Steward's Shipyard
March 31st of 1781, in the midst of the American Revolution, British soldiers from two ships the Monk and the Hope, came up the West River with the intent of destroying Stephen Steward's Shipyard. The Maryland Gazette reports the burning of the shipyard a few days later on April 5th,
"Their vengeance was satiated for that time; when they has so gloriously completed the destruction of everything valuable to Mr. Steward.....The loss is not yet to be estimated; every hour they discover their[Steward's] loss greater; some paper and books were consumed...This brave band [the British soldiers], at length satisfied with this mighty feat, their vengeance glutted, retired in good order, and made a good retreat...Their malice seems to be leveled alone at Mr. Steward."
Steward's shipyard had prominent connections to the American Revolution in Maryland, designing, constructing, repairing, and storing ships for the Maryland Council of Safety.
Explore the storymap by clicking below for an interactive history of the site and the archaeological investigations that have taken place there.
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/
This project has been financed in part with State funds from the Maryland 250 Commission, an instrumentality of the State of Maryland. Project contents or opinions do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the State or Maryland 250 Commission.
The 2026 Maryland Archaeology Month theme of "250 Years, Many Voices:
Digging into Maryland's Story" highlights many important histories in Maryland, including the Heritage Area's very own. Turn to page 20 in this year's Archaeology Month booklet for a special article on the Steward's Shipyard Site. https://www.