Historic Annapolis is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2021 Historic Annapolis Preservation Award. HA's Preservation Award honors those who have connected the history and culture of our city through historic preservation and education. Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting this year's awardees and celebrating their dedication to historic preservation as advocates, educators, and stewards.
2021 Preservation Award – Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park for Creative Maritime Heritage Programming aboard the Wilma Lee Skipjack
“Nothing symbolizes our rich maritime heritage better than a historic skipjack. At the end of the day, it is an artifact that Annapolis Maritime Museum not only preserves, but enjoys and treasures.” says Alice Estrada, Annapolis Maritime Museum’s President and CEO.
As I grow in my understanding of what historic preservation means to a community, it has become clear that an object can be an expression of heritage. Historic Annapolis has embraced this concept by expanding its preservation award program this year to include the lovely Wilma Lee.
Situated as it is on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, Annapolis has a rich maritime history. At one time, there were over a thousand active Skipjacks sailing on the Chesapeake Bay; today the Wilma Lee is one of only twenty-three. Now owned and operated by the Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park (AMM), the restored shallow-draft boat embodies the fishing heritage of the region and offers a uniquely Annapolitan immersive experience to visitors and locals alike.
Listed on the National Register, the 82-year-old skipjack is one of the few remaining members of the last commercial sailing fleet in the United States. Built in 1940 by boat builder Bronza Parks, the Wilma Lee spent sixty years as a working vessel dredging oyster beds. After a reconstruction in the 1990s, she was used as a passenger vessel before eventually being donated to community arts initiative, Ocracoke Alive, in 2012. The challenges associated with maintenance and repairs, particularly following the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Arthur, eventually led Ocracoke Alive to put Wilma Lee back up for sale. Recognizing the cultural importance of the skipjack, as well as its urgent need for repair, AMM stepped in. After much deliberation and fundraising effort, AMM purchased the Wilma Lee in 2018.
“...it is an artifact that Annapolis Maritime Museum not only preserves, but enjoys and treasures.” - Alice Estrada, Annapolis Maritime Museum’s President and CEO.
Setting the Wilma Lee even further apart is AMM’s innovative public programming. Their popular heritage cruise, created by curator Caitlin Swaim, is a two-hour docent-led sailing cruise that is a joy for all ages. “You can see the jaws drop,” said lead captain, Rick Flamand, about introducing visitors to the unique maritime heritage of the area. Adults can also enjoy a cold drink and a beautiful sunset on the bay with their Sunset Cruise, or join the Watch Party on the water for the Wednesday night sailboat races.
Offering educational programs for children, the Wilma Lee also acts as a “floating classroom,” providing an opportunity for kids to connect with the history and ecology of the Chesapeake Bay. While on board, students learn about what life on a working vessel was like and explore the ecology of the local waterways. However, the Wilma Lee is just one part of the Annapolis Maritime Museum and Park’s robust educational programming. AMM is also proud of their ‘Box of Rain’ and ‘Build-A-Boat’ programs, which provide mentoring and extra-curricular activities to over a hundred children each year.
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of AMM staff, board, and docents, the Wilma Lee continues to sail the Chesapeake Bay. Despite all of the challenges to operating wrought by the pandemic in the two years since her relaunch, she has already carried nearly four thousand passengers. For AMM and the Wilma Lee, this chapter of a long history is just getting started. Historic Annapolis could not be prouder to recognize the AMM and the creative programming aboard the Wilma Lee with a 2021 Preservation Award.
Learn more about taking a cruise on the Wilma Lee here: https://amaritime.org/skipjack-tours/
by Carolyn Currin and Jennifer Dodson
