Galesville, Md. – On September 17, 2025, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) marked a milestone with the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Truman T. Semans Center for Oyster Restoration and Innovation at the former Woodfield Fish & Oyster Co. site in Galesville, Anne Arundel County. The 2.09-acre waterfront property, steeped in the Chesapeake Bay’s seafood legacy, will transform into a hub for growing up to 50 million oysters annually, advancing restoration efforts and community engagement. The center, set to open in 2027, will bolster Maryland’s oyster recovery, a cornerstone of the region’s ecological and cultural heritage.
The site, known locally as the Woodfield Ice House, operated as a seafood packing plant from the 1930s to the 1990s, processing 150,000 gallons of shucked oysters yearly at its peak. Located along the West River, Galesville’s maritime history made it a fitting choice for CBF’s vision. The new center will house eight large tanks for growing juvenile oysters, or spat, on recycled shells, alongside space for reef ball construction and oyster gardening programs. The facility will also dock CBF’s 60-foot restoration vessel, the R/V Patricia Campbell, used to plant spat-on-shell onto sanctuary reefs across the Chesapeake Bay.
“This historic property where oysters were shucked and processed will soon become a hub for oyster education, restoration, and innovation, where oysters will return to the water and help support a healthier Bay,” said CBF Senior Vice President of Programs Alison Prost. The center will feature exhibits on the Bay’s oyster fishery and watermen, alongside sustainable design elements like solar panels, electric vehicle chargers, and living shorelines to minimize runoff, mirroring CBF’s LEED-certified facilities in Annapolis and Virginia Beach.
Named for Truman T. Semans, a founding CBF supporter, the center honors his lifelong advocacy for the Bay. At the groundbreaking, Semans, now in his 80s, reflected on his connection to oysters since childhood. “I believe the Chesapeake Bay is the single most important natural resource for people in the United States. It’s worth spending all kinds of time, effort, and fortune to keep going in the right direction,” he said. His contributions since CBF’s inception in 1967 have helped shape its mission to restore the Bay’s ecosystems.
Oysters, a keystone species, filter up to 50 gallons of water daily and create reefs that shelter fish, crabs, and other marine life. Maryland’s oyster population has tripled since 2005, driven by restoration efforts led by CBF, the Oyster Recovery Partnership, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. The state met its Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement goal in August 2025, completing sanctuaries in five tributaries, including the St. Mary’s River in Southern Maryland. Since 1998, CBF’s program has produced nearly 500 million oysters, planting them on reefs in rivers like the Patuxent and Severn.
The Truman Oyster Center will amplify these efforts, offering space for volunteers to build reef balls, recycle shells, and grow spat for distribution to oyster gardeners. These volunteers, including Southern Maryland residents from St. Mary’s, Calvert, and Charles counties, hang juvenile oysters off docks to protect them from predators and sediment before planting them on sanctuaries. “Oyster restoration is working, and we want to build off that momentum,” said CBF Maryland Executive Director Allison Colden. “The new center will offer new opportunities for innovation, scientific collaboration, and hands-on community experiences.”
Galesville, a coastal village of 600, was a seafood industry hub in the early 20th century, with Woodfield’s employing 125 shuckers to handle 800 bushels daily. Overharvesting and diseases like MSX and Dermo decimated oyster stocks by the 1990s, closing the plant. CBF’s purchase in 2024 reverses that legacy, turning a site of extraction into one of renewal. The center will engage local watermen, whose knowledge informs restoration, and host educational programs for schools like Southern High in Harwood, where students already participate in CBF’s oyster gardening.
The project aligns with Maryland’s $3 million investment in oyster recovery, supporting 10 large-scale sanctuaries. In St. Mary’s County, the St. Mary’s River sanctuary, restored with 200 million spat since 2010, filters millions of gallons daily, per University of Maryland data. Local festivals, like the U.S. Oyster Festival in Leonardtown, highlight the region’s oyster culture, drawing 10,000 visitors annually. The center’s proximity to Route 2 and its public boat ramp, closed during construction, will reopen to welcome boaters and visitors post-2027.
CBF’s green building expertise ensures the center’s sustainability. The Philip Merrill Environmental Center, certified LEED Platinum in 2001, set a global standard, and the Truman Center will follow suit with stormwater systems and native plantings. Community input from Galesville residents, many tied to watermen families, will shape programming, with public forums planned during construction. CBF’s Shady Side facility will maintain operations until the center opens.
The Chesapeake Bay’s oyster restoration, the world’s largest, has replanted billions of spat, boosting fisheries and water quality. In Southern Maryland, where oyster farming generates $1.5 million annually, the center will strengthen ties between science, industry, and community. Volunteers, critical to CBF’s 20-year program, will find expanded roles, with opportunities advertised at cbf.org.
As construction begins, CBF invites Southern Marylanders to join the effort, from shell collection in Solomons to reef-building in Leonardtown. The Truman T. Semans Center promises to be a beacon for the Bay’s recovery, blending history, innovation, and hope for cleaner waters.
