BETTERTON — In the tiny town of Betterton, an ark rests on a hill. Unlike its biblical counterpart, this historic vessel carried only fishermen and their catch.
And although flooding isn’t uncommon, it’s a different sort of relationship that Kent County has with the water, especially among watermen. Nothing portrays that better than a photograph from 1939, in lifelong Betterton resident Larry Crew’s home near the park.
It’s of Crew’s grandfather Jim and his uncle Caldwell Crew. They’re standing in what’s best described as a camper on the water, pulled by a Howell Gilling skiff, a style of fishing boat used in that era.
The camper structure, Crew explained, is a fishing shanty, hearkening back to an era, before the modern conveniences of commercial fishing such as fish-finding radar.
On a bright Friday morning, the 79-year-old history buff presents another black and white photograph, angling it upwards to block the glare from his window. It’s a scene portraying a series of these fishing shanties in a neat row, like a trailer park. But instead of resting on concrete, and steel, they are positioned along the water’s edge.
In front of these “floating villages,” fishers mend their nets.
“They followed the fish,” Crew said. “Fish could be off Tolchester and in the spring migrate up the flats in Betterton. Wherever they went, the shanties followed.”
These specific watermen didn’t go home when they were done, Crew explained. They fished all day in the skiff, then came back to the shanties on the shore. During storms, they stayed in and played cards. At night after duty, they mended their nets. Inside many shanties were wood stoves necessary during those harsh winters.
One of these shanties was a regular sight for Crew growing up. It was on Ottawa Avenue in Betterton, sitting in the marsh for many years, first built by Winfield Scott Crowhart in 1885.
Crew recalled in his youth, his friend Charles “Speed” Joiner conversing with a hermit who lived in the shanty for a time.
Many years later, and when the hermit moved on presumably, in order to preserve the piece of history, the Betterton Community Development Corporation, consisting of Crew and Joiner and others sought to restore the fishing shanty to its former state.
Funds came from various places including from Joiner’s sale of his handcrafted full-sized decoys, selling them over the internet.
Even with the money, moving it was easier said than done. When he and others got it loaded up in the trailer, predictable of a building exposed to the elements since 1885, it fell apart.
Crew laughed, “We had to bring it to Chestertown in pieces.”
Once in Chestertown, Crew said, the boat builder of the Sultana, John Swain’s expertise, was vital for its restoration. They aimed for 100% accuracy, measuring precisely while keeping all the original wood that fell off. They worked on the roof and the sides.
While Swain’s workers labored on that, Crew scraped all the paint from the interior, getting it down to its natural color. On the outside he scraped the paint, taking a sample to Lowes where they duplicated the color precisely.
After a lot of work, it’s restored, and has been deemed “the Ark,” by Betterton residents.
Resting up the hill on Main Street in Betterton, the sight welcomes people to the Betterton Heritage Museum. The Ark also made a temporary appearance at Betterton Day, revealing to visitors and residents alike a fascinating aspect of the town’s history.
Not only did Crew restore the Ark, but he’s studied the background behind these little fishing shanties while delving into the tradition of Betterton as a place people flocked to, coming to the Sassafras River by way of ferry and steamboat.
He relives the magic of that bygone era, collecting postcards from Betterton, spending, in some cases, $100 for one.
“Each postcard is so unique. On the back of them people give a brief statement of what they’ve experienced,” Crew said.
He desired to share this information, and chance had it he met Jack L. Shagena Jr., publisher. Shagena had stopped at the museum while working on a book on the Chesapeake and Delaware canal. After talking to Crew, he saw a book in Crew’s life’s work.
They combined forces to write the book, “Betterton: Jewel of the Chesapeake,” a collection of about 364 of Crew’s postcards. It’s written where it’s accessible enough for everyone to enjoy in a few sittings.
From steamboat transportation and trade to entertainment, all kinds of enriching factoids are found in the book.
Crew poured out a lifetime of research, taking pride that it can only be purchased by visiting the town of Betterton itself, in the museum and possibly soon to be at Marzella’s by the Bay, the only restaurant in town.
He enjoys uncovering history, and was encouraged that the shanties weren’t just a Betterton or a Kent County thing. They’re found all over the world.
However, just southwest of the Sassafras, in Rock Hall, he’s encouraged by three women restoring another fishing shanty, originally created by Stanley Van Zant with the intention of preserving that history. Built in the 70’s, the work is ongoing.
Crew knows all about that, now retiring from the shanty-restoration business but keeping busy as a lifelong learner.
If you ever bump into Crew, he’d gladly tell you about these gems of history he’s always discovering, while not taking himself too seriously.
When asked why focus on Betterton, his home, he might respond with a grin and chuckle, “Some people weren’t smart enough to leave.”
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