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Explore the tiny workshop where “Nature’s Counterfeiters” brought wood to life and help it take flight. The Ward Brothers, Lemuel T. and Stephen, are the icons of the wildfowl carving community. Born in the last decade of the 19th century, the tradition of carving ducks was passed down to them from their father. The brothers were raised and spent their lives in the Down Neck area of Crisfield, where the duck, geese, and other wildfowl rest in the marshes and flats, abundant in number and diversity.
They carved decoys for many years, but as mass-produced rubber decoys became readily available, the brothers transitioned in creating the perfect reproduction of wildfowl, introducing coloring and painting methods that have been mimicked ever since.
Open by appointment. Call the J. Millard Tawes Historical Museum (410-968-2501) to arrange a tour.
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