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OUR MISSION
Promoting, preserving, & protecting the cultural heritage, historical and natural assets of Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore
OUR PLACE
Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore - a three-county, parallelogram-shaped area bordered by the Atlantic, Chesapeake, Delaware and Virginia – is a place of incomparable 'shore-scapes,' storied spiritual history and culture defined by water.
The region’s economy, once powered by agriculture and fishing, expanded in the twentieth century to include centers of recreation, relaxation and higher education.
With a year-round population of 185,000, the area boasts 1,235 miles of shoreline set against a mostly rural backdrop.
Residents are concentrated in a few jurisdictions, including the state’s only ocean resort, the Salisbury metropolitan region, historic small towns, and islands.
The region’s economy, once powered by agriculture and fishing, expanded in the twentieth century to include centers of recreation, relaxation and higher education.
With a year-round population of 185,000, the area boasts 1,235 miles of shoreline set against a mostly rural backdrop.
Residents are concentrated in a few jurisdictions, including the state’s only ocean resort, the Salisbury metropolitan region, historic small towns, and islands.
OUR STORY
The Beach to Bay Heritage Area (BTBHA) is one of thirteen state-certified heritage areas. Through a variety of partnerships with individual citizens, representatives of various organizations, and public agencies, the Beach to Bay Heritage Area works to blend economic development at the local level with the conservation of the area's natural, cultural and historic resources in a regional heritage area approach that will better serve all counties and municipalities on Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore. The Beach to Bay Heritage Area is a grassroots, nonprofit organization whose purpose is to preserve, protect and promote the cultural, natural and historical heritage of Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties.
The Beach to Bay Heritage Area just underwent a rebranding process with the help of Choptank Communications. Through the interviewing and surveying of stakeholders in our tri-county area, we have honed our message and tightened our strategy to better serve our region. We are a regional partner for interpretation, stewardship, and appropriate development of the area's natural, historic and cultural resources. The area municipalities within the lower three counties have amended their comprehensive plans to participate in the certified heritage area plan implementation.
We are guided by our Certified Heritage Area Management Plan, approved by the State of Maryland and Maryland Heritage Area Authority (MHAA). Operational funding is provided in part by MHAA and through private and public donations. The key goal of the Beach to Bay Heritage Area plan is to stimulate cultural heritage tourism growth and the associated economic benefits, while preserving and promoting the heritage area through grants projects awards that are in keeping with our mission.
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GRANTS
LESHC matching mini–grants program assists heritage-related sites and organizations, and municipalities to develop new and innovative programs, partnerships, exhibits, tours, events, and other initiatives that are consistent with the regional themes and activities in our Certified Management Plan. We encourage mini-grant proposals that include collaborative partnerships and enhance preservation, the stewardship of historical, cultural and/or natural resources, and heritage tourism.
This is Our Heritage
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Maryland's Lower Eastern Shore is a rural region with a wealth of historic, cultural and natural resources that distinguish it from other places in the state and country. The lower shore counties of Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester encompass a vast region stretching from the shorelines of Tangier Sound and Chesapeake Bay to the washed beaches of the Atlantic seaboard. The Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Area is the only place in Maryland where the shores of the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay are only an hour apart.
From earliest time, life on the Lower Eastern Shore has depended on the Atlantic Ocean, the Chesapeake Bay, its tributaries, the marshes and land between. Compelling evidence of past peoples and cultures reverberates throughout the various corners of the region. The Manokin, Nanticoke, Pocomoke and Wicomico Rivers and the outer bays connect the past and present, towns with history, and homes with open spaces. The seafood industry and agriculture have long formed the backbone of the lower shore economy, sustaining a way of life built on the resources of land and water. A number of factors have adversely affected these traditional industries over the past decade, decreasing the economic base of the area and threatening its rich heritage. Wetlands and agriculture nestled between small towns and urban center. The quiet villages amid the beauty of the vibrant marshland and stoic forests. The sight and the sounds of the ocean, rivers and bay, as watermen guide their boats through the early morning mist. The glimpse of the deer standing in the field, bushy red fox trotting beside us and the vast array of birds flying overhead as we move along the road less traveled, are daily reminders of how precious this region is that we call the Lower Eastern Shore. |
Explore the Lower Eastern Shore
EventsThere are events across the tri-county area that are designed to educate and entertain. From film festivals in Ocean City to craft beer festivals, to the National Folk Life Festival in Salisbury. Explore special events at museums and more.
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Our Heritage SitesWe have places to visit throughout our region and we categorize them to help you find your way: A Watery World, The Land of Plenty, Lifelines and Livelihoods, Military and Naval Heritage on the Lower Eastern Shore, Great Escapes and Land, Water & Action. Peruse our people & places and enrich your life!
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Our Partner OrganizationsWe partner with all the organizations in our tri-county area to bring you the very best information to get your adventure started. We also work with historians, the tourism departments of each County, and with the counties and municipalities in our region. Looking for information, please check out our partners.
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FEATURED DESTINATIONSSmith Island, Somerset County
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FEATURED DESTINATIONSPemberton Hall, Wicomico CountyOnce a thriving plantation, Pemberton Hall was built on the Wicomico River near Salisbury in 1741 by Isaac Handy, one of the city's founders. It is an outstanding example of 18th century Eastern Shore regional architecture. The gambrel-roofed brick structure is the only original 18th century house open to the public on the lower Eastern Shore.
Samuel Handy arrived on the Eastern Shore in the late 17th century as an indentured servant. Upon his death in 1721, he owned over 2,000 acres as well as ships within the coastal trade. With his wife Mary, they raised 15 children. The 13th child, Isaac, purchased 960 acres of undeveloped land from Joseph Pemberton in 1726. The new property sat opposite of the "Tondotank Indian Town," at the southern bank of what is today known as the Wicomico River. Isaac and his wife Anne would eventually build Pemberton Hall on this land. |
FEATURED DESTINATIONSAfrican American Heritage Tour, Worcester CountyThe history of the African-American experience in Worcester County consists of a complex fabric of written facts and oral traditions, as well as people of local, state and national prominence. Worcester County's African American community can point to a long and rich history of people, places and events that have helped shape the cultural traditions of the Delmarva Peninsula. However, the full history of the African-American experience on the Eastern Shore has yet to be researched or written.
It is a sincere hope that this document may spur others to learn more about their own families or research individuals who have contributed in other ways to the complex and interwoven cultural fabric that distinguishes this unique region |