Bellevue Passage Museum

01/14/2026

Tonight! We're kicking off Talbot 250 celebrations at The Avalon with a documentary screening and panel discussion on "The American Revolution," a film by Ken Burns, presented by Maryland Public Television.

Kathryn De Shields-Moon, our Director of Programming, will be on the panel and would love to see you there! It's not too late to register. 👇

Join the Talbot250 Commission and friends as we officially kick off Talbot County’s 365th anniversary and the nation’s Semiquincentennial year with a special program at the Avalon Theatre featuring The American Revolution , a new documentary series directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and Da

07/11/2025

Come on down to Bellevue Park today from 5 - 7pm to celebrate Parks & Rec Month! Talbot County Department of Parks and Recreation is hosting a pop-up event and ShoreRivers will demonstrate seine netting down at the beach. We hope to see you there! 🙌

TODAY! Come hangout with us and ShoreRivers at Bellevue Community Park 5-7pm!

03/21/2025

Happy Friday, folks!

Tune in 👇🏽to learn more about the BPM project and please join us on Monday, March 31st at 6pm for our presentation at St. Michaels Community Center! Thank you to WHCP Radio for helping us share our story. 🙌🏽

Good morning and welcome to Radio Chesapeake News Talk 91.7 - News Talk for the Mid-Shore! Coming up during NPR Morning Edition with Shane Walker:

Local news stories including a Cambridge City Council amendment to a paving contract to meet Americans with Disabilities requirements and an upcoming election in Oxford.

5:22am- Ben Brunner discusses the upcoming photography workshop at Dorchester Center for the Arts with the instructors, Liz Guertin and Robert Sullivan

5:45am- Lynn Randall interviews Nadine Sachs from ShorelyOrganized for tips on decluttering with purpose

6:22am- The Talbot Spy's From and Fuller assess whether or not the judicial branch of the Federal government is strong enough to repel a Trump DOGE takeover

6:45am- Captain Fred Pomeroy shares an episode from his weekly series Becoming a Waterman

7:22am- Kat DeShields, whose family founded the Bellevue Passage Museum, highlighting Bellevue’s rich African American heritage, previews her upcoming talk at the St. Michaels Community Center

7:45am- Jim Brady files a report about amendments to the Dorchester County charter put in place by voters that have been deemed invalid due to a technicality

8:22am- Cambridge Main Street/Downtown Cambridge's Spring Fling is rapidly approaching! Executive Director Christina Wingate-Spence talks about some fun plans coming to Main Street leading up to their premier fundraising event of the year

8:45am- Shore Tech Pulse, Sushila Nair explores how technology is changing the way we read—from print to e-books and audiobooks

Listen at 91.7, on your smart speaker, by downloading our mobile app, and at www.whcp.org

02/15/2025

In the late 1800s, the Chesapeake Bay was the main supplier of oysters in the US, and oystering was one of the highest paying jobs for Black men. Following in the footsteps of his grandfather and father, Captain Samuel "Eddie" Turner started tonging for oysters in high school.

The Turner family lived in Bellevue, Maryland, a small historically Black community on the Tred Avon River. In the 1930s, Turner and his father opened two seafood packing facilities—the W.A. Turner and Sons Packing Co., and later, the Bellevue Seafood Company. For about 50 years, they processed oysters, clams and crabs, employing more than 70 pickers and shuckers.

Descendants of the families who lived and worked in Bellevue want to preserve its maritime heritage. The Bellevue Passage Museum will be housed in a historic building and display photos and memorabilia that “honor the contributions of Bellevue’s former residents as early stewards of the environment.”

Learn more: https://loom.ly/Z8aQYiA

📸: Captain Samuel "Eddie" Turner holding a Turner’s Crab Meat lid. Bellevue, MD. (1998). Photo courtesy of Blacks of the Chesapeake

08/15/2024

We had a blast during the pilot program of the Bellevue Passage Museum STEAM Summer Camp. From molecular chemistry and , to graphic design and GIS, we explored a variety of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math topics for a week -- free for students!

A huge thank you to our volunteers and partners who made this happen. 💙 Building African American Minds, Inc., University of Maryland Eastern Shore 4H Extension, Brikym Games

Check out the recap below!

Check out the highligts from the Bellevue Passage Museum STEAM Summer 2024 Camp! Straight from the Director’s desk.

06/15/2024

Excited for this opportunity! Tune in via Zoom with the link below.

https://www.vafweb.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=2AiheMbfwWiU2cHmM5tNbVMktSIq6moDxe4DfvxeN99hotXXsnQvLay8k6tM3BQIFLx4%2bafHvNw7YsGRGFvQXMxDo5FdeTSq%2fwHq%2bl1%2f%2beE%3d

⏰🌐At noon- Join us remotely for our plenary talk! Check your membership associated email for a link.

🟠The Vernacular Architecture Forum and University of Virginia Field Schools, funded by the Mellon Foundation

The plenary session will feature perspectives on the first three years of the Mellon funded VAF/UVA field schools, which are focused on African American places and engaging Black communities, scholars, and students. Two of the field school directors, a community partner and the principal investigator will share their insights on the program through a moderated dialogue.

Discussants:
🔸Kathryn De Shields-Moon, Program Director, Bellevue Passage Museum
🔸Jobie Hill, Architect, Historic Preservationist and Founder of Saving Slave Houses https://www.savingslavehouses.org/
🔸John Bernard Marxoux, Director, Research Laboratories of Archaeology at UNC-Chapel Hill, Associate Professor of Anthropology, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
🔸(Jim.Buckley stand-in) Louis P. Nelson, Vice Provost and Professor of Architectural History, The University of Virginia, Department of Architectural History (Official)
🔸Moderator: Elaine Jackson-Retondo, VAF President

06/11/2024

Bellevue Passage Museum will be at the Vernacular Architecture Forum 2024 Conference in Michigan this weekend!

Our Director of Programming is joining a Paper Session with the Black Life in Bellevue Field School's Co-Directors and former students and is also participating in the President's Plenary to discuss the Field School experience from a community standpoint.

Stay tuned for more info, and safe travels to conference participants! 🙌🏽

11/13/2023

Tomorrow, we’re joining .dekimbe as he takes over the Instagram to spotlight some of the incredible work he’s accomplished during his studies in the community. 🙌🏽

It was an honor to have Marcus in the inaugural and second year of the Black Life in Bellevue Field School held in partnership with , and we can’t wait to go live with him, BPM’s Executive Director Monica, and BPM Cofounder Dennis.

Join us to learn about the mission, explore the history, and celebrate the incredible people making the vision happen tomorrow at 11am ET!

07/22/2022

Last but certainly not least, we are happy to introduce Tiah! She is a senior at Salisbury University majoring in Urban and Regional Planning with a minor in Geographic Information Science.

So glad you're with us, Tiah! 🙌

07/22/2022

Monica is an architectural , , and historic preservationist. Her research explores the migration of Shotgun houses the significance of African American Historic Districts, and she uses preservation practices as an economic stability tool. Monica earned her B.S. in Biology and Forensic Science at UNCW and her MFA degree in Interior Architecture and Post-Baccalaureate Historic Preservation Certificate at UNC Greensboro. She is currently pursuing a Master of Preservation Studies degree at Tulane University.

Learn more about her work at http://www.therock-foundation.org

Thanks for your expertise, Monica! 🎉

07/22/2022

We're still amazed at the wonderful talent who joined us for the Bellevue Field School! Brianna is a first-year graduate student pursuing a Master's in Historical Studies UMBC. She is also a teaching assistant in the History Department.

So glad you're here, Brianna! 🎉