South of Snow Hill, Md. and just north of Virginia is George Island Landing, an unincorporated community in Worcester County about an hour’s drive from Ocean City. Unless you’re driving south to Chincoteague and making a detour on George Island Landing Rd., the beachy boat launch spot and the little town it’s nestled in, Stockton, are easy to miss. But the middle of nowhere is an interesting place. You just keep going until you run out of everything.
Stockton was once known as Sandy Hill, Maryland, and until the 1930s, it was a prosperous watermen’s village with commercial fishing operations and an economy that relied on their famous Chincoteague oysters. The name Stockton came in the late 1800s, after Methodist minister Thomas H. Stockton. The town was complete with three churches, a school, a hotel, a steam sawmill, a train depot, downtown stores and shops and a nearby grist mill, though a fire that started in a general store destroyed most of the town’s business district in 1906.
In 1933, the famous storm that cut the Ocean City Inlet and ultimately built Ocean City as the destination it is today, led to the rapid decline of Stockton and George Island Landing. 15 oyster packing houses were destroyed in the storm. The new Inlet in Ocean City resulted in an influx of saltwater to the Stockton bays and caused parasites that decimated the local oyster population. Most of the oyster packing houses were never rebuilt; today, however, commercial crabbing and clamming remain strong. In the 2000 census, the population of Stockton was 143.
We drove down Snow Hill Road to get to George Island Landing, first passing through another small town, Girdletree, then through Stockton. We passed its churches and cemeteries, its volunteer fire department, empty old shop buildings that might have once made up a “downtown” or at least a street corners-worth of stores, and houses, some clearly occupied and decorated for the fall and others in any stage of abandonment. There are enough cemeteries in Stockton and Girdletree to imply that there are more people buried underneath the two towns than there are people currently living above them.
It’s an Eastern Shore town through and through; it has a little bit of a deserted feel, especially in the middle of the week, and some of the houses and even commercial buildings have the look that they’re still waiting for their owners to come back, even 20 or so years later. Most of them have solid structures, some with bricks that look centuries old, and there is the promise that someone someday will come back in and reopen shop.
It’s also really beautiful, another given for small towns on the Eastern Shore. I did title this piece “Abandoned Eastern Shore” even if that is a little bit misleading. People still live here, fish here, boat here, although most of them probably don’t work here unless they’re in the commercial crabbing and clamming trade, but there are still people in the region who get to wake up and enjoy this kind of quiet, peaceful beauty every day. There’s even a bar, the Timeless Tavern, which I would love to stop in one day. If you’re someone that enjoys exploring abandoned haunts (and ignoring “No Trespassing” signs, in this case, which I’m proud to say that I did not do as I took my photos from afar), spending a few quiet hours on a canoe or finding a shady spot in nature to read a book, where your only company is the gulls and chirpy swamp insects, then George Island Landing comes highly recommended. It’s only an hour from Ocean City, but it seems like worlds away.
Great article. Read about this area in a book called Haunted MD by Ed Okonowicz. Checked on-line to follow-up and found your article. Thanks
I loved this article. I grew up in Salisbury but have been all over this area. I have lived in Teaxas since 1979 most of the time in San Antonio. So it brought back many memories and old friends that lived in Stockton. Another place we visited often when I was 6-8 years old was Public Landing. I learned to swim there! If you want to write another story, check out the Chrystal City connection to Snow Hill. A young man moved to Chrystal City from Snow Hill, married a big ranchers daughter. He became very wealthy. We built a mansion in the town therethat is a Texas Historic site and open to tours. I love history. I am in possession of one share of stock in the old Salisbury farm auction block. (Farmers trucked their crops there, they were sold by the truckload and taken to the bigger cities) it was on north Division Street just north of College Ave on the left say 1/2 mile.
Love your article and enjoy your pictures… I have been camping at Pocomoke State Park for 3 years and drive around checking out places. I love Snow Hill, Stockton, Girdletree and George Island Landing… There is so much to see.. I always stop at Twin Oaks Farm stand. Everything is always fresh and the best Jams and Jellies .. Thanks for sharing
Loved your article
I was born and raised in Stockton and continue to live in Girdletree. The picture with the school bus is captioned with shop/bank building is incorrect. The shop was actually a small grocery store known as Flemingโs IGA and I did my weekly shopping there. They had the best meats anywhere – all hand-cut by Dick Fleming. The building adjoining the IGA was the Stockton post office for many, many years. My dad owned a garage and later a small convenience store and gas station in Stockton for many years. It saddens me to see how it has become a ghost town – with no where to even get gasoline or a loaf of bread or milk. It was a great town to grow up in and raise my children in but it seems those days are gone. Thanks for the article and putting Stockton back on the map – if even for a day.
Thank you for the correction, Kathy, I’ve made a note of it.
I grew up there,I loved the story,as well as an oyster shucking house there was a crab picking and packing house,and when I was very very young my Mom & Dad had a small oyster bar/ restaurant,she was known for her clam and oyster fritters and her Md crab cakes,thank u so much for the wonderful walk back in time about a tiny little town that most have never heard of God Bless!๐โฅ๏ธ
Kristen, just read the story on George Island Landing. And, I have a couple of questions. 1.) I looked it up on Google Maps & from the satellite picture it appears that there are some boat docks or short fishing piers there. If so, can anyone fish from them? I would assume that they require the same license as the bays around OC do. 2.) What is the closest good, but cheap, restaurant?
To 1.) I would say yes, public fishing with a license. And 2.) The Timeless Tavern is the only place I saw in Stockton, and I believe that’s just a bar… But Snow Hill is only 10-15 minutes away, and they have some nice, not-too-expensive restaurants like Harvest Moon Tavern and The Blue Dog!
There is a restaurant in Greenbackville VA jus off of George Island landing . i grew up in stockton. Its a public dock for fishing and boating. The one building on the corner of the start of George Island landing acroos from firehouse used to be a pool my grandmother told me this. You used to be able to see the pool sign just to the right of the door where the little white spot is.
Kristin, I just came home from spending time in and near Greenbacknville, Va. Although not far from Md, just over the line, I would have to include it among the small towns of Girdletree and Stockton. There is an eclectic, albeit interesting restaurant in Greenbackville, on the water, called Crusty Crab. Very crusty indeed, but if looking for a restaurant with a decent menu, and interesting decor, look no farther. Definately a family experience that the children can enjoy too!
Thank you for your article on George Island. We discovered it by accident and enjoyed “going back in time” and seeing the birds, the oysters, clams, mussels and fish. It is anything but a “dead” area and we will visit it again.
The Crusty Crab restaurant in Greenbackville VA is a very nice and delicious spot not to far away from Stockton. And as you can guess, it’s SpongeBob themed!
Thank you for bringing back memories. My ex father in law owned and worked in one of those oyster houses. He also sold clams. My parents even owned one of the houses on George island landing rd.