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Benjamin F. Packard

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Benjamin F. Packard
1900 photograph of Benjamin F. Packard by Charles E. Bolles
History
United States
BuilderGoss, Sawyer & Packard, Bath, Maine
LaunchedNovember 15, 1883
FateScuttled on May 18, 1939
General characteristics
Length244 ft 2 in (74.42 m) LOA
Draft43 ft 4 in (13.21 m)

Benjamin F. Packard was an American Down Easter ship constructed in 1883. She was the last surviving Down Easter until her scuttling in 1939.[1][2]

History

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Maritime career

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Benjamin F. Packard in Chignik, Alaska circa 1912

Benjamin F. Packard was launched in Bath, Maine on November 15, 1883. She was named for her shipwright.[3] She was primarily used as a cargo ship during her career.[4] She held a reputation as a "hell-ship."[2]

On April 17, 1911, she was one of three ships that blew ashore in Chignik, Alaska. She was repaired and returned to service.[5]

The Benjamin F. Packard declined in use in the 1920s, undergoing a final voyage as a barge in 1927.[6] The historic value of the ship was noted at the time, and the press called for her to be saved.[7][8] She was ultimately sold as an "antique" in 1929.[9]

Playland

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Benjamin F. Packard was brought to Playland in 1930, where she was repurposed into an attraction.[10] Among other things, she was depicted as a pirate ship and used as a dancing area.[11]

Scuttling

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The 1938 New England hurricane seriously damaged the Benjamin F. Packard. It was determined that the ship could not be saved. She was scuttled off of Long Island Sound on May 18, 1939.[12] Parts of her can still be seen at Edith G. Read Wildlife Sanctuary in Rye, New York at low tide.[13][14]

Legacy

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The cabin and its furnishings were saved and were taken by Mystic Seaport, where they remain to this day. They are used to teach the history of the New England cargo trade.[15][16] Some artifacts are also at the Maine Maritime Museum.[17]

The home of her namesake in Bath, Maine was turned into a bed and breakfast.[3]

The decision to scuttle rather than save the final Down Easter is used as a case study on why vessels are or are not preserved.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Kortum, Karl (1987). "Why Do We Save Ships?". APT Bulletin: The Journal of Preservation Technology. 19 (1): 30–33. doi:10.2307/1494175. ISSN 0848-8525.
  2. ^ a b Lubbock, Basil (1987). The Down Easters: American Deep-Water Sailing Ships, 1869-1929. New York: Dover Publications. ISBN 978-0-486-25338-1.
  3. ^ a b "The Benjamin F. Packard". Benjamin F. Packard House. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  4. ^ Matthews, Frederick C. (1987). American Merchant Ships, 1850-1900. New York: Dover Publications. ISBN 978-0-486-25538-5.
  5. ^ "Three masted sailing ship Benjamin F. Packard, Chignik, Alaska, April 1911". Washington University Digital Collections. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  6. ^ "Cabin of the Ship Benjamin F. Packard | Penobscot Bay History Online". Penobscot Bay History. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  7. ^ Patterson, Charles R. (1925-11-01). "Save Wooden Ship". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  8. ^ "Nautical". The New Yorker. 1926-04-16. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2024-06-01.
  9. ^ "Noted Clipper Ship to Be Sold as an 'Antique'; Benjamin F. Packard Goes on Block Here Dec. 4". The New York Times. 1929-11-23. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  10. ^ "Long Island Sound, aka The Devil's Belt". Rye Record. 2017-04-01. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  11. ^ Burke, Kathryn (2008-05-14). Playland. Arcadia Publishing Library Editions. ISBN 978-1531634636.
  12. ^ "SV Benjamin F. Packard (+1939)". Wrecksite. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  13. ^ Schreck, Tom (2015-01-13). "Old Railroads, Speakeasies, And Shipwrecks—Tom Schreck Answers Your Westchester County Questions". Westchester Magazine. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  14. ^ "Whats that in the Sand? The Benjamin F. Packard Boat Spine at Edith Read". Friends of Read Wildlife Sanctuary. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  15. ^ Cura, Jamie (2016-04-12). "Mystic Seaport Museum Receives Grant for Captain's Cabin on Merchant Ship". Stonington-Mystic, CT Patch. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  16. ^ Cole, Diane (2001-05-04). "Car-Free; Mystic, Harpooned for Posterity". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
  17. ^ Timm, Sarah (2020-04-23). "Quaran-Things: Silverplated Ewer". Maine Maritime Museum. Retrieved 2024-05-31.
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