Dedicated to all of the Maryland natives who died fishing on the waters that define the state’s coastline, Maryland’s Watermen Monument depicts two large bronze statues standing in a bronze boat in the process of harvesting their catch. Created by local artist Tilghman Hemsley, the sculpture honors the commercial fisherman (known in the region as watermen) who helped define the seafood industry. The piece was designed to be a unique way of honoring the life and legacy of all the watermen in the state of Maryland for these contributions to the culture and heritage of the region.
At the turn of the 20th-century, boats that harvested fish, crabs, oysters, and clams filled the Chesapeake Bay, majorly impacting the culture of the region. Many died in these efforts as the dangers of commercial fishing were stark. It remains a hazardous profession, with a fatality rate 29 times higher than the national average.
Residing in Grasonville, Maryland, the sculpture has the names of all the Maryland watermen who died over the decades carved around the base. Dedicated in 2003, it was commissioned by the Queen Anne’s County Waterman’s Festival Board of Directors. Nearby is a marker dedicated to all of the people who made the idea for a monument to the watermen a reality.
To accurately connect waterman of the past with the present, Hemsley worked to capture the essence of watermen rather than include details that would allow audiences to identify them specifically as crabbers or oystermen. Creating larger-than life watermen standing 9-feet tall in a skiff nearly 13 feet long, he sketched the original model for the monument from an old photograph that captures the heart and soul of the feeling of watermen.
Located near the spot where oysters and shucking houses used to reside, names are still being added to Maryland’s Watermen Monument, highlighting the ways that it remains connected to the community in the present. New names can be added in several ways for a small fee.
Intended to remind the community of where they’ve been and where they’re going, the monument has come to symbolize hope for the future for many, showcasing what it can mean for a landmark to connect with audiences on multiple levels.
