Mission

Our Mission is to celebrate the diversity of our community and engage visitors with activities that explore connections to the Chesapeake Bay through the prism of our historic home and waterfront property.

History

In 1984 the Shady Side Rural Heritage Society (SSRHS) was founded by a small group of people who wanted to preserve the history and culture of South Anne Arundel County, Maryland. They knew there were family histories to record and traditions to remember. The group became incorporated the following year as a non-profit historical and educational organization. And in 1989, SSRHS purchased a ¾ acre parcel of waterfront property that had deep community roots.

As far as public records can tell, Salem Avery, a buy boat captain hailing from an established family of watermen in Long Island, NY, came to Maryland in search of the bounty of the Chesapeake Bay. He found his bride, Lucretia Weedon Andrews, on the nearby Mayo peninsula. They married in 1857 and together they had nine children, two of which died in infancy. In 1860 they moved into a home on the Shady Side peninsula from which they worked the land and sea.

In the 1920’s the property was purchased by a group of Jewish Masons from Washington, DC. Denied access to public beaches and private clubs because of their religious affiliation, this tight-knit group of families enjoyed Chesapeake Bay life on the West River for several generations. They modified and added to the Avery home, providing space for a meeting room, a kitchen, dormitories, and several bedrooms. They called themselves the Fishing Club, which evolved into a country club called "Our Place." The descendants of this group retained the property until the late 1980’s when the founders of SSRHS purchased the property.

In 2010, the organization changed its name to the Captain Avery Museum and continues to fulfill the hopes and promises of its founders by offering a variety of services including educational programs, library resources, community events, professional speakers, and stewardship programs. The Museum remains a gathering place, a place for sharing stories, ideas, knowledge, and history about the Chesapeake Bay and beyond.