''L. A. Dunton'' is a National Historic Landmark fishing

schooner A schooner () is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail schoon ...

and museum exhibit located at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Mystic, Connecticut. Built in 1921, she is one of three remaining vessels afloat of this type, which was once the most common sail-powered fishing vessel sailing from New England ports. In service in New England waters until the 1930s and

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

into the 1950s. After a brief period as a cargo ship, she was acquired by the museum and restored to her original condition.

History

''L. A. Dunton'' was modeled after a ship (the now shipwrecked ''

Joffre Joseph Jacques Césaire Joffre (12 January 1852 – 3 January 1931) was a French general who served as Commander-in-Chief of French forces on the Western Front from the start of World War I until the end of 1916. He is best known for regroupi ...

'') designed by

Thomas F. McManus Thomas Francis McManus (September 11, 1856November 14, 1938) was a fish merchant who became a naval architect, who introduced a shortened bowsprit and long stern overhang to make his vessels faster. He was well known for revolutionizing the Glou ...

, one of the most influential naval architects of fishing vessels of the early 20th century. She was built at the A.D. Story Shipyard in Essex, Massachusetts, and launched in 1921. She is one two surviving vessels built at that shipyard, and was among the last large, purely sail-powered fishing vessels built. She was named for Louis A. Dunton, a sailmaker who was one of the investors in the syndicate that commissioned her construction. Even though gasoline engines for auxiliary power were by then a common addition to such vessels, ''Dunton'' was not initially outfitted with one. and
''Dunton'' service life in the New England fisheries was about ten years. She was sold in 1934 to Aaron Buffett of

Grand Bank, Newfoundland Grand Bank or 'Grand Banc' as the first French settlers pronounced it, is a small rural town in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador, with a population of 2,580. It is located on the southern tip or "toe" of the Burin Peninsula (als ...

, and served in the Newfoundland cod fishery of the Grand Banks into the 1950s. Buffett removed her rigging and installed a wheelhouse, effectively converting the ship into a ketch with two small sails. In 1955 she was sold out of the fishing fleet, and was converted for use as a coasting cargo ship. Changes to support this used resulted in the removal of most of her interior joinery. She was acquired by the Mystic Seaport Museum in 1963. An initial restoration in 1963-65 returned the

rig Rig may refer to: Objects and structures * Rig (fishing), an arrangement of items used for fishing * Drilling rig, a structure housing equipment used to drill or extract oil from underground * Rig (stage lighting) * rig, a horse-drawn carriage ...

and

stern The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Ori ...

to their original configuration, while subsequent restorations between 1974 and 1985 returned her to a more fully authentic appearance. ''Dunton'' was declared a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Description

''Dunton'' is a two-masted wooden-hulled schooner, with a rounded bow and bowsprit. She has two topmasts with a height of . Her body is long, with a total vessel length of about . Her beam is and her draft is . She displaces 188 long tons, with a registered tonnages of 134 gross and 94 net tons. The woods used in her construction include white pine, yellow pine, white oak, and maple, with interior joinery of sycamore and white pine. Her standard rigging included a mainsail, foresail, gaff topsails, fisherman staysail, forestaysail, jib, and jib topsail. She was built with space for a gasoline motor and shaft, one was not installed until 1923. Below decks, there are crew spaces for fifteen in the forecastle, and the main fish hold was amidships. The captain's cabin was located aft, and had space for five crew; it was a not uncommon practice in the egalitarian New England fishing crews for a captain to bunk and dine with his men. ''Dunton'' is located at a berth on the Mystic River near the Mystic Seaport visitors center. Docked just to her north is the steamer ''Sabino'', also a National Historic Landmark. She is no longer fully rigged, owing to her significantly deteriorated condition, but is still operated as a museum exhibit. Mystic Seaport Museum is planning a major renovation beginning in 2022.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:L. A. Dunton (Schooner) National Historic Landmarks in Connecticut Museum ships in Mystic, Connecticut Individual sailing vessels Tall ships of the United States Schooners of the United States Ships built in Essex, Massachusetts Ships on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut Fishing ships of the United States National Register of Historic Places in New London County, Connecticut Historic district contributing properties in Connecticut

History

Description

See also

References

External links