On Friday, October 6th, with community members, partners and staff in attendance, Echo Hill Outdoor School celebrated the opening of its new Chestertown waterfront exhibit with a Kent County Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting and exhibit viewing.
Created by Echo Hill Outdoor School, the interactive stations and displays tell the story of the Chesapeake’s working waterfronts, vessels, maritime communities and culture.
Under a rainbow spanning the Chester River, Associate Director Andrew McCown was joined by Executive Director Peter Rice, Associate and Managing Director Betsy McCown, EHOS staff and dozens of community members to officially launch the new exhibit. The exhibit, developed in partnership with Locust Grove Studios, uses the School’s historic vessels to explore the ways the Chesapeake historic environment shaped the region’s people and places.
An introductory panel provides an overview of the School’s mission and history.
The interactive exhibit tells the stories of skipjack Elsworth, bateau Ric and buyboat Annie D, and detail bygone Black maritime communities like Chestertown’s Scott’s Point.
Other signs share the biographies of boatbuilder Stanley Vansant and writer Gilbert Byron, and discuss the history of oystering, steamboats, and more.
In addition to the exhibit panels, dockside visitors can test their skills of knot tying on an interactive rope display, and an oyster dredge, winch, crane and oyster bushel display suggests the oystering heyday of Elsworth and Annie D.
"We wanted to extend the stories about the boats, their history and their role in the Chesapeake, this seemed like a perfect place to do it," said Associate Director Andrew McCown, who spearheaded the project. "We wanted to create a space that was welcoming, where people could come in and find out about the role these vessels have played, learn more about the history of the Bay and the Chester River, and highlight characters from the county who have really been important."
The new exhibit is currently open to the public, and community members are encouraged to visit and enjoy the stories, boats and activities.
To view the new Echo Hill Outdoor School dockside exhibit, visitors can access the interpretive signs at the Chestertown Marina year-round.
For directions, or to plan your trip: https://goo.gl/maps/s3N6VvHcg7ZxupXs7
The historic fleet highlighted in the new exhibit are used throughout the year in Echo Hill Outdoor School’s Chesapeake Heritage Initiative and Summer Explore programs. The students explore the Chester River and life of a bygone era is experienced firsthand.
The historic Chesapeake Bay vessels are also available for a variety of programs. Please call 410-348-5880 for more information.
