May Faire 2022 is coming! On May 7 we will celebrate our county’s heritage with a tribute to our watermen, “Celebrating Mathews Watermen.”
April 1-May 30 the museum will host “Bay to Belly,” a traveling exhibit on loan to us from the Yorktown Waterman’s Museum.
This exhibit focuses on the food systems of the Chesapeake Bay region. By looking at a wide range of topics including keystone species, sustainability, and stories of indigenous peoples, the exhibit Bay to Belly teaches participants how the food they eat ends up on their plates as it travels from the bay to their belly. The exhibit highlights the cultural and historical ingredients that make up this region's culinary traditions. The whole idea of Bay to Belly is to get people thinking about the community and identity of the Chesapeake Bay. Where did the seafood come from and who are the people involved in helping it get out of the bay and onto your table? Past and present.
May Faire 2022—“Celebrating Mathews Watermen.” On the historic Court Green, in the Court House and in the Museum.
Thanking the Coast Guard at our opening ceremonies 10:00 a.m. at the Pavilion.
Hosting “Conversations,” at the Court House, with a cross-section of our watermen and women, sharing their stories and their experiences with us.
Exhibits such as net making and crab pot making, on the Court Green
Photographic exhibits from:-The collection of Captain Robert Roland Hudgins, a commercial fisherman who spent over 50 years on the water
-An exhibit on the life of Captain Charles Lee Forrest, a menhaden fisherman.
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If you wish to contribute time and talent to developing May Faire, we welcome you! Contact us at mayfairemathews@gmail.com
Check back on our website at a later date for more information on our activities/events/schedule.
The Mathews Historical Museum
Mathews County will soon welcome the addition of the Mathews Historical Museum (MHM), the newest partner in the rich network of historical sites that invite visitors, residents, students, researchers and history buffs to our community. The county’s cultural history is a story that is continuing to be uncovered from its early beginnings to today through the establishment of the Mathews Historical Museum.
Our Vision
Within five years, there will be a permanent museum in Mathews County that will collect, preserve and exhibit cultural artifacts that represent the history of the county. Through exhibits and programs, residents and visitors will be able to gain an understanding and appreciation of the county’s past and present and begin to contemplate the future of the county and its people.
Our New Building
The museum has acquired a permanent home on Main Street in Mathews. This historical building was constructed in 1936 by George Philpotts as a Texaco garage. Over the years a number of business have been located at this site – bowling alley, beauty parlor, Bassett Furniture, the Craftsman Shop and most recently the Dilly Dally Emporium. The first steps will be to completely rehab the building so it can be used as a museum. Then museum exhibits will be planned, installed and finally opened to the public.
May Faire 2022: Conversations at the Courthouse
Please enjoy the following interviews with a few of our local, hardworking watermen (and woman) from Mathews County. These interviews include J.C. Hudgins, Chris Pritchett, Arnold Ripley, Sr., Carroll Melvin Smith and Karen Townsend. Narrator Larry Chowning who's books include Harvesting the Chesapeake & Chesapeake Buy Boats.
Mathews May Faire 2019: Conversations at the Courthouse - local veterans
Mathews May Faire 2019: Conversations at the Courthouse Conversations with local veterans from the "Greatest Generation."
