1998 Marina of the Year

Haven Harbour Marina was built on the verdant banks of history, in a quiet inlet of the Chesapeake Bay known as Swan Creek. History is hinted at in the old-world spelling of the marina’s name. It’s respectfully retold in the marina’s brochures, which trace the area’s commercial fishing heritage back to the early 1700s. And it’s memorialized in the on-site Waterman’s Museum, an homage to the oyster and crab industry that shaped the Bay’s identity.

History is also important to Bill Brawner, whose family first came to Maryland in 1631. Brawner, who developed a love of boating during childhood summers at Cape May and Martha’s Vineyard, is president of the Washington-based real estate management company that purchased the marina in 1986. The Brawner Co. dredged the entire marina, rebuilt the docks and renovated the main buildings while retaining the character and charm of the community.