Susan Morreale contributes:
Hi Everyone!
You may have noticed the historical house plaque on the front of the hotel building showing an image of a schooner.
The plaques were designed in 1986 in a tombstone shape with a silhouette of the Ernestina in the arch. It will be be among those schooners featured in the Schoonerfest this weekend.
Ernestina was originally launched in 1894, restored in 1987, designated the official vessel of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1994 (original name: the Effie M. Morrissey) and named a National Historic Landmark in 1990 by the United States Department of the Interior. She is owned by the state of Massachusetts and is part of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.
Gloucester antique house historian, Prudence Fish (1935 – 2022), photographed the Ernestina in 1986 when it was in Gloucester harbor and submitted it as the logo for Gloucester Historical Commission (GHC) historical house plaques. As part of the Historical Commission, Pru oversaw the creation and distribution of the approximately 100 plaques throughout Gloucester, until her death last year.
The GHC historical house plaque project will be resumed this fall and continue to include a hand-painted silhouette of the Ernestina.
– Susan
ERNESTINA-MORRISSEY
Homeport: New Bedford, MA
Length on Deck: 106 ft
Schoonerfest Location: Maritime Gloucester
Launched in 1894 at the James & Tarr shipyard in Essex as the Effie M. Morrissey named for Captain/owner William Morrissey’s daughter. She has lived her life out fishing the Grand Banks, exploring the Arctic, as a packet ship on Cape Verde and finally as an educational vessel. She was just re-launched this past Spring after nearly a decade of work to bring her back to life and continue her work as the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ official sailing vessel.
– ERNESTINA earned an award in 1987 from the National Trust for Historic Preservation for “outstanding commitment to excellence in historic preservation.”
– In 1990, the Secretary of the Interior designated ERNESTINA a National Historic Landmark and listed her as in “excellent” condition.
– In 1997, the U.S. Congress established New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park and included ERNESTINA as part of the park.
http://www.ernestina.org/about/about-ernestina/history/
http://www.ernestina.org/
LIST OF 2023 SCHOONERS: https://www.maritimegloucester.org/sf-schooners
Massachusetts State Vessel: https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/massachusetts/state-vessel-aircraft-landmark/ernistina#google_vignette
Good Morning Gloucester 