Herrington Harbour South - late 1900's		Herrington Harbour North - late 1900's

In the Beginning

(1947 – 1978) Rose Haven Yacht Club

(1978 – present) Herrington Harbour Marinas

Come 1977, the marina beaches were abandoned, piers were falling into the water, trash littered the eroding shorelines, buildings were in disrepair and the lodging facilities were vacant and vandalized.  Steuart Chaney stood on the beach one afternoon and looked out onto the marina.  It presented itself to have little to no development potential, but for Chaney it was a place to start a marina.  “I remember standing there and getting chills,” Chaney said.  He left his engineering position at Westinghouse and purchased the marina with 3 partners.  He named it Herrington Harbour after the aforementioned Herrington tract and town of Herrington on Herring Bay.

It took 3 years to transform the marina and its facilities into the largest marina on the Chesapeake Bay.  What was once the Rose Haven Yacht Club building (built in 1948) was cleared of overgrown grass and trees and subsequently became the Herrington Harbour Restaurant and Lounge.  The Inn was renovated and began to offer lodging to Bay visitors whether they were visiting family or here for a weekend fishing trip.  Dual championship tennis courts were added next to the Inn and were within walking distance from the renovated Olympic sized swimming pool.

With years of neglect, the Entrance Channel had silted in leaving barely enough depth for a rowboat to pass.  Work to the channel was a top priority.  First, it was widened at the entrance to the harbour, a jetty that was only visible at low tide was built up and a second jetty was added on the west side to provide smooth cruising in and out of the marina. 

Most importantly of all, close detail to preserving the Bay and the natural surroundings became top priority.  Walkways around the perimeter of the harbour built in the late 40's also doubled as bulkheads to help prevent shoreline erosion.  They were falling apart and the shoreline was eroding along with them.  The Chaney's tore out the dilapidated walkways, removed old boat shells, disposed of all the trash and moved the walkway up on shore away from the water.  Natural marsh species were then planted along the water's edge which serve as a natural storm water runoff filter and provide a natural habitat for wildlife.  Acres of marsh grasses have been planted over the past 30 years.

Dock and facility renovations continued and in 1982, the Chaney's expanded the business with the purchase of Forces of Nature Harbour in Deale, MD and named it Herrington Harbour North.  The harbour was dredged, piers were rebuilt, boat slips were added and the yacht yard was improved to accommodate haul-out services and land storage for 1,500 boats.  Together, both of the marinas offered close to 1,000 boat slips in the 80's. 

Today, the marinas maintain a total of 1,200 slips complete with all of the first class services and amenities that a power boater or sail boater could desire.  Numerous national and local awards have been won for environmentally sensitive redevelopment.  The Herrington Marinas are highly sought after locations for boaters, weddings, catered events and dining. 

Herrington Harbour South		Herrington Harbour North