About Us
The Mathews Maritime Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation.
The mission of the Mathews Maritime Foundation is to preserve, present, and participate in the rich maritime and cultural heritage of Mathews County, Virginia. The foundation is dedicated to preserving this rich heritage through research, documentation, conservation, and education. Incorporated on January 6, 1999, it has 2 locations, the Mathews Maritime Museum and the Gwynn’s Island Boat Shop, and continues to expand its presence in the county.
Maritime History of Mathews County, Virginia
1600
The building of sailing ships in Mathews began in colonial times.
1700
Schooners were the workhorses of the Chesapeake Bay beginning in the 1700's, and many were built up to 1900.
Our logo is the schooner “Experiment,” built on the East River in 1808, and typical of the more than 2,000 seagoing vessels built in Mathews during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Revolutionary War
The Revolutionary War increased the need for sailing ships.
Shipbuilding was the major industry of Mathews from the American Revolution until before the Civil War.
1800-War of 1812
Before the Civil War, more sailing vessels were built in Mathews than in any part of Va. According to research done by Peter J. Wrike, there were at one time at least 6 shipyards on the East River.
Before 1860 shipbuilding sites also existed on Blackwater Creek, Cobbs Creek, Winter Harbor, Milford Haven, North River, Pepper Creek, Point Breeze, Put-In Creek, Sloop Creek and Stutts Creek.
Civil War
The East River was the official port of entry to the U.S. for 10,000+ vessels. 9 wharves dotted the shoreline providing transportation for passengers and cargo. Numerous packing houses and canneries created a vibrant economic waterfront.
The shipbuilding trade often passed from father to son for generations, including the families of Ashberry, Gayle, Billups, Hudgins, Hunley, Miller, Smith and others.
Photo courtesy of Mildred Smith Stillman.
1900
Photo courtesy of the late Richard D. Booker.
Many Mathews men made their living on the water as merchant mariners, watermen, and in the nation's coast guard and navy. It is said that in ports around the world rarely did a U.S. ship come in that didn't have at least one Mathews man among her crew.