CBMM Recognizes Scofield for 30 Years of Service

Richard Scofield of Royal Oak, Md. was recently honored for his 30 years of service with the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

Working on boats since he was 12 in his hometown of Stamford, Ct., Scofield has been connected to the Chesapeake region his entire life. Spending summers on the family farm in St. Michaels, Rich has been on a sailboat as long as he can remember. He joined the museum’s boatyard during the summer of 1980, and after four years at Higgins Yacht Yard in St. Michaels, he returned under Tom Howell as a full-time rigger, painter and shipwright in 1985. In 2005, Scofield became the boatyard’s manager, and in 2011, was appointed Assistant Curator of Watercraft, where he continues to serve today.

Richard Scofield of Royal Oak, Md. was recently recognized for his 30 years of service at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. Photo credit: Nikki Davis.

Scofield’s responsibilities include curating and maintaining the museum’s collection of historic, Chesapeake Bay watercraft—the largest in the world. In addition to assisting with many of the museum’s exhibition and restoration projects, he oversees the maintenance and crew of the 1920 buyboat, Winnie Estelle, which takes passengers and school groups out on scenic river and ecology cruises throughout the warmer months.

Scofield began working on boats as a kid in his great-uncle’s boat yard in Stamford. He later went on to earn his BA in psychology from Bates College in Lewiston, Me. Two days after graduation, however, Richard found work restoring and crewing on Gleam—

the oldest, active 12-meter sailboat in the world—and he hasn’t stopped working the trade since.

Scofield has also been connected to the museum since its 1965 beginnings, when his grandparents’ close friends, Vida and Gus Van Lennep, helped start the museum. “My father said that Vida called him to say, ‘we just started a maritime museum in St. Michaels, and you are the first members,” said Scofield. “‘Now, you owe me ten dollars!’ Dad didn’t argue with Vida, she was known to be persuasive, but in a very gentle way.”

“Vida felt very strongly about certain things—this museum, her adopted town of St. Michaels, preserving the dying tradition of boatbuilding, and she was proud I was here,” continued Scofield. “I think Vida would feel today that we are in very good hands. She was a good judge of character, and she would recognize the continued dedication and passion our staff and volunteers show toward our mission and work.”

Over his career, Scofield has seen the museum grow from a very small local museum to a nationally recognized institution, drawing today nearly 70,000 guests annually. Reflecting on his service with the museum, Scofield is most proud of keeping the museum’s collection of boats maintained and afloat for 30 years.

“I’m also very proud of our professional apprentice program. Teaching the next generation, knowing the skills will be there to maintain boats like ours—that’s so important,” said Scofield. “Now, graduates from boatbuilding schools are seeking experiences with us, and often are competing for these opportunities among their peers.

“At the end of the day, it’s still about doing something different. Teaching people, helping them appreciate the Chesapeake Bay and its history.”

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