St. Michaels in Talbot County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Last Bell Foundry
Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum
Henry McShane started his Baltimore foundry in 1856, and by the late 1800s McShane Bell Foundry employed 90 people and produced tens of thousands of bells and chimes for churches, firehouses, public buildings and fog-alarm bells for lighthouses, steamboats and ships. Now in Glen Burnie, Maryland, McShane Bell Foundry is the only remaining maker of large bells with inside clappers in the US. This one strikes a tone between C and D flat.
This fog bell, inscribed, "U.S.L.H. Establishment" was cast in 1910, just as Congress abolished the United States Lighthouse Board and established the Bureau of Lighthouses under the Department of Commerce. Civilians took over positions formerly held by military officers, many becoming career lighthouses service employees who staffed more than 11,700 navigations aids along the nation's waterways.
Erected by Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Government & Politics • Industry & Commerce • Religion & Religious Structures • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Historic Bells, and the Lighthouses series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1856.
Location. 38° 47.319′
this page online
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: A Light Survivor (here, next to this marker); Hooper Straight Light's Twin (here, next to this marker); Heard Through the Fog (here, next to this marker); Bell Tower at Tolchester Beach Wharf (here, next to this marker); Katie G., Deadrise Workboat (a few steps from this marker); Freedom's Figurehead (within shouting distance of this marker); Mitchell House (within shouting distance of this marker); Mystery Shipwreck (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Michaels.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 24, 2019
2. Last Bell Foundry Marker
This is a photo of the marker in its prior location.
Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), August 24, 2019
4. Last Bell Foundry Display
This is a photo of the display in its prior environs.
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 701 times since then and 41 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 5, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on August 26, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on October 5, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on August 26, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
