The Richardson Maritime museum is housed in the former Eastern Shore Trust Company bank building at 401 High Street, in downtown Cambridge. The first story of the bank was built in 1889, and it is believed to be the oldest bank building currently standing in Cambridge, which was and still is the hub of commerce for Dorchester County.

The seafood industry created great wealth in the Dorchester region and packing plants began springing up. As businesses prospered, banks were formed to help with capital expenditures for business expansion. The Eastern Shore Trust Company (which had formerly been Dorchester National Bank) was one of the banks born during this economic boom.

George Woolford, a prominent member of the Cambridge community, was an oyster packer - the second oldest packer of oysters in Cambridge in 1908. He owned several boats and packed under the name “Goose Creek.” His involvement with Levi Phillips, Albanus Phillips, and Ivy Leonard led to the establishment of the Phillips packing company, which dominated Dorchester’s economy for 50 years. George also served as President of Eastern Shore Trust, partner in George W. Woolford Company (a coal and wood yard), President of Cambridge Water Company (supplied ice and water to the community), and was a local agent for the Standard Oil Company.

We know that George died in October 1929 - the year of the great crash. And though it was not printed in the newspaper (it seldom was), the locals say that George ended his own life. The local oral tradition states that he committed suicide by hanging himself from the raters in the attic of the bank building, though there are some that claim he ended his life in his Locust Street home. However, the attic is quite filled with a spooky aura and unexplained noises, movements and general "feeling of a presence" have been experienced by museum volunteers.

A portrait of George W. Woolford hangs in the old bank boardroom (now Museum board meeting room) on the second floor. During renovations a museum volunteer retired George's portrait to the attic, but she was quickly urged to return him to his prominent spot on the boardroom wall when uneasiness by the board and museum volunteers was felt.

When our Haunted Heritage Tour of Dorchester came to the Maritime Museum to hear the story of the ghost of George W. Woolford, several examined the attic including our psychic, Lisa. She took a photo of the rafters and picked up a few orbs. Is the attic or the museum haunted by the unrestful spirit of George Woolford? Who knows? We can only keep looking, asking and experiencing - and as with all haunted stories - everything is speculative. But there was enough personal testimony regarding this site to consider it as a haunted possibility.

Today the Richardson Maritime Museum may share its space with a ghost, but it's evidently a friendly presence and doesn't hamper progress one bit. The museum is "...dedicated to preserving and promoting the boat building heritage of Dorchester County and the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland, including its influence on U. S. maritime history through research, preservation and exhibition of artifacts and archives, and the promotion of the wooden boat building industry and related skills. Visit the museum's website at http://www.richardsonmuseum.org/Default.htm

The exhibits are beautiful and the interpretation of heritage among the finest on the Eastern Shore.