The Crisfield Heritage Foundation

Crisfield Heritage Foundation

John Millard Tawes (April 8, 1894 – June 25, 1979), a member of the United States Democratic Party, was the 54th Governor of Maryland in the United States from 1959 to 1967. He remains the only Marylander to be elected to the three positions of State Treasurer, Comptroller, and Governor.Tawes was born to James and Alice (née Byrd) Tawes in Crisfield, Maryland. He received his early education in the Somerset County, Maryland public schools, and later attended Bryant and Stratton Business College where he studied banking and accounting. After college, Tawes earned a living working in lumbering and canning firms that were owned by his father, which later expanded into shipbuilding, baking, and banking. Tawes married Helen Avalynne Gibson on December 25, 1915 and with whom he had two children.

ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY

In 1977, a group of Crisfield citizens and State of Maryland dignitaries formed an organization to explore ways to preserve the memory of Governor J. Millard Tawes. Governor Tawes was the 54 governor of the State of Maryland and a native son of the City of Crisfield. The group analyzed various ideas and options and eventually settled on the option to form a foundation in the name of the former governor. This foundation was directed to establish a museum to preserve and display the governor’s memorabilia. Accordingly, the J. Millard Tawes Foundation was formally incorporated under the laws of the State of Maryland in June, 1979.

Upon its formation, the J. Millard Tawes Foundation, Inc. began planning for the creation of a museum in honor of the governor. This proposed museum’s mission was to preserve the governor’s memorabilia, speeches and documents for viewing by the public and use by researchers interested in the dynamic history of the State of Maryland during the transitional years of the late 50’s and early 60’s. A building was erected, a staff selected and in 1983 the doors of the J. Millard Tawes Museum opened to the public.

For three years, the museum operated within the narrow scope of its mission statement. It successfully preserved the governor’s memory through exhibits on his life and his contributions to the State of Maryland and to the nation. The museum also had meaningful exhibits on the governor’s wife and Maryland’s First Lady, Mrs. Avalynne Gibson Tawes.

In 1986, the Crisfield Museum closed its doors to the public. This museum was a small local historical museum located on West Main Street. Many of the artifacts displayed in this museum were transferred to the J. Millard Tawes Museum. Though the Tawes Museum gratefully accepted these precious artifacts, it had no thoroughly thought out plan on how to integrate these artifacts into its collections and exhibits. The institution went through a crisis trying to incorporate a greatly expanded mission into its on-going operations.

A five year development plan was created which, if implemented, would have aided the museum if its transition to a general historical museum. Because of personnel problems that included the resignation of the original museum director, this plan was only partially implemented. From 1990 until 1995, the museum lacked the personnel and financial resources to move forward. It also lacked a clear vision or conception of its true mission. Was the institution to solely concentrate on the legacy of Governor Tawes or was it to expand into a general historical museum?

Things changed in 1995. At this time, the foundation’s Board of Directors decided to take drastic action to break the status quo. They hired a full time director and instructed the director to institute a short term plan for the revitalization of the institution. In the summer of 1995, a two year revitalization plan was presented to the Board for its approval. The plan called for a complete change in the orientation of the museum. As a result, the museum’s mission was changed to include the fact that the institution had become a general history museum concentrating on the Crisfield area. The museum’s name and logo were changed to reflect the institution’s expanded scope. The word historical was added to the organization’s name. This converted the J. Millard Tawes museum to the J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum. The new logo incorporated the famous Chesapeake Skipjack design that is easily recognizable as a symbol of the Lower Shore region of the Chesapeake Bay. Both of these changes, though seemingly minor, helped to alter the mindset of the Board of Directors, staff, volunteers and membership.

The revitalization plan mirrored the new orientation. A major part of the plan was the complete restructuring of the exhibits. Patron evaluations indicated they wanted more information pertaining to the Bay, colonial times, the development of Crisfield, the oystering and crabbing industries and the watermen of the region. Taking this into consideration a chronological exhibit structure was created that takes a patron from the geologic beginnings of the Bay and then through the natural, economic and social history of the region. Undertaking this major effort required the temporary removal of the governor’s artifacts from display. But the preservation of the history of Governor Tawes in an important aspect of the Lower Shore. Accordingly, the original plan created a consolidated governor’s exhibit in a part of the museum that was used for administrative offices.

However, a once in a lifetime opportunity arose in 1996. The childhood home of the governor was placed on the real estate market. This was one of those serendipitous opportunities that could not be forsaken. Accordingly, the foundation’s Board of Directors decided to purchase this magnificent home.

Another opportunity arose in 1998 when the J. Millard Tawes Foundation acquired the Ward Brothers workshop from the organization known as the Ward Brothers Homeplace, Inc. This organization had restored the workshop of the Ward Brothers but did not wish to operate the shop. Consequently they gave the shop to the foundation.

In 1999, the foundation also acquired 300 acres of marsh that had been the former Jenkins Creek Environmental Research Center. The foundation changed the name of the asset to the Cedar Island Marsh Sanctuary with plans to design programs to utilize the marsh as an educational exhibit of the foundation.

With these acquisitions, the Board of Directors of the foundation realized that it had become a heritage organization for the entire area. The foundation did not primarily revolve around the former governor as originally planned. It had grown into an institution whose focus had changed to include the entire Crisfield area and its multifaceted culture. Therefore, the Board of Directors decided to change the name of the foundation to the Crisfield Heritage Foundation. This was made official on April 7, 1999.

The foundation’s strategic plan was created in 1997. This plan did not just focus on the exhibits that composed the J. Millard Historical Museum. It provided guidance on enhancing the museum’s management structure, administrative apparatus, public relations efforts and educational programs.

Many of the 1997 plan’s original goals and objectives were implemented and the effects of its implementation made apparent. The museum created a chronological exhibit structure that told the story of the development of the Crisfield area. This required the modification of the walls and display cabinets and the installation of a central exhibit structure. An exhibit on the evolution of the Ward Brothers workshop was assembled as well as an exhibit on decoy carving. Workboat and boat building tool exhibits were created to show patrons what boats were used on the Bay and the tools used to build these boats. In the educational and financial areas, the foundation expanded its Elderhostel program and reached out to local schools.

In 2003, the foundation undertook a revision of its 1997 plan. This new plan was an ambitious endeavor that provided clear goals and objectives to further the remarkable growth of the foundation. Under the 2003 plan the foundation created an endowment program, substantially increased its Elderhostel program and increased its exhibits to include exhibits on the sewing industry, famous Crisfielders, Carvel Hall and the contributions of local citizens to the armed services. The foundation also moved its offices to the governor’s home and the home is now used for cultural functions and has a small exhibit on the former governor.

The new strategic plan will build on the successes of the previous two plans and will continue to showcase the legacy of the Crisfield area.