“Here is the Church and Here is the Steeple…

… open the doors and see all the people.”

 

The church we’re talking about here is the Greenmanville Church at Mystic Seaport. The steeple is there and the doors are still open, but these days the only people you’re likely to see in the church are visitors like yourself.

 

It wasn’t always that way. In fact, in the 1850s, and for the next generation as well, this Seventh Day Baptist Church had a vibrant congregation of ship builders and their families. Their beliefs had them involved in all sorts of social issues such as opposing slavery and supporting the temperance movement.

 

However, when the heyday of Mystic’s shipbuilding activity declined in the 1870s and 1880s, the congregation was eventually depleted, and the church finally closed its doors in 1904.

 

Mystic Seaport acquired the church building in 1955 and it was then moved to its present location in the Museum’s Anchor Circle. At that time, the clock in the steeple was added as part of the church restoration process.

 

The clock, manufactured in 1857, is on permanent loan from Yale University where it had been located in the Old South Sheffield Hall of the Sheffield Scientific School. The elaborate clockworks that make this clock tick are quite amazing and can be viewed inside the church.

 

 As devout followers of the Old Testament, Saturday rather than Sunday was the day of worship for the Greenmanville Seventh Day Baptist congregation. Although there are no sermons delivered in the church today, many brides and grooms choose to have their wedding ceremony performed in the historic setting of the Greenmanville Church. Now isn’t that romantic! *

 

So, whether old churches capture your imagination, or old clocks intrigue you, or if you are simply a romantic at heart … there’s a pew waiting for you at Mystic Seaport’s Greenmanville Church. Come sit awhile!

 

Remember to visit our website at www.mysticseaport.org to see all of the Museum’s daily offerings.  

 

*If you would like to get married at the Greenmanville Church, please call Seamen’s Inne at Mystic Seaport at 860.572.5305.

A Four-Star Sight!

Have you seen the catalogue that advertises special order dolls made in the likeness of your child?

 

Interestingly, during the golden period of sailing in the 19^th century, most ships featured a figurehead below the bow sprit. The detailed wooden carvings were sometimes ordered to resemble the ship’s owner, his wife or even his children. However, they were a bit bigger than a doll!

 

These larger than life figureheads, considered symbols of protection and good fortune, gave an almost human personality to their respective ships. Some were graceful such as a maiden with a bouquet of flowers pressed to her breast, some were fierce looking and had glaring eyes; and those that featured children were rather charming. Eagles were also a favored figurehead of the era.

 
The carvers of these dramatic figureheads considered themselves artisans rather than artists. Their slow and tedious sculpting required great skill, and lucky for all of us, the figureheads they carved almost always outlived the ships they graced.

 

That said, Mystic Seaport acquired a dramatic collection of figureheads and ships’ carvings which, since 1934, have provided visitors with a rare chance to view these most romantic and mysterious artifacts from the age of sail.

 

The Figureheads exhibit in the Wendell Building is truly awesome – a four-star exhibit that is a must-see during your Mystic Seaport visit.

 

Check out the many winter daily happenings at Mystic Seaport at our website: www.mysticseaport.org.

A “Down Easter” Lives at Mystic Seaport!

Anyone who has ever packed a suitcase for a vacation trip has faced the dilemma: what do I really need to take along and what can I do without?  

Now, think about a ship captain’s wife, circa late 1800s, who plans to accompany her husband on a voyage of 13,000 miles or more. Keep in mind that there weren’t any cruise ship style shopping opportunities available in those days. How would you like to pack for THAT trip?

For 25 years, the Benjamin F. Packard square rigger sailed from New York, around Cape Horn, to San Francisco, then to Europe and back home to New York, loading and unloading cargo at the various ports.

The Benjamin F. Packard Cabin exhibit at Mystic Seaport offers you a peek into that bygone era of the “Down Easters” as these Maine-built ships were called.

The complete cabin restoration is a testament that the captain and officers of the Packard didn’t exactly rough it while at sea!

The cabin features beautiful woods and fine veneers, gold-leafed panels, graceful carvings and plush upholstered furniture. To be sure, when the captain’s wife accompanied him, which was not all that unusual, the captain’s day cabin would have been well decorated with a feminine touch!

By the 1900s, the glory days of the “Down Easter” fleet began to fade, and the Packard ultimately became a tourist attraction at a New York amusement park. Then the hurricane of 1938 struck the final blow to her causing irreparable damage.

Fortunately, some foresighted folks removed a variety of artifacts, including the cabin’s paneling and furnishings, and brought them to the Museum for storage and eventual rebirth in the 1970s as the Benjamin F. Packard Cabin exhibit.

Considering no “Down Easters” like the Packard have survived anywhere, it’s pretty cool that Mystic Seaport has bragging rights for this very unique exhibit. Come take a look.

Remember to check out the Museum’s winter menu of daily happenings at www.mysticseaport.org.

A “Twofer” at the G.W. Blunt White Building

Clam and scallop shells, whelks, periwinkles and moon snails – those are familiar seashells to most beachcombers. But did you know that in the  G.W. Blunt White Building at Mystic Seaport, there’s a Pocock shell suspended from the ceiling that weighs almost 30 pounds? No, it’s not a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not phenomenon. This shell isn’t a seashell – it’s a boat!

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Aptly named “By George,” this racing shell exemplifies the fine workmanship of respected designer/ builder, George Pocock. The beautifully preserved boat dominates the entry lobby at Mystic Seaport’s Rowing Exhibit and National Rowing Hall of Fame.

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Entering the Let Her Run Exhibit is stepping into a treasure trove of rowing history. Whether you’re a neophyte to the world of rowing, or actively enjoy the sport, this exhibit is bound to generate a new appreciation for this oldest of Olympic competitions. Who knows, you might just get inspired to take up the sport yourself. Rowing is considered great aerobic exercise! 

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The focus turns to sailing in the Cruising Club of America’s (CCA) Olin J. Stephens II Reading Room, where you can discover the amazing life of the America’s Cup 12-meter sailboat designer unfold before you on a video screen. During his 100-year lifetime, this man designed more than 2,000 boats, of which eight were America’s Cup winners. Take a look at the models and just imagine turning the last mark toward the finish line in one of these magnificent sailboats.

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The Let Her Run Exhibit in the National Rowing Hall of Fame coupled with the Olin J. Stephens II exhibit is a “twofer” not to be missed. Rower, sailor, nautical history buff or simply a curious person wanting to experience all Mystic Seaport has to offer the winter visitor, the G.W. Blunt White Building exhibits are a great starting point.

 

Visitors have also remarked on the beauty of the building itself. Dedicated in memory of well-known yachtsman, G.W. Blunt White, the library opened in 1965, specializing in American maritime history. Its holdings were, and still are, considered among the most significant in the nation. Most are now housed in the Museum’s Collection Research Center.

 

Well, we’ve mentioned rowing buffs, sailing buffs, nautical history buffs. Now here’s a little something for nostalgia buffs – especially those of a certain age group (ahem). Many a visitor has sentimentally touched or commented on the bank of card files in the hallway – reminiscent of libraries b.c. (before computers)!

 

You just never know what you’ll see at Mystic Seaport. Come visit and those winter doldrums will be history!

Check out the daily happenings at our website: www.mysticseaport.org.