History of 222 Severn

Construction photo of "The Big Shed" - a large structure created circa 1942 to house boat building for the World Wars PT boats and Trumpy Yachts in Annapolis.
Historic aerial view of 222 Severn showing the Annapolis Yacht Yard circa 1930-1945.

The Early Days

  • 1750-1855: Oystermen, crabbers and fishermen live and work at 222 Severn and in Eastport spending their days in the far reaches of the Chesapeake Bay.
  • 1855: The first official business is established here – The Annapolis Glass Company.
  • 1904: The Chance Marine Construction takes over the property, building Chesapeake Bay workboats.
  • 1914: At the start of WWI, Chance is commissioned to build 110' wooden submarine chasers.
  • 1937: The Annapolis Yacht Yard is founded, and they begin building exclusive luxury yachts.
  • 1940: The AYY begins building 70 foot Vosper Torpedo Patrol Boats for the British Navy, and goes on to build a total of 28 for the War effort. The “Big Shed” building still standing today is constructed for this purpose.
  • 1940: The famous “America” yacht – the first the win the “America's Cup”- is brought here for repair. However, she meets with tragedy on March 29, 1942 when an unusually heavy snowfall collapses the temporary storage structure and crushes the boat.
  • 1943: The AYY builds another 100 PT boats for the Russian Navy.
Interior photo of "The Big Shed" circa 1943 as six PT boats are being built for service in World War II at 222 Severn / The Yard.
Circa 1950, a classic Trumpy yacht is launched into Spa Creek amid fanfare and flags, across from downtown historic Annapolis.

The Trumpy Years

  • 1948: The Trumpy family buys the property and establishes “John Trumpy & Sons, Inc.” They are known around the world for their exquisite hand-crafted yachts of mahogany and bronze. The most famous is “Sequoia” built for President John F. Kennedy.
  • 1951: MSB Minesweepers are built by John Trumpy & Sons, Inc. for the Korean War.
  • 1962: A huge fire threatens to destroy all of Eastport.
  • 1973: The last Trumpy yacht is made, and the yard is closed for good.
In 2007, The Big Shed, an old boat building structure on Spa Creek in Annapolis, is converted to Class A office space with a maritime flair.

The Templeton Years

  • 1974: The Templeton family purchases a two-thirds share of the Trumpy property and begins to restore the old buildings for maritime fabrication, repair and office space.
  • 1999: 222 Severn included in the National Register of Historic Places for its role in shaping the maritime history of Annapolis.
  • 2006: The “Big Shed” is renovated into Class-A office space – keeping the integrity of its history – complete with the entire original shell, steel beams and three lobby history exhibits.

Acknowledgements

MARITIME ANNAPOLIS

Special thanks to Rosemary Williams for researching and designing the onsite exhibit, which inspired her book -- Maritime Annapolis.

ANNAPOLIS

Special Thanks to the Annapolis Maritime Museum for their support of the property exhibit and allowing us the use of many historical photos in the exhibit and on this web site.

Modern and Timeless

222 Severn has served the evolving maritime industry for over a century from fishing to marine construction to recreational boating. Adaptive reuse has allowed original structures and buildings to live on, providing useful space for today’s businesses to thrive.

A more complete history of the property including an exhibit entitled “How to Build a Trumpy” is open to the public during normal business hours in lobbies of Building 14 at 222 Severn Avenue.

The Early Years
The Trumpy Years
The Templeton Years