Though it's well worth visiting, the city of Cambridge has never had a roadside landmark dramatic enough to entice travelers on U.S. 50 to stop and see what it has to offer.
But by late 1996, the Dorchester County seat finally will get the visual magnet that civic leaders have been seeking to draw tourists.
That's when the state of Maryland plans to open the Sailwinds Visitor Center, a $3.7 million structure designed to grab the attention of drivers traveling between the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Ocean City.
Rising the equivalent of 11 stories on the bank of the Choptank River, it will have a shape that evokes the sails of a skipjack.
"The design is both a sign and a gateway to Dorchester County. The sails can be seen from the far side of the river and are reminiscent of the nautical spirit of this area," said Faith Nevins, an architect with Marks, Thomas and Associates of Baltimore, the project's lead designer.
"We wanted to have a landmark building that can be seen from far away," Ms. Nevins explained. "That will give people plenty of time, as they're speeding along, to decide whether to stop. An important part of the design of a building such as this is to have an image that draws people in."
Gov. William Donald Schaefer and other state officials broke ground earlier this month for the visitor center, the long-awaited keystone of a $35 million waterfront recreational area called Sailwinds Park.
Inspired by Baltimore's Inner Harbor development, Sailwinds Park stretches from the fishing pier at the U.S. 50 bridge to Maryland Avenue in Cambridge.
With fourth-fifths of a mile of shoreline, the 31-acre property is highly visible from U.S. 50. Plans call for construction of a waterfront boardwalk, playground, public beach, outdoor performance area, a marina, and a 300-room hotel and conference center.
Besides being the visual focal point for Sailwinds Park, the center is envisioned as a rest stop for shore-bound travelers, a tourism information center and a local gathering spot. It has been designed to promote the Eastern Shore in the same way that the Sideling Hill visitor center on Interstate 68 near Hancock serves Western Maryland.
The building's most memorable feature will be a series of three "sails," which appear to be billowing in the wind. They will be made of Teflon-coated fiberglass, the same material as the canopy over the exhibit area at the Columbus Center marine complex under construction on piers 5 and 6 in Baltimore. Off-white in the beginning, they will become whiter over time as sunlight bleaches them, Ms. Nevins explained.
The masts will rise 110 feet -- the height of an 11-story building. Beneath the sails will be a two-story glass-enclosed structure that will rise 40 feet and offer panoramic views of the Choptank River. Besides forming a billboard for the town, the fiberglass sails will shade the visitor center and define the entrance to it.
When complete in late 1996, the 14,500-square-foot center will include tourist information services, a 125-seat theater, offices for the Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce and displays that will highlight the county's contributions to Maryland history. Observation decks will overlook a restored wetlands area.
The visitor center is a combined effort of four state agencies, the town of Cambridge, Dorchester County and a nonprofit group called Sailwinds Park Inc. Sverdrup Inc. of Arlington, Va., is also part of the design team.
Attractions likely to benefit from the exposure the center provides include the Harriet Tubman Museum, the Brannock Maritime Museum, the Dorchester Heritage Museum, the historic High Street residential district and the Blackwater Wildlife Refuge.
Old St. Paul's
St. Paul's Episcopal Church at Charles and Saratoga streets in Baltimore finally has its historic East Window back in place after a lengthy restoration.
Removed earlier this year for cleaning and repairs at Cummings Studios in North Adams, Mass., the window was reinstalled this week as part of a $750,000 restoration of the 138-year-old church. Most of the work should be completed by Christmas, according to junior warden Richard R. Harwood III.