14374 Calvert St, Solomons, MD 20688

The Business of Recreation - Capt Olaf Olsen House 14374 Calvert Street Solomons, MD Most of the 'boarding houses' in Solomons were actually guest houses that took in visitors in the summer for short stays...Boarding houses were a common feature of tidewater Maryland in the late 19th century and catered to both the traveling businessman and people on holiday. For local residents they often provided a means to supplement other sources of income. Boarding houses were given new impetus in the early 20th century with the growing popularity of sport fishing. In Avondale there was the Olsen house, run by Olaf 'Olie' Olsen (1878-1947) and his wife Cora Wroten Olsen (1883-1964). Olie, son of {Johnstown's/Avondale's first resident} John Olsen, came to the United States from Norway when he was seven. The Olsen house on Calvert Street was built in 1906 and added onto in 1923, when it became a boarding house and dining room. It operated until about 1945, and during that time most of the guests stayed for the fishing. The Olsen's son, C. Rupert Olsen, ran the charter fishing boat Irene. ...In the back of the house was a small building where Olie repaired sails and made rigging. 'The Business of Recreation.' Islands in a River: Solomons and Broomes Island, Maryland, by Richard J. S. Dodds, Calvert Marine Museum, 2008, p. 94.