exhibit narrating the story of “1608: Life 400 Years Ago.”
History
The Havre de Grace Maritime Museum was founded in 1988 by a group of historically minded citizens to collect, document, preserve, and interpret the maritime skills, heritage, and ecology of the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay regions.
Artifacts Collections
The Museum’s collection is fundamental to fulfilling this mission. Though small in comparison to some institutions, our collection continues to grow steadily. It is comprised of items (objects, photographs, archival materials, and books) relating to maritime activities in the Upper Bay. While most of our donors are local, we have received collections items from all over the United States, including New York and California, as well as from overseas. Some of our largest collections are made up of boats and boat building tools, which are featured in the Chesapeake Wooden Boat Builders School (CWBBS) as well as an exhibit discussing “Boat Building Tools and Traditions.” We also have a large collection of nautical instruments, including compasses with dates ranging from the 18th century to the present, as well as other navigational tools, most of which are on display in our “Navigation: Tools of the Trade” exhibit. Other significant aspects of our collection are objects relating to the commercial fishing industry. This collection of photographs, nets, motors, boat components, fishing implements, logbooks, and other related items comprise the majority of our “Harvesting the Bay” exhibit.
Research Collections
Our research collection is in its infancy. Until our Capital Campaign inprovements are completed, we do not have the proper storage facility to catalogue and preserve documents, manuscripts, and general library books. Upon completion of the facility, we will be able to accommodate research collections.
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