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
The building was cedar shake, eventually covered in green asbestos shingles. The roof appeared to be regular asphalt shingles. There are four chimneys, two for oil space heaters, one for the kitchen , and one for the massive fire place. The large plate glass window is still intact though about to fall out as the roof over it is collapsing. The last year it was used for gunning ( a guess) was probably around 1989 if they took the 25 year option to use offered by the government when Assateague became a National Seashore. Many storms in the last 30 years have washed away all of the out buildings that existed....including an out-house (used by the guides and staff), generator shed, dog pens, decoy and motor shed and a "oyster bar" located at the end of the dock where oysters and booze were enjoyed by the hunters.
