About Us

Ship’s Company’s is a Baltimore and Washington D.C.-based living history group dedicated to interpreting the history of the US Navy. Our core areas of focus include Navy sailors, Marines, and maritime-adjacent civilians for the following periods:

American Revolution -- 1772-1783
War of 1812 -- 1812-1815
American Civil War -- 1861-1865

What Ship’s Company Does

As we are based in the greater DC-Baltimore region, the sailors and marines of Ship's Company's War of 1812 Contingent focus largely on portraying landing parties, land-based naval artillery, and cutter operations of the 1813-1814 Chesapeake Campaign in collaboration with area historic sites and museums. The unit also provides educational displays and period sailor activities to schools and groups. 

Our 26’ cold-moulded wooden cutter (read more on the Boats page) is the newest jewel of the unit. Based on a ship’s boat of the early to mid 19th century, she takes ten double-banked rowing stations and a coxswain, with room in the bow to mount a King howitzer. Ship’s Company has regular rowing and sailing days both in kit and modern clothing in Annapolis and Baltimore, where unit members practice crewing her and have fun on the water.

Ship’s Company women and civilians attend many military-focused events and put on additional events of  their own to portray the naval contractor system used to supply the US Navy, highlighting the roles of early American businesswomen, tailors, seamstresses, sailmakers, brewers, and millers. Ship’s Company also attends the annual War of 1812 Grand Tactical, typically held in upstate NY or Canada, and has an annual War of 1812 Day on USS Constellation in Baltimore to commemorate the original frigate’s early history. 

Get in touch

We are based in the mid-Atlantic and work with museums, historic sites, and schools to provide a variety of programs, including naval artillery, life on a frigate, operation of ship’s boats, and civilian production of naval goods. Come join us in teaching this history!

Contact our volunteer coordinator ▸