St. Michaels, named after Archangel Michael, was established in 1672 as an Episcopal Parish.  While St. Mary’s was the first British settlement in what became Maryland, it was closely followed by St. Michaels, where locals easily lived off the Bay as tradesmen offering oysters and crabs, or building the ships needed to collect them.  Farmers also tilled the lands and tobacco became another significant trade. The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum offers a historical perspective and has relocated old ships/vessels, historic homes and buildings from Saint Mary’s, and has a lighthouse from the bay to explore during your visit.

The Museum’s current project is the building of a replica of the Dove – one of two ships used by the British when they settled this area in the 17^th century.  Sailing together, known as the Ark and the Dove, the Dove was the smaller ship, able to handle 42 tons.  A prior replica of the Dove was constructed for Maryland’s 350^th Anniversary and was commissioned in 1978.  That replica was also used extensively to represent the Mayflower in the 1979 “made for TV film” of the same name.  While St. Michael’s Dove has been delayed a bit (see photo), they still have plans to complete it by late 2021.  Please stop by, as the shipbuilders welcome the opportunity to talk about their project.