The "Chincoteague Heritage Project" Wants to Preserve the History of the Island

CHINCOTEAGUE, Va.- Most people on Delmarva are well aware of the stories about the Chincoteague ponies but for those who call the island home, the history of Chincoteague goes far beyond the beloved icons. Now, a group of volunteers are working to ensure the unique island's history is preserved for many generations to come. 

Denise Bowden had the idea of starting a historical society for years. 

"It's something I always wanted to do," says Bowden. "Being a fifth generation on this island, you know, this means a lot to me." 

With some help from other volunteers, including Cindy Faith, coordinator of the

, Bowden decided to start the "Chincoteague Historical Project."

"We're in the very early stages," says Bowden. "We had a meeting about it and, I'm going to be creating a Facebook page."

already has over 500 members, filling up with photos of the island and its people. 

"This community here is so special in our traditions and in our ways," says Bowden. "For me it's about preserving the knowledge because we're losing out." 

Faith says the goal is to preserve the rich history that can be found on the island's downtown streets. 

"If we don't do it who will?" says Faith. "We have many properties in the downtown area that have had multiple businesses in that location or had had historical events that had happened at that place or the surrounding areas." 

Like the iconic Atlantic Hotel and the history behind the only house left in the downtown area. 

"We also have the former Hotel Russel," says Faith. "We have homes that have historical value, we have houses that were barged over from the Assateague Village that we think should be highlighted." 

One of the proposals under discussion is placing signs identifying such locations with a photograph of what the structure used to look like. 

"Nothing too complicated, just a way to let people know about our history," says Bowden.    

Bowden says that more than 30 people showed up for the first meeting. She hopes to hold another one sometime in the coming months.       

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