The Frederick Douglass-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum is located just outside the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. The building is an inconspicuous brick building.
The park has several works of art dedicated to the two men. Frederick Douglass was born a slave and came from an Eastern Shore plantation to Baltimore in 1826 when he was eight. His master had a house in the city. Here, Douglass learned to read. He escaped north when he was twenty and became a passionate speaker against slavery. Isaac Myers was born a free man in 1835 and worked caulking ships when he was young. Later, he and fourteen other African-Americans bought a shipyard which they owned and operated for eighteen years. They called it the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company.
The museum inside the building is dedicated to the two men's lives and to information about the business (which was located near by). A lot of work went into maintaining ships. The yard not only shipped goods but refit the ships as well.
An upstairs room is divided in two sections, one dedicated to each man's life. We walked through the Douglass side first. A wall mural showed the plantation where Douglass grew up.
A map shows all the places where Douglass spent his time, including his home and church.
Cases show various items from the mid-1800s.
A painting shows the wedding of Frederick and Anna Douglass.
On the other side of the room, we tried out being a caulker like Isaac Myers. A loose rope of fiber was driven between the planks of the ship. Those seams were then covered with pitch, a sticky black pine tar paste. With both in place, a ship would be water-tight.
Myers was a member of the Prince Hall Masons, an African-American social group in Baltimore.
Nearby, a puzzle had my children figuring out which pieces of wood went into which part of the keel to make the skeleton of a boat.
In the center of the room is a canoe found in La Trappe Creek. The boat was discovered in Talbot County. That spot was also an encampment for slaves from the late 1700s to around 1830. Slave owners often did not give enough food to workers, forcing them to find other nourishment like fishing local streams. The boat might also have been used for visiting other slave camps when families were separated by distances too long to walk.
Other items, like a pipe, a cup, and a toothbrush were found in the area.
The museum is not too large and easy to explore in an hour or so. The building also has classrooms and rental space for events. The view of the harbor is nice and the neighborhood (Fells Point) has an old feel to it. It's just another charming part of Charm City.
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| Frederick Douglas-Isaac Myers Maritime Park and Museum |
The park has several works of art dedicated to the two men. Frederick Douglass was born a slave and came from an Eastern Shore plantation to Baltimore in 1826 when he was eight. His master had a house in the city. Here, Douglass learned to read. He escaped north when he was twenty and became a passionate speaker against slavery. Isaac Myers was born a free man in 1835 and worked caulking ships when he was young. Later, he and fourteen other African-Americans bought a shipyard which they owned and operated for eighteen years. They called it the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company.
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| Tiles of the two men |
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| A sculpture of Douglas |
The museum inside the building is dedicated to the two men's lives and to information about the business (which was located near by). A lot of work went into maintaining ships. The yard not only shipped goods but refit the ships as well.
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| How to make a mast for a ship |
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| Primer on ships back in the 1800s |
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| A model ship |
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| From one of the ships |
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| Repair equipment and a ready worker |
An upstairs room is divided in two sections, one dedicated to each man's life. We walked through the Douglass side first. A wall mural showed the plantation where Douglass grew up.
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| The farm |
A map shows all the places where Douglass spent his time, including his home and church.
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| Fells Point map |
Cases show various items from the mid-1800s.
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| Playing cards and a bio of Douglass |
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| Abolitionist newspaper and toy trolley owned Douglass's grandchild |
A painting shows the wedding of Frederick and Anna Douglass.
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| The Wedding |
On the other side of the room, we tried out being a caulker like Isaac Myers. A loose rope of fiber was driven between the planks of the ship. Those seams were then covered with pitch, a sticky black pine tar paste. With both in place, a ship would be water-tight.
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| Working at the museum |
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| A random 1800s stove |
Myers was a member of the Prince Hall Masons, an African-American social group in Baltimore.
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| Masonic gavel and jewels |
Nearby, a puzzle had my children figuring out which pieces of wood went into which part of the keel to make the skeleton of a boat.
 |
| Building a boat |
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| A meeting of the Chesapeake Marine Railway and Dry Dock Company |
In the center of the room is a canoe found in La Trappe Creek. The boat was discovered in Talbot County. That spot was also an encampment for slaves from the late 1700s to around 1830. Slave owners often did not give enough food to workers, forcing them to find other nourishment like fishing local streams. The boat might also have been used for visiting other slave camps when families were separated by distances too long to walk.
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| La Trappe Creek Canoe |
Other items, like a pipe, a cup, and a toothbrush were found in the area.
 |
| More stuff |
The museum is not too large and easy to explore in an hour or so. The building also has classrooms and rental space for events. The view of the harbor is nice and the neighborhood (Fells Point) has an old feel to it. It's just another charming part of Charm City.
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