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A Backwater's Incoming Tide
Randy Green of Rockville, Md., guides his boat into the dock next to Harbour Light, one of the new condominium complexes along the shoreline in Crisfield. He bought one of the first units in building.
(Kim Hart -- The Washington Post)
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A proposed ferry to tote tourists across the Bay between Crisfield and Reedville, Va., has been under debate for four years. A recent study indicated the ferry would bring strong economic growth to the area, and a national ferry operator has expressed interest in the project. If approved, it would become the town's third ferry in addition to the daily shuttles going to nearby Smith and Tangier islands.
"It's been moving real slow, but I think a lot of people are leaning toward wanting the ferry," said Valerie Mason, director of the Crisfield Chamber of Commerce. "We need a throughway here to draw on the people who need hotels, gas stations and convenience stores. It would really help the business."
Crisfield is more than just a second home for some Washington transplants. Christopher Heller, 26, of Springfield, recently moved into his mother's condo while he transforms an abandoned Main Street building into a bakery. He then wants to open a high-end restaurant and wine shop.
"After spending my whole life in D.C., I just fell in love with the town," Heller said. "It's sort of depressed right now, but it's not going to be that way much longer. . . . It just needs a few places that will make people want to walk around downtown."
Heller's mother, a retired high school math teacher, spends most of her time in Crisfield although she maintains a home in the District.
"I think a lot of retirees are going to move here because it's so reasonable," she said.
That's exactly what Dennis and Dora Schnitker plan to do as soon as they sell their Baltimore rowhouse. Gary and Kathy Clemens, vacationers from York, Pa., are also tempted to buy a piece of Crisfield.
"It looks like something's staged to happen here and the condos are setting it off," said Gary Clemens as he and his wife explored a strip of empty storefronts. "It probably makes sense to spend a bit of money here before it takes off."
To some longtime Crisfielders, the town is already unrecognizable. But Deborah Wessel, 58, welcomes the change. Several out-of-towners have even made offers on her house, which isn't for sale.
"The landscape sure looks different," she said as she stood on the city dock, flanked by towering condos, to watch the sunset. "But Crisfield's got to change. If we don't, we're going to end up being a ghost town. Maybe we'll even get a second traffic light."
