A 255-year-old Georgian mansion made an extraordinary 50-mile journey across the Chesapeake Bay after a Maryland family decided to move the entire 400-ton structure by barge.
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family → make → barge
The move was meant to save the historic house from possible demolition and new development.
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move → mean → demolition
According to reporting by Inside Edition, homeowner Christian Neeley spent nearly $1 million to move the historic 4,000-square-foot brick home, known as Galloway House, from Easton, Maryland, to a new waterfront property in Queenstown.
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Neeley → accord → Queenstown
The house was built between 1760 and 1764 and was moved in 2019.
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house → build → 2019
The unusual move required months of planning, special equipment and careful timing.
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move → require → planning
The house first traveled by road before being loaded onto a barge for the two-day trip across the Chesapeake Bay.
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house → travel → Bay
The history behind Galloway House
Galloway House was built between 1760 and 1764 near Easton, Maryland.
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history → build → Easton
It was built for newlyweds William Nicols and Henrietta Maria Chamberlaine Nicols on their 600-acre plantation in Talbot County.
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It → build → County
Over the years, the house survived more than two centuries of American history.
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house → survive → history
It was later left empty, and its owners said it faced neglect and the spread of suburban development.
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it → leave → development
Christian Neeley and his family bought the house and planned to move it to a new home along the Wye River in Queenstown.
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Neeley → buy → Queenstown
The goal was to preserve the historic building instead of allowing it to be lost to development.
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it → preserve → development
Moving such a large brick house created major challenges.
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Moving → move → challenges
According to Chesapeake Bay Magazine, the house first had to travel about six miles by road to Easton Point before it could be loaded onto a barge.
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it → accord → barge
The land route required road closures and careful planning because of the house's size.
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route → require → size
Water transport then became the main part of the journey.
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transport → become → journey
The barge carried the house about 50 miles through the Chesapeake Bay to Queenstown.
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barge → carry → Queenstown
Preparing a 400-ton house for open water
Before the house could be moved, crews had to support the structure and prepare it for the journey.
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crews → prepare → journey
The house was lifted and placed on a large flatbed truck for the first part of the move.
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house → lift → move
Expert House Movers handled the road portion of the project.
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Movers → handle → project
The company moved the house in four stages over four nights, beginning September 9, 2019.
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company → move → September
The slow-moving truck traveled through local roads and across Route 50 and Route 322.
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truck → move → Route
The house eventually reached Easton Point, where workers prepared to move it onto a large barge.
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workers → reach → barge
The loading process faced a problem when the barge developed ballast issues and began to tip.
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barge → face → issues
A larger boat was needed to help with the operation.
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boat → need → operation
Workers built temporary ramps from flat pieces of wood and lumber so the house could move from land onto the barge.
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house → build → barge
The loading process took about eight hours and required careful maneuvering.
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process → take → maneuvering
The water journey began after tugboats pulled the barge carrying Galloway House into the Chesapeake Bay.
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tugboats → begin → Bay
According to Chesapeake Bay Magazine, the barge traveled down the Tred Avon River before heading around Tilghman Island and through Eastern Bay toward the Wye River.
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barge → accord → River
The sight of a 400-ton, two-story brick mansion traveling on a barge attracted attention from people around Maryland.
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sight → travel → Maryland
Local residents and boaters watched the unusual trip from shore and from the water.
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residents → watch → water
The crew also had to watch for navigation hazards, including shallow areas and sandbars.
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crew → have → areas
A TowBoat U.S. vessel stood by to provide local knowledge to the tugboat captain during the journey.
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vessel → stand → journey
The house left Easton Point on September 25, 2019.
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house → leave → September
It then continued toward its new location in Queenstown.
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It → continue → Queenstown
After reaching the new waterfront property in Queenstown, the crew faced another difficult task, getting the 400-ton house off the barge and onto land.
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crew → reach → land
The house was moved from the barge onto its new property, where it could be placed on a new foundation.
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it → move → foundation
The Neeley family planned to restore the historic structure and make it a permanent family home.
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it → plan → structure
According to reporting about the move, the house was intended to be carefully restored while preserving its historic character.
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house → accord → character
The Neeley family also planned additions to the building for the new property.
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family → plan → property
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
