The front door of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Michael’s, Maryland, is “watched” by a pair of cast iron statues of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, but to appreciate their significance, we have to go backwards in time.

George Hayward and David Bartlett were not only enthusiastic sportsmen who for generations had owned three ducking shores (clubs) on the Chesapeake Bay, they were also the owners of the Hayward, Barlett & Company cast iron stove business. Back in the 1850s, it was fashionable to decorate one’s lawn, carriage lane or house entrance with cast iron statues of animals. It’s not surprising, then, that Haywards and Barlett had cast iron statues made of the progenitors of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, “Sailor” and “Canton” to display as mascots for their business.

The first statue was placed at the Light Street office and later moved to join its mate at the ironworks Scott & Pratt St. location. Incredibly, the statues were thrown into a scrap heap in 1899 when new offices were built. Some people are superstitious, and when the company fell on hard times in the early 1900s, the partners blamed it on the fact that “Sailor” and “Canton” weren’t around to attract good fortune. The statues were retrieved (ha, a pun) and re-installed at the entrance of the offices. Guess what? Prosperity returned.

There were other iron statues, as well. From the Chesapeake Bay Retriever Club of America’s website:

“Other iron statues similar to Hayward, Barlett & Co’s “Sailor” and “Canton” can be found at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum (1 statue); the Westfield Memorial Hospital in Westfield, NY (a pair); and at one time, one could be seen near the Eagle Antique Shop in Eagle, PA. The Westfield pair is painted completely black and was also rescued from a scrap heap in April 1955. The following regarding the Westfield pair was excerpted from Barbara Berry’s article in the May/June 1978 ACC Bulletin.

“‘The late Hubert Thompson, then Editor of the Westfield Republican, organized the fund needed to purchase back the dogs from a Mr. Oley Benson of 471 Delaware Aye, Buffalo who had in turn purchased them from a Mr. Callahan. The dogs had originally been given as a contribution to the scrap drive during the World War II effort.

“The Spencer home, which became the Westfield Hospital, was built by Dr. John Spencer, a noted agriculturist, in1853. It is thought the dogs, of a hollow cast iron, were apart of the original embellishments of the Spencer estate as the home and the dogs, positioned now in front of the building, are pictured in an 1881 atlas.

“The hospital opened as a 17 bed facility on August 29,1942. In the article of1955 when the dogs were returned to Westfield, it states, ‘They will be painted black and relocated on the lawn of the Westfield Memorial Hospital. If the time comes when they are no longer wanted there they will be placed on the Westfield Academy and Central School lawn.’

“About every person who grew up in Westfield can relate a tale told them about the iron dogs. “They bark every time the fire whistle blows” was a favorite story told the youngsters. Since they were inanimate objects and never did hear the fire whistle blow, this was not an untruth.

“Many a youngster has sat astride the mastiffs and as can be observed, the iron statuary was fashioned to give the dogs a friendly facial expression.”

Image of the original statues found on Pinterest and happily credited upon receipt of information