The Barge House

Annapolis Maritime Museum Reopened October 2
With Dedication of Barge House!

After two years and two weeks of battling back against the ravages of Hurricane Isabel, the Annapolis Maritime Museum reopened with a special dedication ceremony on Sunday, October 2, marking the completion of renovations to the Museum's original home.

The public was invited to a reception to meet and thank all the many volunteers who worked on the project. Refreshments were served and docents led activities for kids. The Honorable Ellen O. Moyer, Mayor of the City of Annapolis, led a delegation of VIPs in the re-opening ceremony and the Museum unveiled a new exhibit on the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, funded in part by the Four Rivers Heritage Area.

Left to right: Mayor Ellen O. Moyer, Museum Director Jefferson Holland, Museum Chairman Emeritus Peg Wallace, and Delegate Herb McMillan at the dedication ceremony.

The hit of the day was the debut a new documentary entitled, Legacy of the Light, funded in part by the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network.

The Barge House, which the Eastport Historical Committee leased from the City of Annapolis in 1992, has been renovated by a group of dedicated volunteers led by River Crest Design Build, Inc., the award-winning residential remodeling company based in Parole. The Eastport Historical Committee was founded in 1987 and became the Annapolis Maritime Museum in 2000. The Museum ran programs and exhibits in both the Barge House and the adjacent McNasby Oyster Company building until Hurricane Isabel damaged both structures in September, 2003. Since then, the Museum has been operating out of temporary offices nearby and has conducted award-winning educational programs, including maritime lecture and concert series, at other locations.

River Crest's suppliers and sub-contractors have also contributed time and materials to the renovation. Kitchen Encounters donated all of the cabinets, Fitchner Services provided a new roof, Devito Mechanical Services donated a new heat pump, O'Malley Sheet Metal donated the ductwork, Donovan Electric donated the electrical installation, Broadneck Plumbing donated the plumbing in the new handicap-accessible bathroom, Levon Drywall donated the drywall material, Johnson's Lumber and Allied Building Products donated lumber and other materials, Home Depot provided a discount on the windows and doors, and TL Trash and Bay Area Disposals provided dumpsters.

The Barge House will serve as the interim Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse Interpretive Center while the Museum's larger structure, the McNasby Oyster Company building, is renovated this fall and winter. The McNasby building is slated for reopening next spring.

Hours: The Barge House is now open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m., and by appointment for school programs and group tours. There will be no admission until further notice.

The Barge House is adjacent to the McNasby Oyster Company building at 723 Second Street, the last building on the left.

Come see us at Second Street & Back Creek

Directions: From downtown Annapolis - cross the Spa Creek Bridge and make the second left turn on to Chesapeake Avenue. Proceed to Second Street and turn right. Go to where the street ends at Back Creek. The Barge House is on your left, adjacent to the McNasby Oyster Company building at 723 Second Street.