There was some unusual activity at the south end of the Boardwalk earlier this month as two artifacts in front of the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum were removed to allow the Boardwalk redecking project to continue. We asked Curator Christine Okerblom for a history refresher on the two items, which will be stored next to the museum until the project is completed.
Pictured, left, is an 1870s, two-and-a-half-ton anchor, the museum’s largest artifact. This anchor was found off the coast of Assateague Island and donated to the museum in 1981 in memory of BMC William H. Parker of the United States Coast Guard.
Pictured below is the British Manufactured Cannon, circa 1750. Referred to as a 12-pound, it was most likely acquired by an American private armed vessel during the Revolutionary War or the War of 1812. It was uncovered in the 1980s by a developer in front of a warehouse in the Fells Point area of Baltimore. A common practice of the day was to use condemned cannons as ballast and/or bollards on piers. Many were used as corner posts on warehouses to prevent wagon wheel hub damage.
Photos by Christine Okerblom