AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler
Brought to you by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu & Tai Chi
Chatting with a friend who mentioned a great new museum he discovered while hiking the waterfront in Eastport, I was curious when he showed me a photo captured on his smartphone similar to the one below. The facade was a familiar one. One I’d seen in the past but with a difference. The iconic McNasby Oyster Co. sign on the building in the photo now bore the words “Home of the Annapolis Maritime Museum” and apparently had for a number of years. I vaguely recalled hearing that the business had closed for good and been sold but, an infrequent visitor to Eastport, I was unaware the building had become a museum. I decided to journey to Eastport and see for myself.
Learning that the Annapolis Maritime Museum Campus is located at 723 Second Street, I found it easily and nabbed a parking place in the same block. Approaching the museum from a slight distance, I was pleased by the building’s exterior with its maritime-themed artwork, boardwalks and piers.
Drawn by a handsome sign by the entrance, I stepped inside and walked to the counter where I was welcomed by Volunteer Educator Dianne Rosso.
Brimming with interesting information and helpful suggestions, Rosso pointed out that there was an interesting movie I could watch in a gallery behind her or I could explore the exhibit spaces first.
The first exhibit was surprising as it featured a weapon. During the Oyster Wars that followed the American Civil War in the 1860’s-1870’s, when Maryland and Virginia watermen fought over oyster bed areas of the Chesapeake Bay, the Maryland Oyster Police equipped their vessels with weapons including Civil War era cannons like the one seen here. The oysters were so prized they were considered “White Gold”.
Opposite the display, we found an exhibit featuring Oyster Harvesting Tools of the Trade along with models of boats adapted for oystering like skipjacks , skipjack pushboats, buyboats, sharpies or dredges.
Behind them, against the far wall was one of the most impressive exhibits. Beneath a case featuring an NOAA buoy for monitoring water in the Chesapeake Bay were two small wire oyster cages filled with shells representing the small number of oysters available for harvesting from that spot in 2010. In contrast, to the right of the display were wire cages of shells piled high atop one another along the wall representing the number of oysters harvested from the same spot in the 1870’s.
Groups like the Chesapeake Oyster Alliance, and the Oyster Recovery Partnership in coordination with the Severn River Association, the Magothy River Association and the Arundel Rivers Federation have led recovery efforts planting billions of spat on shell and building sanctuary reefs. The replanted oysters appear to be healthy and the population is now on the rise.
There were so many interesting exhibits we can’t mention them all but we particularly liked those dedicated to the workings of the McNasby Oyster Company.
Founded in 1886 by William McNasby Sr., the company began as a single storefront on Compromise Street in Eastport but grew until it became necessary to expand to the packing plant on 723 Second Street – the same building that is now home to the Annapolis Maritime Museum. By 1904, William Joseph, Sr. was joined in the business by William Joseph McNasby, Jr. and the company became very successful with growing demand for McNasby’s oysters across the continental U.S.
The packing plant operated for nearly a century. Below is an exhibit illustrating what shuckers’ stations were like. Once separated from the shells by hand with Shucker’s Knives, the oysters were placed in Shucker’s Buckets like those seen below filled with crushed ice, then passed on for packing and shipping.
When full, buckets of shucked oysters were rinsed, culled and graded and passed on to the packing room like the one pictured below and prepared for shipping or delivery. Note the Pearl Oyster labels on the pint and quart-sized cans. McNasby’s oysters were named after William Joseph McNasby, Jr.’s wife Pearl who was active in the business.
I also took advantage of the opportunity to visit the gallery where an exhibit called “Black Joy is an act of resistance” was presented along with a film called “Blacks On The Chesapeake” which featured and was narrated by the late Vincent O. Leggett, founder and president of the Blacks of the Chesapeake Foundation.
Both the film and the exhibit explored the rich history of life along the water’s edge and also delved into the beach resorts owned by the Carr family where African Americans, who were not allowed access to white-owned beaches could escape for a week or weekend of entertainment. The only beaches of their kind, they not only drew African Americans from across Maryland but also from other mid-Atlantic states. Carr’s Beach drew legendary black entertainers including Chuck Berry whose appearance drew an audience of 70,000 people.
There was also an interesting film from the Maritime Museum about the waters of the Chesapeake Bay.
Lastly, on the recommendation of Diane Rosso, we journeyed out onto the boardwalk and piers surrounding the museum which provided a view of the waters of Back Creek. We loved the panels of artwork along the rails depicting important moments in time that could have been seen from point of land on which the Annapolis Maritime Museum sits.
My favorites were the first panel featuring Native Americans in a dugout canoe watching Captain John Smith sail into Back Creek on his voyage of exploration in 1608 and the second and third panels seen below picturing the Providence settlement on the Severn River in 1672 and The Annapolis Tea Party in 1774.
The Annapolis Maritime Museum also maintains The Annapolis Maritime Park Campus at 7300 Edgewood Road and offers heritage cruises on its historic skipjack Wilma Lee. The museum offers many education programs for students and is the location for many popular events. To learn more about the museum and park, visit their excellent website The Annapolis Maritime Museum & Park | Annapolis, Maryland.
Eastport Oyster Boys 30th Anniversary Reunion Show at Maryland Hall this Sunday
Speaking of Eastport, we learned that the Eastport Oyster Boys 30th Anniversary “Shuck It Tour” is being held this Sunday, March 22 at Maryland Hall at 4 pm. The concert benefits the Annapolis Musicians Fund for Musicians. Tickets are available at marylandhall.org.
The Around The Park Again column is brought to you this week by Jing Ying Institute of Kung Fu and Tai Chi at 1195 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd. – For over two decades providing martial arts training that improves cardio-vascular health, strength and flexibility while reducing stress. Jing Ying is again bringing Tai Chi to the Severna Park Community Center. From health-defense to self-defense, Jing Ying provides fitness with a purpose for the whole family!
and by Lean On Dee Senior Home Care Services at 815 Ritchie Hwy., Suite 206 – When you need someone to lean on, Lean On Dee. Their experienced team of personal care management specialists and friendly companions provide high quality consistent care.
