Tilghman Watermen's Museum facts for kids
| Lee House | |
Lee House, Tilghman Watermen's Museum
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| Former name | Tilghman Island Victorian House |
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| Established | June 2008 |
| Location | Tilghman Island, Maryland |
| Type | Maritime museum |
| Founder | Hall and Mary Kellogg |
The Tilghman Watermen's Museum is a special place that tells the story of the people of Tilghman Island. It shows how watermen lived and worked on the island. The museum opened in 2008.
You can find it on Tilghman Island in Talbot County, Maryland, United States. It first started in an old barbershop. In June 2015, the museum moved to a historic building called the Lee House. This house is a great example of a unique "W" facade style of building found on Tilghman Island.
Contents
Meet the Watermen of Tilghman Island
The Chesapeake Bay area was full of fish and seafood when people first settled there in the 1600s. The waters near Tilghman Island were especially rich in oysters.
What is a Waterman?
A waterman is someone who makes a living from the water. They do many jobs like crabbing, oystering, and fishing. They also helped with seafood packing and canning. Sometimes, they even guided hunting trips.
Boats of the Bay
Shipbuilding became an important industry on the island. Special boats were created for the local waters.
- Log canoes with sails were adapted from boats used by the Powhatan tribes.
- Skipjacks are two-masted sailboats used for catching oysters. A Maryland law says that motors cannot be used for oystering. This means skipjacks are still very important.
Most watermen live in small towns by the water, like Tilghman Island. They often own their own boats and gear. They work long hours and travel far to find fish or oysters. Crabbing usually happens in the summer. Oystering is done in the winter. Fishing takes place in the spring, fall, and winter.
How the Museum Started
The idea for the museum began in 2007. A group of island residents wanted to help save the Kathryn, a famous Chesapeake Bay skipjack boat. This project made them realize how important it was to save the island's history.
Opening the Museum
The Tilghman Island Museum opened in June 2008. Hall and Mary Kellogg, who lived on the island, helped start it. At first, the museum focused on collecting stories from watermen. These stories helped record their way of life.
Museum Exhibits
A video called Growing up on Tilghman was made in 2010. It used these stories and was shown on Maryland Public Television. Over time, the museum added more displays. They now have items related to watermen and the island. You can also see small boat models and local artwork. Many artists and photographers enjoy visiting the area.
Moving to Lee House
The museum's first home was an old barbershop. It still had the original mirrors and tools from when islanders Duckey Scharch and Johnny Moore worked there. But it was a rented space, so it couldn't grow much.
The Kelloggs bought the Lee House in 2010. They received a grant of $90,000 to help fix it up. This allowed the museum to move to a bigger, historic location.
The Historic Lee House
The Lee House is a very old building. It was added to the Maryland Historical Trust list of historic places in 1977. It is located near the Knapps Narrows Bridge, off Route 33.
A Unique Design
The Lee House was built around 1890. It is the best example of a special type of house found only on Tilghman Island. These are called "W" facade houses. The Maryland government says about thirteen of these houses were built between 1890 and 1900. The museum says twelve were on Tilghman Island, and two others were in Sherwood, Maryland. Today, only five of these unique houses are left.
The Lee House is a two-and-a-half-story wooden house shaped like an "L". It has two equal parts. In the corner of the "L" is the main entrance. Local people say this special design helped air flow through the house. This kept it cool, no matter which way the wind blew.
Lee House History
The Lee family were the first owners of the house. They lived there until the 1930s. Then, Leona Garvin Harrison inherited it. She owned a popular island resort nearby called "The Elms." She used the Lee House as a place for extra guests and fishing groups to stay. Up to twelve people would sleep there at a time. They would eat their meals at "The Elms."
After 1971, the Lee House was empty for a while. Leona Garvin Harrison's daughter, Shirley Garvin Walton, inherited it in 1984. Her grandchildren, John and Barbara Walton, inherited it in 2000. The Lee House is important because it shows a unique part of Tilghman Island's history and the watermen's way of life.
