Town of Onancock
on Virginia's beautiful Eastern Shore
of the Chesapeake Bay

Sample of what Visitors are Saying About Onancock

My wife and I would like to express our sincere thanks to you and the citizens at Onancock for the marvelous hospitality we have received while visiting your lovely and historic town.

We had our cruising boat at the town marina from January to May and met many people from the area; their friendliness and hospitality are unsurpassed. Indeed, we were so impressed with the beauty of the area and the warmth of its residents that we knew we had to return for at least a short visit on our way south towards the Panama canal and the south Pacific. We had planned to stay only two days but we are now here for ten days and counting --- and who knows when we shall be able finally to tear ourselves away?

Since we began our cruising eleven years ago, we have visited countless seaside cities and towns in the United States and in many foreign countries as well. Some of those, such as Rio de Janeiro, are spectacular and world-famous. But while most of our stops have been interesting and worthwhile, there are very few that would appeal to us as a place to live. Onancock is one of those. We would love to live here and consider it to be truly special.

A number of residents have asked us what we, as rather widely traveled visitors, have found so attractive about Onancock. Our answer is the people, of course, but also the ambiance of this area. You enjoy a beautiful waterfront, lovely and well-tended historic properties, and that friendliness that is found only in small, well-knit communities. Sadly that type of special place is rapidly disappearing in our country.

My. wife and I are astonished at the incredible changes that have occurred in nearby parts of the United States in just the past ten years. For example, my wife grew up on the Chesapeake Bay, on Cornfield Creek off the Magothy River north of Annapolis. Her grand-parents purchased their property nearly seventy years ago and her parents built their house adjacent to it shortly before World War 11. When my wife was a youngster the area was in the country, and everyone knew everyone else. She and her two brothers went to the very same high school, Glen Burnie, as their parents.  But in the past few years, most of the land has been subdivided into small lots, houses have sprouted like mushrooms, people rarely socialize with neighbors, and there are traffic jams (!) in the mornings and afternoons. No doubt my wife's grandparents would be appalled if they could see the area today. And, for us, we have no desire to return to her homestead when we move ashore in a few years even though it is valuable waterfront property.

Of course there are those who would contend that such changes are not only inevitable but are in fact desirable; they represent progress. Perhaps so. But there are others, like us, who will leave such areas for the friendliness and safety and calm environment of the few remaining Onancocks of the world.

You must be very proud of the preservation of your historic buildings and the care you give the old town square. We are especially impressed with the Hopkins Store, the renovation of which we were fortunate indeed to witness, and the unique residences along Market Street. What a joy to stroll quietly in those areas and sense the history of days long past!

As long as the Washingtons and Baltimores and Philadeiphias and New Yorks continue to grow, there will be more people wanting to visit your historical area, some coming by car and some by boat, some wanting to live here but most wanting only to visit for a short time and then leave. Directly or indirectly those people will create pressures for change. In trying to weigh the past with the siren call of "growth and progress", I truly hope that you will be able to preserve the wonderful ambiance you enjoy. For should it erode and disappear, you will never be able to recapture it

Today we have a mobile society in which most young adults depart for other areas in order to pursue their particular dreams and to seek opportunities not available at home. That is true in large cities as well as small towns. It is unrealistic to expect that we can ever again find a community that will provide old time charm and the broad range of challenges that will induce the majority of our young people to remain at home throughout their working years. But perhaps what we can do is to foster an environment that makes our youngsters want to return to their roots sometime in their future, once again surrounding themselves with long-time friends and family, living near the familiar places where they were raised. How much more satisfying to witness that than to see them move to another location that more closely captures the town spirit they grew up to cherish, like my wife and I feel compelled to do.

Back to Home Page