St. Clement’s Island Heritage Day, a family-friendly event set to occur on June 1, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Clement’s Island Museum and St. Clements Island State Park, encourages the public to visit and become acquainted with the island’s past through activities relating to its history, culture, heritage and ecology.
Come celebrate the history and heritage of St. Clement’s Island with a variety of fun and free activities, to include crafts, games, lighthouse tours, traditional music, and much more! The St. Clement’s Island Museum will be open, offering free admission and free water taxi rides to the island for visitors throughout the day. Some additional event activities and exhibitors include:
- Music by local guitarist, Joe Norris, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
- Sack races, a favorite past time for guests visiting the McWilliams’ hotel. Other games such as bubbles, a bean bag toss and ring toss will also be available. Enjoy the stilt demonstration or make a thaumatrope, a popular in the 19th century toy.
- St. Mary’s County Library will offer genealogical resource information to help you get started with your family history.
- Decoy carving demonstrations with renowned Chesapeake Bay area carver Tom Deagle.
- Have your portrait of yourself or your family to remember the day. Images are $5 per image and will be emailed to you. Money collected will help support the Friends of the St. Clement’s Island and Piney Point Museums. The photo is free with a Friends membership.
- Learn navigation techniques used by sailors before GPS with the Patuxent River Sail & Power Squadron.
- An interpreter portraying Dr. Thomas Gerard, the first owner of St. Clement’s Island, will offer insight into colonial living and using “pieces of eight” as a form of currency.
- The Friends of Newtowne Manor House will share the fascinating history of the Newtowne Manor House, an 18th century structure located in Compton, Maryland.
- Hands-on kids’ activities from Historic St. Mary’s City about Maryland’s First Capital.
For more information on this and other events happening at St. Clement’s Island Museum, please visit and follow: Facebook.com/SCIMuseum.
About the St. Mary’s County Museum Division: The St. Mary’s County Museum Division was established by the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County to collect, preserve, research, and interpret the historic sites and artifacts which illustrate the natural and cultural histories of St. Mary’s County and the Potomac River. These sites include St. Clement’s Island Museum, Piney Point Lighthouse Museum, the Old Jail Museum, and the Drayden African American Schoolhouse. With this as its charter, the Museum Division serves as a resource, liaison, and community advocate for all St. Mary’s County public and private cultural assets. For more information, please visit: museums.stmarysmd.com.
