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Museum celebrates rebirth
Party welcomes back old McNasby building

For five years, the fledgling Eastport museum was practically homeless, after Tropical Storm Isabel pummeled its building, the old McNasby Oyster Co. plant. Museum staffers worked out of a trailer and offered programs in a small nearby building called the Barge House.

But last night, the old McNasby building came to life again, with hundreds of people poring over exhibits of old photos and maps, oyster knives and logbooks. They admired paintings and sculptures, bought history books and watched a woodcarver making a new sign for the museum.

Photo: Artists, contributors and local politicians party it up last night to celebrate the reopening of the Annapolis Maritime Museum in Eastport. Arianne Teeple — For The Capital

They clapped their hands as the ladies of the Mount Zion United Methodist Church gospel choir, clad in purple and white robes, sang spirituals just as the oyster company workers once did. And with the slash of a sword, a ceremonial nautical rope - instead of a ribbon - was cut, officially reopening the Annapolis Maritime Museum.

"It's a privilege to be part of this," said Jeff Holland, the museum's director, who wielded the sword with Annapolis Mayor Ellen O. Moyer. "So many people made this happen."

While there was pride and joy evident during the ceremonies, there also was a touch of regret. Many people mentioned Peg Wallace, the one person who was the heart and soul of the operation, but who did not live to see the refurbished and reopened museum. She died of cancer in March, before the renovations were complete.

"This is really her vision," Mr. Holland said, choking up at the thought of his friend.

The Rev. Callie Matthews, pastor of the nearby Mount Zion church, remembered Ms. Wallace with a moment of silence. She asked all assembled to remember Ms. Wallace's philosophy that, "We're like many colors of M&Ms in the bag, but inside, we're all the same."

In the Eastport neighborhood's usually quirky fashion, the party was going so strong that it was challenging for the guest speakers to get people to pay attention to the brief program of speeches.

The Rev. Matthews and the mayor tried using the trick of asking everyone to raise one hand in the air to get the crowd to quiet down. House Speaker Michael E. Busch decided to climb up on a chair to get everyone's attention.

"What a day," Ms. Moyer proclaimed to the crowd. "We've vanquished Isabel, haven't we?"

Indeed, it was a long road for the museum since Isabel. Five years of fundraising and government grants led to the $1.2 million renovation which has made the city-owned building more resistant to floods. But there's still more work to do: The museum's main permanent exhibit, on the history and ecological properties of oysters, won't be installed until 2010.

Until then, the museum will host rotating exhibits. Currently, the main exhibit room houses artifacts of Eastport history as chronicled in "Over the Bridge," a book by local author Ginger Doyel that was published by the museum.

Lifelong Eastport resident Art Tuer showed off a picture in the exhibit of his family that was taken when he and two of his brothers were home on military leave in 1953. Mr. Tuer helps the museum by "finding people nobody could find" and recording oral histories of the region.

The museum's gathering room hosts work by local artists as well as murals made by schoolchildren at Easport Elementary and Annapolis Elementary.

"They truly are artists inspired by the Chesapeake," said Rosemary Freitas Williams, who assembled the artwork.

The Annapolis Maritime Museum has not yet established regular hours, but visitors are welcomed during business hours on weekdays. For museum programs, visit www.amaritime.org.

Renovations Step by Step | The Hurricane Isabel story

Over the Bridge: A History of Eastport at Annapolis

The Annapolis Maritime Museum has published Over the Bridge: A History of Eastport at Annapolis, a 368-page hardback by Ginger Doyel. The book features 713 duotone photographs, including an eight-page double-sided gatefold. One side features a never-before-published panorama of the view across the harbor in 1897. 

Ms. Doyel interviewed more than 600 individuals and collected nearly 2,000 photographs as she compiled Over the Bridge to tell the story of the places and events that have defined Eastport for over three centuries. She profiles many of its memorable personalities including the beloved waterman Cap'n Herbie Sadler, civic leader and businessman George Davis, and the midwife Annie Hanson Christensen.
 
Only 1,500 books were printed by the Whitmore Group of Annapolis. This short run has sold out, but we may print more if there is sufficient demand. If you are interested in a future print run, please call us at 410-295-0104.

A fleet of beautiful Chesapeake 20s -- the oldest one-design racing fleet on the Bay -- made its way to the Museum for a celebration of the class, of traditional boat building, and of recreational sailing on the Bay. Many of the boats are family heirlooms, and go back as far as 1935, the year Mermaid was built.

The boats were towed to the Museum docks (most came from the West River area) and the celebration began with an all star race on Friday, June 27. The race featured some of the best Bay racers against one another in the classic boats.

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Past president Ron Bieberich (left) and current president Bill Davis (right) present the Annapolis Rotary Club’s “Service Above Self” award to AMM Board member Dick Franyo for his generous support of the Museum, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and other area non-profits. In May, Dick was also honored as the “Outstanding Fundraiser of the Year” by the Maryland Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Chesapeake Outdoor Group president Ron Katz presented AMM director Jeff Holland with a check for $2,500, proceeds from last year’s 12-Ounce Regatta. This year’s event will be held at the Pavilion at Port Annapolis Marina on Saturday, August 16. See the web site chesapeakeoutdoor.org to learn how to participate by building your own model racing sailboat from a six-pack and a bucket of odd bits, plus other events and programs in keeping with the organization’s philosophy of combining “fun and philanthropy.”

AMM Director Jeff Holland (left), Board Chairman Buck Buchanan, and author Ginger Doyel with the cover of her upcoming book, Over the Bridge: A History of Eastport at Annapolis, at a June 26 reception to honor the author and thank the book's sponsors and collaborators. The book, published by the Museum, will be back from the printers and ready for sale in the fall. It is a treasure trove of stories and photographs of this unique, Annapolis maritime neighborhood. Photo by Joe Evans.