Reedville is an area rich with stories of men and women tied to life on the water. In fact, the very existence of the village is based on harvesting the riches of the surrounding waters. Formed in 1874 when Elijah Reed brought his menhaden fishing business to Cockrell Creek from Brooklin, Maine, it is now, nearly a century-and-a-half later, one of the major landing ports for commercial fishing in the United States.
More history than one building could house
The Reedville Fishermen’s Museum is actually a collection of four buildings and a pavilion located on property once owned by Captain Reed. It is fitting that the museum sits on Main Street, an area
that has been declared a National Historic District for its collections of spectacular Victorian homes of the day. When the museum first opened in 1988, it occupied the William Walker House, built in 1875 and currently the oldest house in Reedville. It sits amongst the other meticulously restored Victorians, but instead of exhibits, it is now furnished inside to represent a waterman’s home at the turn of the twentieth century.
The past on display
The Covington Building, built in 1995 with a generous donation by Frank Covington, now houses the long-term and changing exhibits related to life in Reedville and the surrounding waters. The exhibits on view are a mix of history, education and present-day life in Reedville.
Building history through ships and trains
Across the way in the Pendleton Building are the Boat Shop and Model Shop. Like Santa’s elves, volunteers in these shops tinker away at their specialties of woodworking, boat building, and model making. Visitors are encouraged to stop by and see what projects the teams are always busy working on.
Previous projects have included the restoration of the other three vessels in the museum’s historical fleet — more on that in a minute.
Once on display only during Christmas, the model trains are now more than just a family holiday tradition. A replica of the Northern Neck Railroad, built in 1997 now has a permanent home here. Never heard of the Northern Neck Railroad? It was first proposed in 1920 as a link between Fredericksburg and the Northern Neck, moving both passengers and freight. Maps in the exhibit show the proposed tracks running down the center of the Northern Neck before forking off to end at White Stone on one side and Reedville on the other. The idea never caught on with investors and the Northern Neck Railroad never came to be, except in 1/87th scale of the actual size.
The first set of tracks laid featured a depot in Heathsville, complete with the distinctive courthouse and Rice’s Hotel/Hughlett’s Tavern as they would have appeared in the 1920s to the 1930s when the railroad was planned. The train also makes its way through Reedville, passing by the beautiful homes of Millionaire’s Row, some of which are still under construction, before moving on to White Stone and Irvington. Modelers under the supervision of Bob Dillon are responsible for many of the detailed, handmade replicas of homes and boats you see as the train moves through the Northern Neck.
A fleet of historical boats await
In addition to a pilot house and boats on land, there is also a small historical fleet docked on the creek behind the museum. The Claud W. Somers, a 1911 skipjack was not only restored by the museum, but it was also upgraded to a passenger vessel so visitors have the opportunity to sail on a working, historical boat down Cockrell Creek and into the lower Chesapeake.
Another way to experience history is on the Elva C., a 1922 deadrise that in its early days was primarily used for fishing and oystering. Today, it is a popular way to experience the surrounding waters on every other Friday afternoon during the season. Both boats are recognized by the National Register of Historical Places and the Virginia Register of Historical Places.
A historical craft of a different type, the John Smith Barge, the Spirit of 1608, is a replica of the boat John Smith used during his exploration of the Northern Neck coastline in 1608. Built by museum volunteers based on Smith’s notes and written eyewitness accounts, the barge has been featured in documentaries and often travels around the region to special living history events, complete with costumed interpreters.
All of this and more
There is more to experience at the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum, and they are making it easy for families to learn and experience together. In addition to low admission fees for all, they are part of the Blue Star Museums, which starts May 15th, one of more than 3,000 museums nationwide, offering free admission to active duty military personnel and their families.
“We’re encouraging anybody and everybody to come in, there’s something for everyone,” said Lee Langston-Harrison, museum director since 2017.
As Langston-Harrison noted, “The destination is worth the drive!”