Published December 26, 2024
Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum
The Life-Saving Station Museum is located at the southern tip of Ocean City, Maryland. This museum is a tribute to the town's rich history in maritime assets and to the courage of the men of the US Life-Saving Service. The old museum not only preserves the life boating tradition on the Eastern Shore but also gives guests vibrant views of the rich history and coastal culture in Ocean City itself. The following shows the history of this marvelous establishment.
Beginning of the Life-Saving Station
It dates back to the end of the last century, which rolled out on the unreeling bang and thrash of countless seas, deciding the fates of thousands of lives along the East Atlantic shore. Because of this, it gave birth to the U.S. Life-Saving Service, inaugurated in 1878. It eventually evolved into what is now the U.S. Coast Guard. Stations were built in different areas of the long coastline, and Ocean City's Life-Saving Station was constructed in 1878.
This station became a home base to many heroic surfmen who traveled the long, lonesome coastlines during inclement weather, rescuing sailors and passengers from shipwrecks. Those were the few pieces of equipment, like rowboats and breeches buoys, with which these men faced their determination and laid down their lives for yet other lives. Their motto, "You have to go out, but you don't have to come back," says much about them.
From Station to Museum
The establishment of the Coast Guard in 1915 slowly and gradually meant the demise of life-saving stations across the country as the years rolled on and technology advanced. The last life-saving station to be dissolved was at Ocean City, which would serve as a critical case to salvage since it holds such deep roots in history and cultural significance with the community. It was opened as a museum in 1978, along with the centennial celebration of the opening of the Ocean City Life-Saving Station.
Over the last few years, through the toil of local historians and preservationists, that historic structure has developed into an educational and cultural icon cherished by all. Today, it remains one of those places in Ocean City that people love.