Have you heard of Holland Island? This Chesapeake Bay island was once the home of watermen, farmers, and their families in the 1800s to early 1900s. As erosion took over the land, all of the inhabitants were eventually forced to move, mostly to the nearby town of Crisfield and Deal Island. Although it’s abandoned today, you can still spot remnants of life.

Recently we featured drone footage over this now abandoned area, but today, we’re getting a more up-close view of what remains. Check out the fascinating photos below.

Maryland's Holland Island is only reachable by boat but today you can get an up-close view with the following images.
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While all of the former homes here were either disassembled and moved, or collapsed into the bay...
Flickr / baldeaglebluff
...remnants of life still remains. Pull up your virtual boat, and let's go exploring.
Flickr / baldeaglebluff
What's left of Holland Island is marshy areas and beaches, mostly overtaken by pelicans and swarms of mosquitoes.
Flickr / baldeaglebluff

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Two old graveyards can still be found on the island, one in a more wooded area...
Flickr / baldeaglebluff
...and another in an open field. It's beautifully eerie.
Flickr / baldeaglebluff
Due to the spongy land, the tombstones are mostly sunken into the ground or toppled over. Of the few that you can still read, you'll find that most date back to the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Flickr / baldeaglebluff
Here's the headstone of Effie Wilson, Jan. 16, 1880 - Oct. 12, 1893. A portion says:

Forget me not is all I ask
I could not ask for more,
Than to be cherished by my friends
So loving and so dear.
Flickr / baldeaglebluff
We won't forget Holland Island and residents that remain left behind. Although now desolate, this sinking piece of history is an important part of Maryland's past.
Flickr / baldeaglebluff

Holland Island may be hard to reach but there are plenty of other local gems to explore. Check out 10 Staggeringly Beautiful Places In Maryland That Will Always Be Waiting For You. Happy adventuring!

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