CHARLESTOWN, Md. — Images show the intense flames, which destroyed much of the historic, two-story home, which had been a fixture in Charlestown since 1792.
“I drove up there and I could see the far end of the house was on fire,” said Larry Metz, who purchased the home in 2018, “So I drove in the driveway and my first instinct was to try to get in to save my cats and I… couldn’t do it.”
Metz says the history behind Eagle Point is just as rich as Charlestown, itself, which once served as a major port and the supply depot for the Continental Army.
“You had a lot of duck hunting going on. You had a lot of different clubs and the Eagle Point was one of them, and a lot of famous carvers were in Charlestown, because they would take all these famous people duck hunting—-Teddy Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, governors, senators.”
If there’s anyone who could bring the Eagle Point back to life, it’s certainly Larry Metz who also faced a challenge when he took over the Wellwood Restaurant a few decades ago and transformed it into the popular business it is today.
A former hunt club as well, Wellwood also hosted a number of presidents from Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy, and Metz rallied it from the edge of condemnation.
“When I came back 23 years ago, it was written off,” Metz recalled, “It was sitting here. It was out of business and it was in deplorable shape.”
The restaurant now draws a few thousand patrons each weekend, which represents double the number of people who live in the entire town.
As well as serving as their home, Eagle Point had become a popular wedding venue for Metz and his partner, Angela Heckman.
“A lot of people saw on social media some of the girls that got married with us talking about all of the great memories and stuff,” said Heckman.
“A tough time?” we asked.
“Yes, it’s sad to see it go like that, but hopefully it will be back in no time,” she replied.
“Last night, I was a quitter,” said Metz, as he held back tears, “Today, we’ll get through. It’ll come back. It’s tough. It’ll be a lot of hard work, but hey, that’s what everything’s about. If it’s worth having, it’s worth working for.”
