A special thanks to Bill Spivey for sharing photos and a memoir his Dad Joel Spivey wrote before he passed on a few years ago. In the early 1930’s Joel Spivey’s parents lived in Chester County, Pennsylvania and found a remarkable way to enjoy spending time at the Maple Hall Inn in Claiborne, Maryland during the summer! Joel Spivey’s parents created this amazing house boat out of an old barge and used it as an inexpensive way to enjoy all of the wonderful things the Maple Hall Inn had to offer. At that time you could moor a boat nearby and pay a fee to dine at the Inn. The house boat had 3 bedrooms, a kitchen, living room and a bathroom with a screen porch on top! The family purchased a power boat to move the houseboat around. Joel Spivey’s memoir said that when the family stopped visiting the Eastern Shore the houseboat became a backyard guest house at their home!
Contact: Cathy Hill [email protected] to share your old photos and purchase our collections photos. Comment, Like our page and join the Talbot Historical Society!
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