Tad DuPont, owner of the Old Mill in St. Michaels, is a man of many talents. Mr. DuPont has also made it his life’s work to make the town of St. Michaels, MD a better place to live. So, in his latest venture, Mr. DuPont is planning to combine his love for rare and antique automobiles with his mission to better the local community.
During our recent trip to St. Michaels, our good friend Tad, gave us the grand tour of what will eventually be the home of the Classic Motor Museum in St. Michaels, MD. The Classic Motor Museum will be a non-profit and DuPont has vowed that all profits will be donated to local causes. Just some of these beneficiaries include: the local food bank, after-school programs for the children of the community, the police department, CASA, and the community pool. The old building located right next to the Classic Motor Museum will become a library and classroom offering educational programs to teach interested people about restoring a classic car.
DuPont’s plan is for the museum to have between 18 and 21 cars on the premises at any given time. One-third of the museum’s stock will be pre-World War II cars and limos. Another third of the stock will be post-World War II sports cars such as MG, Austin-Healey, and Porsche. The final third of the stock will be specialty vehicles such as Corvettes, Mustangs, Jeeps, and rat rods. Every six months, DuPont will swap out a third of the vehicles so the inventory is always fresh and exciting.
Having not even opened the doors, yet, DuPont already has quite a stock of impressive vehicles (many of which have been graciously donated to the cause). Just one of the awesome vehicles he’s gotten his hands on includes a 1920 Buick convertible. This specific car was the very first car to drive across the Bay Bridge back in 1952. The car was donated by a local family that is excited that DuPont wants to give back to the community and, miraculously, the car still runs! DuPont is also going to be receiving a 1932 American LaFrance fire truck.
The museum has been built on the site of one of the Old Mill buildings. While the building itself is new, it was built in an old style. The barn is built using peg construction which means that there are no nails and screws holding the building in place. Wooden pegs are used to connect the pieces of wood and over time the wooden rafters, beams, and pegs dry to become fused.
DuPont is hoping to have the museum open by this spring but he still needs to raise $50,000 more to complete the project. Those wanting to learn more or donate to DuPont’s cause can visit the Classic Motor Museum website here. DuPont told us, “this town has a very big divide between the haves and have nots. My hope is to generate income for the local economy and give back.” The ShoreBread team commends Mr. DuPont for all his hard work and admires his desire to want to better his community – one cool car at a time!
