Page 55 - Rukert - 100th Anniversary

PART I THE RUKERT STORY
stories Cap had told him about his decades on the Baltimore waterfront. He was quickly carried away with the project, and soon his hobby grew into a series of unexpected accomplishments.
First, with the help of Mary Helen Williams, Norman Sr. began researching the early history
of Fells Point, the oldest section of the Baltimore harbor. He was amazed to learn that Rukert Terminals’ property at Brown’s Wharf was the oldest warehouse in Baltimore and one of the oldest remaining in any U.S. port. The historic brick structure, right in the heart of Fells Point, had been in continuous operation since 1822. The four-story complex was still in beautiful condition, but was no longer ideal for everyday warehouse operations, so much of it sat idle. Norman Sr. noted that “instead of tearing it down, I decided to make it into a non-profit museum in my family’s name.” With the help of many people, especially Bud Nixon, one of the seven warehouses in the
complex was transformed into The Brown’s Wharf Maritime Museum.
The “living museum” depicted the operations of a mid-19th-century warehouse through life-sized displays of tools and equipment. The treasure chest of maritime history also featured a 10 by 12-foot miniature model depicting the houses, wharves
and streets of Fells Point in the 18th century. The museum was dedicated by Baltimore Mayor William Donald Schaefer on March 20, 1976. Norman Sr.’s passion project, which offered guests a poignant glimpse into the past, proved to be a very successful venture; the first day it was open to the public, it had 882 visitors.
Next, on July 4, 1976, to coincide with the U.S. bicentennial, Bodine & Associates published Norman Sr.’s book The Fells Point Story.
The businessman admitted that he never imagined he’d write a book, let alone have it published. Nonetheless, once he realized the story
of Fells Point wasn’t formally written, Norman Sr. said, “I guess I decided I’d be the man to tell it.”
The book, which traced the history of Fells Point
from its settlement to the present, was given positive reviews and was well-received by the public and
port community. In tandem, Norman Sr.’s book and museum were a compelling reminder of Fells Point’s importance to Baltimore and prominence in American maritime history.
In 1977, 10 years after Cap received the same award, Norman Sr. was honored with the Maritime Square Club’s Bell Award. At the ceremony, he announced that his second book, Historic Canton was already in the works.
Simultaneous to the upheaval and expansion brought about by the Fort McHenry Tunnel project, Norman Sr. continued to research and write about the Baltimore port and surrounding neighborhoods.
ABOVE:
Invitation for the Bell Award ceremony honoring Norman Sr.
LEFT: The Pier 5 complex, where operations moved from Lazaretto in the late 1970s
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