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Annapolis Maritime Museum

The Annapolis Maritime Museum, formerly the Barge House Museum, is situated along the Eastport waterfront in Annapolis, Maryland. This small but expanding museum provides a glimpse into the life of the marine harvesters of the Chesapeake Bay and the history of Eastport. It is a non-profit organization with a volunteer working Board of Directors, dedicated to excellence. The museum was initially founded in the Barge House, which the Eastport Historical Committee (started in 1987) leased from the City of Annapolis in 1992. The committee became the Annapolis Maritime Museum in 2000. The museum expanded to include the McNasby Oyster Company, the only remaining one of 27 oyster packing houses in the county, after leasing the space from the city in 2001. The museum's exhibits cover cultural and maritime history, boat-builders and watermen, churches, and people. It uses Captain Herb Sadler's life to tell the story of Eastport's watermen. Interactive sections introduce Sadler, tell of the Chesapeake's crab and oyster fisheries, and then demonstrate the evolution over time of the vessels used by bay watermen. The museum also has a place to put in for a visitor's canoe or kayak, for a paddle around the Annapolis area. In addition, there is a gift shop and a food service area. The Maritime Museum has recently introduced an exciting new project known as the Chesapeake Music Institute (CMI), which is an organization dedicated to researching, collecting, preserving, and promoting traditional and original music inspired by the Chesapeake Bay. Today, the museum campus includes the Barge House, the McNasby Company, the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse, and the Cap'n Herb Sadler Watermen's Park.