Crisfield is a tiny village of less than 2800 people on the Delmarva peninsula.
Latitude: 37.983N
Longitude: -75.854W
Crisfield calls itself the crab capitol. It is the town that is the fartherest south in Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay before you get to Virginia. Because of the diminishing seafood catches in the Chesapeake, Crisfield has been somewhat of a ghost town, and it is in the process of reinventing itself.
Community festivals include:
· National Hard Crab Derby & Fair - Aug. 29-31, 2003 (including crab races) (Event dates often change. Check ahead.)
Nearby parks and recreation: (pictured)
* Pocomoke Sound Wildlife Management Area
* Janes Island State Park
* Cedar Island Wildlife Management Area
The town was originally called Somer's Cove after one of two settlers in the area. They started out as farmers, but soon became watermen. The harbor and marina are still called Somers Cove.
Then a businessman named Crisfield got the railroad extended as far as Somer's Cove so that their product could be shipped quickly. Billions of oyster shells were used in the foundations for local roads, buildings and railroads. That's because of the low lying marshy land. Some places in Louisiana use oyster shells in a similar fashion.
Some stories go that the town was renamed in honor of Crisfield to appease him when he fell through a rotten pier.
Another claim to fame that Crisfield has is that it was the home of the Ward Brothers who made fantastically realistic decoys. Their workshop can be visited from the J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum. J. Millard Tawes was governor of Maryland. He also has a Coast Guard boat named for him. The Tawes family was and is very prominent in Crisfield.
Another Crisfield son who is buried here is Curley Byrd, famous or infamous President of the University of Maryland from the mid 30s to to 50s. Another well-known resident was Wesley Nelson, founder of Del Monte.
- Pros:Plenty of seafood, and easy to get around
- Cons:Touristy
- In a nutshell:Seafood and Schlock
Reviews (51)
Decoy Ducks - Ward Brothers
Local Customs
(3)
The Ward Brothers (Lem and Steve) were sons of a Crisfield barber and boatbuilder. They produced nearly 25,000 decoys in... more travel advice
Seafood
Shopping
(9)
This place ships seafood to you from Crisfield. I haven't used their service but it looks appetizing. Best Selling... more travel advice
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Crisfield Travel Guide
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See All Friends (50)Latest Crisfield hotel reviews
- My Fair Lady Bed and Breakfast
- 21 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Oct 16, 2011

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Comments (7)
"No ambience or decor." ???? Seriously? Gordon's is authentic and real. Real people - watermen, primarily - eating real food - try scrapple sandwich - having real conversation. Sorry it lacked the appeal of Applebee's or Chili's.
Charlie Adams started selling the local newspaper, The Crisfield Times, as a young boy and continued for over 60 years until his recent retirement. Every Wednesday, residents looked for Charlie on this corner to pick up the news of the week.
Get your point, not a shoppers paradise this little place. ;-)
Some places on your page have since closed. You should back to town, a lot has changed in the last few years.
Great page on Crisfield. I never realized that Governor Tawes was from Crisfield. Always good to learn something new every day.
Nice commentary on a sleepy waterside town.
Excellant presentation..beautiful phtographs..nice tips and useful information..Highly useful to a traveller..
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