St. Michaels in Talbot County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Fishing Shanty/Ark
Arks were floating cabins used by watermen as living quarters while they fished for shad and herring on the Chesapeake Bay, far away from home. As the fish made their spring run up the Bay, the watermen would follow, towing the arks behind their boats. When they reached the new fishing grounds, the arks were hauled out on land.
Sometimes a dozen or more arks would haul out in the same area, creating a "shanty town." In the fall or winter when the fishing season was over, arks were often used by oystermen and hunters. By the 1920s, with better roads and automobiles, making it easy for watermen to return home during fishing trips, the use of arks dwindled.
Built: Date and place unknown
Length: 12 ft, 0.5 in (3.67 m)
Beam: 7 ft, 1.5 in (2.18 m)
[Caption:]
Oystermen's ark village at the mouth of the Chester River, near Rock Hall, MD, c. 1895. Photographer unknown. Courtesy of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore, MD.
Erected by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1895.
Location. 38° 47.274′ N,
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Regionally, this marker is on the Eastern Shore. It is also in the American Mid-Atlantic, on the Delmarva Peninsula, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Kennedy M. Fitzgerald (here, next to this marker); St. Michaels Packing Company Warehouse (a few steps from this marker); Smith Island Power Crabbing Skiff (a few steps from this marker); Chesapeake Bay Small Craft (a few steps from this marker); Smith Island Crabbing Skiff (a few steps from this
Credits. This page was last revised on October 5, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 26, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 363 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 26, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
