Williams Wharf Landing is the home of the latest LOVE sign in Mathews County. The design honors the deep maritime and shipbuilding tradition of Williams Wharf, the East River and Mathews County.
Visitors to the LOVE sign can use a QR Code to learn more about this history and the traditional tools of the trade. Located at 1039 Williams Wharf Road, Williams Wharf Landing is open to the public from sunup to sundown daily.
Thousands of ships were built on the banks and surrounding areas of the East River. Between 1790 and 1820, one in three vessels built in Virginia were built on these very shores. Countless men and women brought their special trades to bear, with 30 different kinds of craftsmen, including shipwrights, carpenters, blacksmiths, caulkers, carvers, sailmakers, chandlery and ropemakers, needed to bring the ship to service.
The design memorializes and celebrates these traditional trades and talents with a LOVE sign where each letter depicts a tool from those craftspeople.
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