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St. Mary's County to rebuild St. Clements Island Museum; state, Piscataway to help shape new exhibits ahead of 400th anniversary
Summary
County and state officials said March 25 that the current St. Clements Island Museum will be torn down and replaced with a two‑story facility within about 12–18 months, with the Department of Natural Resources and the Piscataway people collaborating on exhibit content; a new, federally funded water taxi is also planned to improve access.
St. Mary's County officials and state representatives said March 25, 2025, that the current St. Clements Island Museum will be demolished and rebuilt on the same footprint within about 12 to 18 months to create a two‑story facility with expanded exhibit space ahead of Maryland's 400th anniversary.
The museum's head, Karen Stone, and the county's Department director for Recreation and Parks announced that this year's Maryland Day is the last to be held in the existing building. County Commissioner President Randy Guy said the county has obtained approval to proceed with construction and expects the project to allow the museum to tell a broader founding story.
Deputy Secretary Dave Goshorn of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) told attendees that DNR manages lands across the state and is working with St. Mary's County on property improvements leading up to the 400th anniversary in nine years. "We manage our lands for all the citizens of Maryland, including those who were here long, long before it was the state of Maryland," Goshorn said, and he described ongoing efforts to improve relationships and coordinate with indigenous communities.
Karen Stone described the planned museum layout: a new second floor dedicated to expanded foundational exhibits and a first floor preserving changing gallery space. Stone said the county is working "very closely with the Piscataway who are writing their own script with us to tell their story." Julie Hawkins Ennis, representing the Piscataway Conoy people in place of tribal chair Francis Gray, told the audience, "the Piscataway people are still here," and thanked organizers for continuing the partnership.
County officials and museum staff also said a new water taxi, funded by a federal grant awarded a few years ago, is expected later this year. Stone said the vessel will carry about twice as many passengers as the current craft, operate in rougher weather and travel farther afield to improve access to the museum site.
The announcements were made during the St. Clements Island Maryland Day program, where county commissioners presented a proclamation recognizing March 25, 2025, as Maryland Day in St. Mary's County. Lynn Delahaye from Senator Jack Bailey's office read the citation from the Maryland General Assembly.
Plans described at the event emphasize collaborative exhibit development: county museum staff, DNR representatives and Piscataway leaders said they will coordinate content so the museum presents both the English colonial narrative and the Piscataway perspective. DNR staff noted that Sabine Bailey is drafting a strategy to guide the department's interactions with indigenous communities statewide.
Officials did not provide a formal construction contract, a final budget or a precise start date at the event; Stone said the rebuild would begin in the next 12 to 18 months. County and state representatives also noted ongoing site improvements in advance of the 400th anniversary in 2034.
Looking ahead, museum staff and DNR officials said planning will continue with tribal partners, and the county expects the rebuilt museum and new water taxi to be in service before or during the multiagency commemorations for Maryland's 400th anniversary.
