The date is “tattooed” on the whiteboards at St. Mary’s County Public Works & Transportation: March 25, 2027, Maryland Day. County staff told the Commissioners of St. Mary’s County on Oct. 6 that the new St. Clement’s Island Museum in Coltons Point is still aimed at that opening, even as weather, a foam insulation dispute and contractor extension requests put pressure on the calendar.
Director of Public Works Jon Norris described a building that is visibly taking shape. Roof trusses and sheathing are installed, exterior walls are framed, and doors are going in. The project is the rebuild of the museum that began with the August 2025 groundbreaking, and county staff said it remains on budget. The contract with W.M. Davis is valued at about $4.4 million, and the county has put total project cost near $6.3 million, according to prior county announcements.
A schedule that is already slipping
The contract completion date is Dec. 17, 2026. Staff said that date will likely move to January, and contractor extension requests have reached as far as April. Norris said he is pushing back on those requests. A county notice puts the interior target at Jan. 22, 2027; confirm which date is current. Weather has been a factor, and staff said some work has been done out of sequence, with submittals still catching up. Staff also described a shoring issue with the water tank, while noting the foundation pylons went in and an underground tank was removed quickly.
Fire suppression without public water
The site has no public water, so the building must carry its own fire protection. Staff said that means an enlarged water tank and a 50-horsepower pump required by code, features that drew questions from commissioners about cost and maintenance.
The foam insulation dispute
A commissioner relayed a secondhand account that an inspector had concerns about foam insulation on the building. Norris said the product is not UV-stabilized and that the manufacturer is being consulted. No ruling has been made. The Chronicle has not independently confirmed the inspector’s concerns.
Pressure for more crews
A commissioner asked whether weekend work or a second crew could protect the Maryland Day goal. Staff did not commit to either on the record, according to the transcript.
Background
The building is a two-story structure of roughly 9,450 square feet (some meeting remarks said “more than 10,000”; the Chronicle uses the county’s figure). It will house exhibits developed with the Smithsonian and Piscataway partners and replaces the facility that construction halted in March. Water taxi service to the island is slated to return in March 2027, and the museum’s First Landing Festival is already on the calendar. The county’s announcement has more on the project.
