Lewis R. French (schooner)
 | |
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Lewis R. French |
| Launched: | 1871 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tons burthen: | 35 gross register tons (GRT) |
| Length: | 64.7 ft (19.7 m) (LOA) 56.6 ft (17.3 m) (LWL)[1] |
| Beam: | 18.8 ft (5.7 m) |
| Draft: | 7 ft (2.1 m) |
| Depth of hold: | 5.4 ft (1.6 m) |
|
Lewis R. French (Schooner) | |
  | |
| Location | Camden Harbor, Camden, Maine |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 44°12′38″N 69°03′46″W / 44.21056°N 69.06278°WCoordinates: 44°12′38″N 69°03′46″W / 44.21056°N 69.06278°W |
| Built | 1871 |
| Architect | French Bros. |
| Architectural style | coasting schooner |
| Governing body | Private |
| NRHP Reference # | 82005263 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 4 December 1991[2] |
| Designated NHL | 4 December 1992[3] |
Lewis R. French is a gaff-rigged topsail schooner sailing out of Camden, Maine as a "Maine windjammer" offering weeklong cruises to tourists. Built in 1871, she is the oldest known two-masted schooner in the United States, and one of a small number of this once-common form of vessel in active service. She was designated a US National Historic Landmark in 1992.
Description and history
Lewis R. French was launched in 1871 in Christmas Cove[4] in the town of South Bristol, Maine. She is 64.7 feet (19.7 m) long, has a 18.8-foot (5.7 m) beam, and draws 7 feet (2.1 m) with a full keel. Sail is her only means of power. Her frame is of double-sawn oak and her planking is white pine. Fastenings were originally treenails, but were replaced during restoration by spiking.[5]
Lewis R. French was built by brothers Lewis and Joseph French. She was named for Lewis, and Joseph was her first master. At first used in the coasting trade, she was operated as a fishing vessel between 1877 and 1888 before again returning to coasting. In 1928 her masts were removed and she was converted to engine power, with a pilot house on her poop deck. She remained in the coasting trade, carrying all manner of cargo, until 1973, when she was purchased by John Foss. He spent three years restoring the vessel to its original sailing condition and outfitting its hold for passengers. Since 1976 she has been in the tourist trade on the Maine coast.[5]
She was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991,[5] and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1992.[3] She is the oldest two-masted schooner in the United States (slightly older than Stephen Taber, also built in 1871), and is one of only two that has a full keel (the other, the Governor Stone, is also a National Historic Landmark). She is the oldest sailing ship built in Maine, and the only known surviving Maine-built schooner.[5]
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lewis R. French (ship, 1871). |
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Maine
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Knox County, Maine
- List of schooners
References
- ↑ Dean & Delgado 1990, p. 3.
- ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2007-01-23.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Lewis R. French (schooner)". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-06-25.
- ↑ "A Little History". Schooner Lewis R. French. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Dean, Nicholas; Delgado, James P. (5 October 1990). "Maritime Heritage of the United States NHL Theme Study—Large Vessels / Lewis R. French (schooner)" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- Dean, Nicholas; Delgado, James P. (5 October 1990). "Maritime Heritage of the United States NHL Theme Study—Large Vessels / Lewis R. French (schooner)" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
- "Accompanying Photos" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2012-09-04.
External links
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