Since the museum opened in 2003, our board has dreamed of having a proper entrance to the building and this spring the dream was realized. Kaptain Krunch drew up a design reminiscent of the old screw pile lighthouse at Stingray Point. Volunteers Kyle Jenkins and Chuck McGinnis collaborated on the design and, with help from others on the Building Committee, labored through torrential rains, snow, and bitter cold to make the new structure a reality. The addition, which is handicap accessible, will house a gift shop and information center as well as being the official entrance to the museum exhibits. Congratulations Kyle, Chuck, and Krunch on a job well done. The museum has launched a major fund drive to cover the costs of completing the interior.
2011 will mark the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War. In 2010, the Maritime Museum started to collect and display information about Middlesex in the War with particular emphasis on Deltaville and maritime subjects.
One exhibit will focus on Middlesex's unit, company H of the 55th Virginia Infantry. Commanded initially by Major William N. Ward, the company bivouacked at Harmony Village. The exhibit will give a brief history of the 55th and focus on the local men who served in that unit and others, and how our soldiers fared during and after the War.
Another section of the exhibit will deal with battles fought locally. Special attention will be paid to the battle of Wilton Creek led by John Taylor Wood, the "Sea Ghost of the Confederacy." Other battles on the Piankatank and Rappahannock rivers will be recounted and the museum's collection of Civil War ships and guns, donated by Gene Ruark, will be on display to further illustrate how the maritime battles were fought.
A special feature of the exhibits in the museum has always been the personal stories brought to us from our local citizens. This new exhibit will be no exception. Some of the stories are familiar: Mrs. Kelly's Cow and the "Atrocity at Providence Plantation." Others, the rescue of escaped slaves by Union gunboats at Stingray Lighthouse, the ransacking of the Moore House and Laurel Branch, and the death of James Jackson at the explosion of the SS Tulip are less well known. As in the past, the museum committee will continue to collect information and add to the exhibit for the next five years during the Civil War commemorative. Please consider adding your story to our display.
Family Boatbuilding Week starts its 9th session July 10-16. In five days, families and friends will build their own 12' or 14' crabbing skiff, participate in a rowing race, and then take their new boats home. This activity supports the museum's mission to preserve boatbuilding skills and is one of our most popular events. Hopes are to add 8-10 John Wright skiffs this year to our existing fleet of 80+. Applications are accepted until June 1. If you can't build a boat this year, come during the week to see the fun and join us for the race and Fish Fry on Saturday, July 16th.
Although Jamestown's 400th anniversary celebration is behind us, the newly formed John Smith Historic Water Trail, America's first national park on the water, will continue to promote the history of Chesapeake Bay in the 1600-1700s. Our museum is part of the Gateway network and an information center for the John Smith Trail. This year begins our project to develop a Piankatank River Historic Water Trail to promote the study and preservation of this beautiful river. Using our replica of Captain John Smith's barge, Explorer and the F.D. Crockett, when she is completed, the museum will have sailing, rowing, and motoring trips up the river to study the wildlife, the ecology, and the history of the Piankatank. Dates for these trips will be announced during the year. A goal for this project is to publish a guide book for the Piankatank so visitors can take their own tour up the river.
The very best way to keep up with all our activities is to become a member. Contact the museum or visit our website to join, renew your membership, or to give the gift of a membership. Membership entitles you to free admission to the museum and to discounts on purchases and certain activities. Best of all, once you are on our mailing and email list, you will never miss news of our upcoming events, trips, and activities. Join us as a member and volunteer!