On the waterfront to your left is Oxford’s other great attraction - the Oxford Bellevue Ferry. It is believed to be the oldest privately owned, free-running ferry in the country. The original charter from 1683 said that the ferry was to take “men, materials and animals” from Oxford to a plantation across the river. Supplies were also needed from Oxford by the plantations and businesses on the other side of the Tred Avon River. The service began as a simple barge, powered by a 14-foot oar with some help from a small sail. During the 17-century, travel by water was much easier and less dangerous than traveling by road.
Ferry service ran continuously until the Revolutionary War, but when Independence brought an end to Oxford’s fortunes and a decline in her population, it brought a halt to ferry operations. The ferry restarted in the eighteen thirties as Oxford’s boom years returned with the rise of the oyster industry. A complete history of the Oxford ferry is presented on the ferry itself. Take a ride (April through November), enjoy the beautiful view of Oxford from the water and learn more about the ferry’s history.
One strange historical footnote: an historian once believed that the words “men, materials and animals” in the original charter meant quite literally that no women were allowed on the ferry. This seems like an odd conclusion, especially since numerous owners and captains of the ferry over the decades - including the current one - have been women. One of these women, Judith Bennett, outlived three husbands to keep the boat running through the early 18th-century.
From here you may choose to take a pleasant walk along the tree-lined Strand (Stop #16) and the historic sites at the foot of Tilghman Street (Stop #17, 18, 19, 20) or you can double back on Morris Street, turning left at the head of Tilghman Street, then walking down to the waterfront.
