In this free public concert, Pres Harding, the grandson of renowned boatbuilder Bronza Parks, will perform original music and regional classics inspired by his experiences growing up in the maritime community of Wingate, MD, in the mid-20th century.
Once a center for boatbuilding and waterman culture in Lower Dorchester County, Wingate dwindled in the latter part of the 20th century. Harding’s personal stories, along with hundreds of family photographs on view during the performance, document the life and work of the community. The photos will later by archived in the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s permanent collection. Pres will be joined by vocalist Jodie Littleton of Chestertown.
Bronza M. Parks produced 438 boats in his boatyard in Lower Dorchester County. The “Sister Skipjacks”—Lady Katie, Martha Lewis, and Rosie Parks—hold special meaning for Pres’s family because they were named for special people. Katie was his grandmother, and Martha and Rosie were his great-grandmothers.
A Boy in the Boatyard
Wingate Stories with Pres Harding
Saturday, October 27, 2 p.m.
Sultana Holt Center, Chestertown, MD
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