The Bellevue Passage Museum project is a comprehensive effort aiming to revive the historic John U. Green Store and transform it into a museum. Bellevue is a historically Black village on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, dating back to the late 1800s. The village’s location along the Tred Avon River made it an ideal destination for seafood packing plants where many of the residents worked. Two of three total African American-owned seafood packing houses on the Eastern Shore operated out of Bellevue. Connected to the wealthy community of Oxford, MD, by the nation’s oldest privately operated ferry, Bellevue’s rich history is in danger of being overshadowed and even erased. The store, recognized in the Maryland Inventory of Historic Places, is one of Bellevue’s last significant public places.
Beyond the restoration, the project envisions a new multipurpose museum annex gallery and staff building, and a climate-resilient community garden featuring native plants, trees, and heirloom vegetables. The garden in particular pays homage to the Bellevue founders’ legacy of environmental stewardship and addresses the need for increased green space and biodiversity. This transformation seeks to create a destination connecting residents and visitors to nature while narrating the story of Bellevue as one of Maryland’s oldest self-sufficient African American maritime communities. The project’s ultimate goal is to inspire future generations and visitors by showcasing the honorable achievements of this African American community and their dedication to environmental stewardship, contributing significantly to Maryland’s rich history and economy. A Sacred Place will be incorporated into the campus to further this mission.
