Pirates Wharf is Historic treasure on the Wicomico
The name conjures up images of wooden sailing vessels, contraband, bootleg whiskey, moonshine and other exciting – if not exactly legal – activities.
What's in a name?
Quite a bit, perhaps. Take, for example, a roughly 350-acre tract of land near Whitehaven, on the West Side of Wicomico County along the Wicomico River.
It's called Pirate's Wharf – almost certainly was not the original name, but that's how it's known today.
That name conjures up images of wooden sailing vessels, contraband, bootleg whiskey, moonshine and other exciting – if not exactly legal – activities in the past. And while the name may not be original to the area, it was at one time central to commerce on the Lower Shore. In the days when water was the easiest way to get large, heavy loads of merchandise, supplies, furniture, lumber, agricultural products and other necessities of life from place to place, Pirate's Wharf was ideally situated. It represents one of the deepest natural channels in the Wicomico River, making it a natural spot for heavily laden deepwater vessels.
There was a large commercial-scale wharf on the property. Until recently, it remained fairly intact – perhaps not the original timbers but in basic shape and size. Today those timbers are visible just below the surface of the river, and pilings outlining its expanse remain above water.
There's also a house, a few older buildings, a sizable cedar forest, a community of otters, a pond, lots of marshland and forest, a cemetery and a largely unexplored inventory of historic artifacts. A loose network of trails crisscross more than 200 acres of forest on the opposite side of Whitehaven Road.
A steamer travels the Nanticoke River in the early 20th century. Such steamers also plied the waters of the Wicomico River. (Photo: submitted image)
Who owns this marvelous piece of Wicomico County? Fortunately, it's owned by our own county government, purchased in the late 1990s using Maryland's Program Open Space funds. It's been slated for development as a park and recreation area for some time, but until recently it was off the radar.
Wicomico County Executive Bob Culver mentioned it in his 2015 State of the County address, mentioning his vision for the property: a high-end campground for families who come to town for softball tournaments in summer.
The nature of any campground – and its intended users – should be a matter of public discussion, since it was purchased using taxpayer dollars. Development, by the way, doesn't need to involve clearing forests or building fancy marinas.
Life in the Quantico area in the early 1900s was still quite rural in nature. (Photo: submitted image)
Historic preservation is certainly an option for a property like Pirate's Wharf, offering a tangible connection to the past, but this can also be profitable or at least self-sustaining. Furnace Town in Worcester County and Pemberton Historical Park in Salisbury offer a realistic model. Operated by nonprofit groups, these sites are visited by people interested in local history – residents, school groups and visitors to our area – as well as providing settings for festivals, weddings, performances and other public and private events. Both sites provide re-creations of life in the 18th and 19th centuries in our region.
Artifacts uncovered in recent years at Pirate's Wharf include some very old coins, a metal button that possibly dates to the Civil War era (although it's clearly not a military button), musket balls and fragments of what may have been buckles or other decorative household items.
A riverfront house on the property dates back more than 100 years.
The treasures awaiting discovery are both natural and cultural.
Pirate's Wharf has almost unlimited potential for development, albeit not in the traditional sense.
A bugeye travels along Quantico Creek in the early 1900s. Rivers constituted the main avenues of transport at the time. (Photo: submitted image)
Here's what we know about Pirate's Wharf:
It encompasses 340 acres of riverfront, marsh, fields, ponds and forest.
It's county-owned property, so it exists within the public domain.
Photographic and historic records confirm the importance of the site to Lower Shore commerce in the past.
So what would constitute the best possible use of this unique parcel of land?
That is – or should be – the topic of ongoing public discussion. The community that owns this land – the taxpayers of Wicomico County – should be invited – nay, encouraged – to offer their thoughts and ideas.
An informal group of citizens calling themselves (on Facebook) Friends of the Forest gave a few ideas – but at this point, that's all they are. These ideas provide a starting point for discussion and demonstrate the site's incredible versatility and potential for recreation, history and education.
The riverfront area near the house could be as lovely and desirable a spot for weddings, plays, parties and other events as any other in the county, including Pemberton Historical Park and Poplar Hill Mansion in Salisbury. When it's not in use for an event, it could be opened up for tours, demonstrations guided nature walks and other history-related activities.
The lawn would also be a great place to launch kayaks, canoes and rowboats (none of which would damage the ecosystem or disturb the area's wildlife). A vendor to rent boats could be contracted with the county.
The lawn would likely be a centerpiece for the park. In addition to performances, concerts, weddings and private events, it could become a spot for Sea Gull Century participants and other visitors in town for events to camp, picnic or just rest.
The house could become a museum, demonstrating a way of life that is no longer practiced; it could house offices upstairs for nonprofits involved in related areas (farming, ecology, biodiversity, conservation). Can anyone see this as having potential for local schools to take children for educational field trips?
Nearby to the house are some 100 acres of farmland, offering more than ample opportunity to demonstrate different farming techniques, both historic and modern.
Birdwatching and skywatching would be ideal here, far from the lights and sounds of civilization that can dim our perception of the stars or disturb native birds.
Across Whitehaven Road are more than 200 acres of trees. It's not old-growth forest, but it already offers a network of trails ideal for mountain bikers, hikers and runners. It is currently leased by the county to hunters, making it dangerous for anyone else to venture into the woods until hunting season concludes.
What remains of the wharf today is some pilings and a few timbers that are visible beneath the water. (Photo: Staff photo by Susan Parker)
The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy recently released the results of a recent survey addressing attitudes and concerns of more than 1,200 Mid- and Upper Shore residents. Those surveyed made it clear they view protection of rural lands and wildlife habitat as important, according to Conservancy executive director Rob Etgen. Ninety-five percent viewed protection of rural land – including farmland and wildlife habitat – as important; 86 percent viewed parks and playgrounds as important. Ninety percent indicated strong support for programs to revitalize downtowns and restore historic buildings.
There is no reason to think Lower Shore residents are any different.
Pirate's Wharf encompasses all these aspects of Shore life.
If you are a hiker, runner, trail biker, historian, archaeologist, nature lover, equestrian, canoer, kayaker, bird watcher or have an interest in spending time outdoors or learning about organic farming or gardening, Pirate's Wharf offers potential to enrich your life.
Susan Parker is the engagement and community content editor at The Daily Times and DelmarvaNow.com.
