Shuttled By Ship
Before the automobile, boat transportation was the only efficient way of moving goods in the Chesapeake Bay area.
Throughout the 19th century, Centreville Landing was a prosperous commercial area serving the schooners that carried grain, lumber and agricultural products to Baltimore and Norfolk and returned with manufactured goods for merchants in Centreville and the rural farming districts of Queen Annes County. Today, the upper reaches of the Corsica River have gradually filled with sediment from soil erosion, limiting boat traffic.
Kings of Commerce
Two men cornered the maritime market here on the Centreville Landing. Cloudsberry Clash owned extensive property, including much of the waterfront, and operated a wharf and warehouse. Captain John Ozmon was born to a life of sea; in 1858, he put down roots in land. Prominent among the half-dozen schooner captains residing in the area, Ozmon built a wharf, a warehouse, a store, and several residences, including a large home overlooking Clashs property on the Corsica River waterfront.
Taking Care Of His Community
During his tenure in Centreville, Capt. Ozmon built a row of small houses along the Corsica Creek along with more than 40 other homes---most of which still stand today. These homes are essentially untouched and take us back to a time
this page online
(Inscription in the upper right)
The waterfront property of Cloudsberry Clash is shown in the 1877 Atlas of the Delmarva area. Image courtesy Mary Margaret Revell Goodwin.
Erected by Maryland Heritage Area Authority.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1858.
Location. 39° 3.186′ N, 76° 4.487′ W. Marker is in Centreville, Maryland, in Queen Anne's County. It is on Front Street. The marker is located on the grounds of Centreville Landing. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Centreville MD 21617, United States of America. Touch for directions.
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: Centreville Wharf (a few steps from this marker); John Ozmon: Captain of the Sea and Entrepreneur (within shouting distance of this marker); Liberty Tree Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); Chesterfield Avenue: River to Railroad Connection (approx. half a mile away); The Lions Club of Centreville POW - MIA Monument (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Queen Anne's County Courthouse
Other markers no longer nearby. The Wharf: Adventure and a Link to Life on the Water (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been permanently removed); Centreville Wharf Living Shoreline (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been permanently removed).
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on February 6, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. This page has been viewed 576 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 6, 2015, by Don Morfe of Baltimore, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
