Heathsville in Northumberland County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

Who Invented the Crab Pot

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 9, 2026

1. Who Invented the Crab Pot Marker

Inscription.
Benjamin Franklin Lewis designed and patented the crab pot, an invention that revolutionized the harvesting of blue crabs. He first started experimenting on the Yeocomico River, at his home in Harry Hogan in Northumberland County.

Of both Black and Native American heritage, Lewis was a waterman most of his life. He was out working a trot line for crabs on a hot summer day when he decided it was time to develop a better way of catching blue crabs.

Lewis's first attempt was a square wire cage. That was a huge improvement but it was his second try that nailed it.

He added an upper chamber that trapped the crabs in the top of the pot. This version patented in 1938, is identical to the present-day crab pot.

[Sidebar:]
Ernestine's Fun Facts about Blue Crabs
Why are they called blue crabs?
They are called blue crabs due to the blue color of their shell and claws.

How long do blue crabs live?
They live three to four years.

What do they eat?
Clams, oysters, insects, mussels, worms, recently dead fish and sometimes other crabs.

Can crabs replace a lost claw?
Blue crabs can regrow lost limbs, including
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their claws. The process can take several months to a year, depending on the blue crab's age and size.

How many crabs are in the Chesapeake Bay?
In 2023 the estimate was 323 million crabs.

Can you keep a blue crab as a pet?
Blue crabs can be kept as pets. They require a specific habitat that mimics their natural aquatic environment.

[Caption:]
Benjamin F. Lewis
Harry Hogan, VA.
Trap patented
July 12, 1938
No. 2,123,471

Erected by Northumberland Public Library.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Animals • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is July 12, 1938.

Location. 37° 54.922′ N, 76° 28.173′ W. Marker is in Heathsville, Virginia, in Northumberland County. It can be reached from Northumberland Highway (U.S. 360) east of Courthouse Road (Virginia Route 201), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7204 Northumberland Hwy, Heathsville VA 22473, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is

Photographed by Devry Becker Jones (CC0), May 9, 2026

2. Who Invented the Crab Pot Marker

on Virginia’s Northern Neck.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

in the Chesapeake Bay Region,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. 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 the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Stars Are Falling! The Stars Are Falling! (a few steps from this marker); Necessity and the Mothers of Invention (a few steps from this marker); Chesapeake Bay Watermen (a few steps from this marker); Hooray for Steamboats! / Meet Daisy / The Amazon of Its Day (within shouting distance of this marker); The Long Road to Today's Library (within shouting distance of this marker); The Small Fish that Made Reedville Rich (within shouting distance of this marker); Holley-Graded School (within shouting distance of this marker); Northumberland

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County (about 800 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Heathsville.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 10, 2026. It was originally submitted on May 10, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 17 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 10, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.