Marsh Lure

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Hunting Party Marsh Lure, c. 1930, Nabb Research Center, June Pettit Collection, 2017.036

In the 1920s, Mr. and Mrs. Wagner and their friends Mr. and Mrs. Harry Kouwenhoven, wealthy couples who maintained principal residences in New York City, purchased adjoining properties for waterfowl hunting at the end of Figgs Landing Road on the Chincoteague Bay outside of Snow Hill, Maryland. Until construction on their homes was complete, the couples stayed at the hotel in nearby Public Landing.

The Wagners’ property was at the end of the road, and a large portion of it consisted of marsh and woodland, all bordering the bay. The home was a modest cottage with furnishings that were eclectic and sophisticated but welcoming and comfortable. The larger Kouwenhoven home, on a cleared lot, was more traditional and formal and remains a residence. The two couples continued to use these residences for many years.