The Old Assateague Island Hunting Lodges
Known today as a national park, Assateague was once the premier duck hunting destination on the east coast. Many local hunters built lodges, some for profit, but mostly just to enjoy the awesome hunting and to get away from their wives..........one lodge was actually called "The Hen-Pecked Lodge" but was burned down many years ago. I have photographed the remaining buildings which are now sealed. Included are imags of some of the interiors which a previous superintendent gave permission (at my own risk) to photograph. When the island became a National Seashore, owners were paid for their properties and given up to 25 years to continue to use them, this time has long expired and the NPS is just letting them "naturally rot away"...seems a shame to me, but after talking to Carl Zimmerman about them I understand the impracticability of the situation.. But A lot of history lost here. My fishing mentor, Capt. Mac Simpson, now 90 worked at some of these lodges when he was sixteen as a guide. He was kind enough to spend most of several winters hiking to all the clubs and telling me many a story of the "good ole days." Since then I have hiked and explored pretty much of the 12 miles of "Oversand Vehicles" area and re-photographed much as digital cameras have come a long way since 2003...enjoy! P.S. I have attempted to be accurate in my captions but I am not an historian nor claim to be one.....One other thing, the photos are in sort of an order and the captions contain information that was verbaly given to me by folks who actually experienced these wonderful places......,THE CAPTIONS ARE THE GOLD IN THIS GALLERY! The captions,at times, flow into the next image so if you have the time or inclination run through them in order.......allen
Eight years later....
2012, taken from the roof of the jeep in the previous image. Note the upstairs windows have all been shot out allowing numerous critters to inhabit the building.
From Clayton Bunting:
This “Bunting Lodge” was created, operated, and owned by my grandfather after whom I am named, Senator Clayton A. Bunting of Selbyville, Delaware. Across the “slough” (as it was referred) to the north was a lodge that predated Bunting Lodge, the latter owned by John R. Hitchens, a fellow Republican political operative and DE public servant who was closely aligned with the Buntings. Invitees over the years were generally perennial guests who were notable leaders, both locally and nationally, in primarily political and business circles representing multiple states and especially the plant nursery industry. Those memorable visits were materially enhanced by the uniform presence and memorable contributions from full time employees retained personally by my grandfather inclusive of both a resident chef and guide, who were assigned a suite separate from all other accommodations just off the spacious kitchen and generously stocked pantry. Each morning the spacious antique dining table in the great room next to the kitchen greeted the awakened guests at 4:00 am laden with every breakfast category of foods imaginable, the day later including fresh oyster stews with “down the bay” sandwiches for lunch between hunting outings, followed by an impressive fare often including duck and homemade rolled -out slippery dumplings for a most lavish dinner feast punctuated by homemade pies and other deserts, only after the sharing of stunningly historic remembrances over the abundant contributing supply of libation freely consumed- for both medicinal and appetite stimulus purposes.
