Wawona
 Wawona, 2009 | |
| Career (United States) |  |
|---|---|
| Builder: | Hans Ditlev Bendixsen, near Eureka, California |
| Out of service: | 1948 |
| Fate: | Dismantled, 2009 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type: | Fore-and-aft schooner |
| Length: | 165 feet (50 m) |
| Beam: | 35 feet (11 m) |
| Draft: | 12 feet (3.7 m) |
|
Wawona (schooner) | |
 | |
|
Wawona, 2007, needing major restoration | |
| Location | Seattle, Washington |
| Coordinates | 47°37′37″N 122°20′10″W / 47.62694°N 122.33611°WCoordinates: 47°37′37″N 122°20′10″W / 47.62694°N 122.33611°W |
| Built | 1897 |
| Architect | Hans Bendixsen |
| Architectural style | Other |
| NRHP Reference # | 70000643 [1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 1 July 1970 |
| Designated SEATL | 14 March 1977[2] |
The three-masted, fore-and-aft schooner Wawona sailed from 1897 to 1947 as a lumber carrier and fishing vessel based in Puget Sound. The schooner was built near Eureka, California on Humboldt Bay by Hans Ditlev Bendixsen, who was one of the most important West Coast shipbuilders of the late 19th century. From 1897 to 1913, she carried lumber from Grays Harbor and Puget Sound ports to California. One of her captains, Ralph E. "Matt" Peasley, inspired a series of popular novels.
Wawona was 165 feet (50 m) long with a 35-foot (11 m) beam. Her masts, before being cut down, were 110 feet (34 m) tall.
She was berthed at South Lake Union Park in Seattle adjacent to the Center for Wooden Boats. She was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Washington State Heritage Register, and the vessel was an official city landmark.[3] However, after efforts to restore the decaying ship failed, she was dismantled in March 2009. In 2012 artist John Grade used parts from the ship in a massive 65-foot sculpture called, Wawona in the Grand Atrium of Seattle's Museum of History & Industry. Wood from the ship was also repurposed for use in the museum's front desk and the bar at the museum's Compass Cafe.
History
From 1897 to 1913, she carried lumber from Grays Harbor and Puget Sound ports to California.
Fishing
From 1914 until 1947, except during World War II, Wawona sailed to the Bering Sea with a crew of 36 to fish for cod. In 1935, her captain, Charles Foss, died at the wheel during a storm in the Aleutian Islands.
Restoration and dismantling
In 1964, sixteen years after the vessel's retirement, a group of Seattle citizens formed Northwest Seaport and purchased Wawona as a museum ship. The schooner was made available for public visits during her ongoing restoration.[4]
In 2006 her masts were removed for safety reasons.[citation needed]
In early 2009, it was announced that Wawona would be towed to a dry dock to be dismantled on March 2. Some of the vessel's features will be preserved as museum pieces.[5]
Wawona was hauled to the Lake Union Drydock on 4 March 2009 and has since been dismantled. The only remaining West Coast lumber transport sailing ship is C.A. Thayer, which is in San Francisco as of 2012.[6]
See also
Notes
- ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23.
- ↑ "Landmarks and Designation". City of Seattle. Retrieved 2013-03-05.
- ↑ "Landmarks Alphabetical Listing for S". City of Seattle. Retrieved 2007-12-28.
- ↑ "Historic Naval Ships Association profile of Wawona". Retrieved 2009-02-25.
- ↑ "Last voyage near for Wawona". The Seattle Times. 25 February 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-25.
- ↑ "Fate of the Lumber Schooner Wawona". Puget Sound Magazine. Retrieved 2012-08-09.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wawona (ship, 1897). |
- Jones, Gordon P. (July 1969). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory – Nomination Form". National Park Service. Retrieved 2013-03-06.
- "Accompanying Photos". National Park Service. Retrieved 2013-03-06.
- Northwest Seaport
- YouTube Video of Wawona Being Moved to Lake Union Drydock
- Photos of the ship from 1985