Welcome to Eastport

Welcome to Eastport. . , Eastport's distinctive history, character and identity grew from maritime roots. Marinas in Eastport that now serve pleasure boaters were once filled with wooden boats. So crowded was the shoreline, it was said that the enterprising cat would flit from boat to boat and skirt the entire peninsula without getting its feet wet., Once a separate town, Eastport was annexed to Annapolis in 1951. Nevertheless, it retains a distinct local flavor and spirit. We invite you to explore Eastport's rich, diverse history through the 14 stops on this self-guided tour., [Captions:] , The popular yellow flags with the motto "We like it this way" first flew in 1998. To offset the potential loss to businesses from a temporary bridge closure, the community created the mock "Maritime Republic of Eastport" and declared independence from Annapolis., [Caption:] , The 1880s view of the Horn Point peninsula shows the distinctive mix of Eastport: boatyards on the shore, buildings in the middle, and farmland beyond., The McNasby Oyster Company , The McNasby Oyster Company moved here from Annapolis City Dock in 1918. This was the last of many oyster-packing houses in Annapolis. Here watermen sold their harvest. The oysters were shucked, sorted, cleaned, packed into cans, and shipped to restaurants as far away as Canada., After William "Mac" McNasby died on April 14, 1973, others tried to successfully revive the oyster business. Later, the oyster and crab populations declined and business efforts ceased. The building is now the home of the Annapolis Maritime Museum.[Captions:] , The McNasby building was flooded by Hurricane Isabel's 8-foot tidal surge in 2003., Shuckers in the 1920s were mainly African American. They worked all day standing in individual stalls to protect their feet from the oyster shells that piled up around them., The Barge House , This 12 foot by 49 foot house is unique by any architectural standard. Wilson Gott built it between 1916 and 1919 for the McNasby Oyster Company. It was designed to float on a barge during the summer months then be hauled on shore for the oyster season to serve as housing for the oyster shuckers. After the hurricane, the Barge House was secured on its current foundation. No trace of the original barge remains., The Barge House is listed in the Maryland Inventory of Historic Properties. In 1991, it became the Barge House Museum, the first home of the Annapolis Maritime Museum.