(ST MICHAELS, MD – The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is pleased to announce that it has been awarded an $80,000 grant from the Maryland Heritage Areas Program to support its upcoming restoration of 1912 river tug Delaware.
Set to begin this fall after the October relaunch of 1889 bugeye Edna Lockwood, CBMM’s work on Delaware will see shipwrights and apprentices undertaking a full stem-to-stern restoration in full public view. The project will include work on Delaware’s keel, stem, and horn timber in early 2019, then progress to framing and planking in the latter half of the year. Work on deck structures will follow, with the restoration anticipated to take two years.
Built in 1912 in Bethel, Del., by William H. Smith, Delaware has been a floating exhibit at CBMM’s waterfront campus since 1991. She is a product of Bethel’s great age of wooden ship and boatbuilding, and apart from the 1900 ram schooner Victory Chimes (formerly Edwin and Maud), may be the only survivor of the shipyard.
“Delaware and small river tugs like her prolonged the age of sail for many of the big coastwise schooners, assisting them on the first and last legs of their voyages,” said CBMM Chief Curator Pete Lesher. “A rare survivor of her type, she is an important part of the story of waterborne trade on the Chesapeake Bay.”
The Maryland Heritage Areas Program is governed by the Maryland Heritage Areas Authority and administered by the Maryland Historical Trust. The program supports 13 locally designated heritage areas, each of which has a distinct focus or theme that represents a unique aspect of Maryland’s character. CBMM resides within the program’s Stories of the Chesapeake Heritage Area.
The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to preserving and exploring the history, environment, and culture of the entire Chesapeake Bay region, and making this resource available to all.
Every aspect of fulfilling this mission is driven by CBMM’s values of relevancy, authenticity, and stewardship, along with a commitment to providing engaging guest experiences and transformative educational programming, all while serving as a vital community partner. For more information, visit cbmm.org or call 410-745-2916.
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~ Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
About the Photo: Contributed by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum:
The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michaels, Md., was recently awarded a grant from the Maryland Heritage Areas Program to support its upcoming restoration of 1912 river tug Delaware. To learn more about the project, visit cbmm.org.