The west facade of the Thompson Exhibition Building in March 2016. Click on the image to begin a slide show.
The beautiful curving architecture of the new Thompson Exhibition Building is shaped by a superstructure of 10 glue-laminated (‘glulam’) ribs. At 105-feet long and rising 26 feet high, these structural ribs are not only functional but they also establish the wooden ship aesthetic that is part of the building’s signature design. The all-wood superstructure is made of multiple layers of Douglas fir, glued together for strength.
Last fall, Mystic Seaport launched Framing the Future, a mini-campaign to raise $1 million for the new building. As part of the larger $15.3 million Museum in Motion Campaign, Framing the Future offered donors the opportunity to name each of the 10 glulams that support the roof and walls of the Thompson Exhibition Building and “frame the future” of Mystic Seaport.
As of the end of March, all 10 glulam support beams were committed and nearly $1 million has been pledged or given to Mystic Seaport. We are incredibly grateful to the generous donors who are supporting the Museum’s transformation.
For more information, please contact Betsy Bowman, campaign manager, at 860.572.0711, ext. 5005 or betsy.bowman@mysticseaport.org/.
The Connecticut League of History Organizations (CLHO) announced that the Noank Historical Society, Inc. is the recipient of an Award of Merit for Larry Jacobsen’s book “Celebrating the Emma C. Berry: The history and adventures of the last Noank, Connecticut fishing sloop and the people who helped her reach her 150th birthday.” The CLHO Award of Merit is a prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of Connecticut history.
The Emma C. Berry is the last known example of a well smack, a type of fishing vessel once common in the waters from Maine to Florida. She is a National Historic Landmark vessel and part of the watercraft collection at Mystic Seaport where she is a floating exhibit.
The book chronicles the boat’s history from her construction and launch in Noank in 1866, through her career fishing and carrying cargo, to her eventual arrival at the Museum in 1969.
Jacobsen, a longtime volunteer at Mystic Seaport, retired as the Chief Hull and Structures Engineer at Electric Boat in Groton. He spent several years researching the Berry and writing the book.
Penny Newbury and Louisa Watrous of the Noank Historical Society assisted in the editing and production of the book. Jacobsen passed away two months after the book was published in June 2015 at the age of 94.
The CLHO presents the Award of Merit to institutions and individuals who demonstrate the highest of professional standards, and who enhance and further the understanding of Connecticut history. The CLHO will confer 12 awards in 2016 honoring people, projects, exhibits, books, and organizations. Presentation of the awards will be made at a special ceremony during the organizations annual conference in Meriden, CT on Monday, June 6.
Mystic Seaport is planning a celebration of the 150th anniversary of the boat’s launch this summer.
“Celebrating the Emma C. Berry” is available in the Museum bookstore for $15.
Author and Historian Nathaniel Philbrick speaks to students at Bennie Dover Middle School in New London as part of the “Writing Stem to Stern” program on Monday, March 14, 2016.
Historian and author Nathaniel Philbrick kicked off the Museum’s newest education program in New London on Monday. Addressing more than 50 students gathered in the gymnasium of Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School, Philbrick talked about how he is inspired by history and the stories he gets to tell and the process he goes through to write a book.
This was the first session of “Writing Stem to Stern,” a new initiative by the Mystic Seaport Education Department to use maritime history and the resources of the Museum to help young people become better writers. Students at Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School in New London, CT, will have the opportunity to participate in the three-year program to immerse themselves in the maritime history of their city and the region to help them become better writers. Each year, 50 students will participate in various activities at the school and at Mystic Seaport that will serve as prompts for them to write about their experiences. The “Stem to Stern” program will feature Philbrick and all that he has accomplished as an author to serve as an exemplar and catalyst for these students to reach their highest potential as writers.
The learning plan includes writing workshops, field trips to Mystic Seaport for hands-on activities, and in-school interaction with chantey singers and historic role players. Students will produce a culminating writing project for presentation to Philbrick, the New London School Board, and Mystic Seaport trustees.
School officials were pleased with the reaction the first session generated.
Students in grades 6-8 will be able to participate in the three-year program.
“In addition to asking questions, students were able to relate to Mr. Philbrick’s commitment and integrity towards his work,” said Dr. Alison Burdick, principal of Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School. “We are looking forward to expanding this partnership through the thoughtful collaboration with Mystic Seaport staff, and providing our students with the opportunity of a lifetime by providing a classroom beyond the walls of our school.”
“Writing Stem to Stern” is made possible by patrons of the 2015 America and the Sea Award Gala that was held in New York City last October. The 2015 honoree was Nathaniel Philbrick, and guests at the event enthusiastically offered their support to fund the program, which was developed in consultation with Philbrick and reflects his personal passion for today’s youth to have the desire and skills to be excellent writers.
“I’ve spoken to a lot of school groups, but I have to say, the students at Bennie Dover really impressed me. They were polite, enthusiastic, curious, and asked some really great and thoughtful questions,” said Philbrick.
“This program has been fun to put together, not just because of Nathaniel Philbrick’s personal involvement and enthusiasm for the subject, but it has allowed us to marshal and use our resources in new and different ways, much as we strive to do with our Mystic Seaport for Educators website in the digital sphere,” said Sarah Cahill, director of Education at Mystic Seaport.
The west facade of the Thompson Exhibition Building in January 2016.
The Connecticut State Bond Commission has approved $2 million in state funding to assist with the construction of the Thompson Exhibition Building. The request for funding was approved at the commission’s meeting on January 29, 2016.
“Mystic Seaport was delighted to learn that our Thompson Exhibition Building project was selected for this level of state support,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “The new building gives us a state-of-the-art, world-class exhibition facility that will fortify a year-round business model and support our role as the nation’s leading maritime museum.”
The state’s investment in the Thompson Exhibition Building leverages significant support from the private sector, and strengthens the local and regional economy by enhancing Mystic’s role as a leading tourist destination.
The Thompson Exhibition Building will house a 5,000-square-foot exhibit gallery—the largest of the Museum’s seven galleries. The new building will provide the type of conditions required to permit the borrowing of outstanding art and artifacts from other museums around the world. The building will also have a visitors’ entrance, retail space, and a meeting and lecture room.
The Thompson Building is scheduled to open in September 2016.
The Interior of the Thompson Building.
“We are grateful for the support of State Senator Andrew Maynard and State Representative Diana Urban on this project. With their assistance we were able to demonstrate the project’s merits as we met with legislative leadership, state economic development officials and Governor Dannel P. Malloy,” said White. “We have likewise been grateful for the support we have received from the State Office of Economic and Community Development and Gov. Malloy’s interest in this important project.”
In a December letter to Gov. Malloy, Sen. Maynard wrote, “The Thompson Exhibition Building is central to Mystic Seaport’s ongoing transformation. The building expands the Museum’s capacity as a cultural institution, strengthens the state’s tourism industry, and adds to our ability to attract and retain top talent to the state’s workforce based on a high quality of life.”
“Connecticut’s economy benefits significantly from tourism,” said Gov. Malloy in a statement. “Under recent years, this sector of our economy has evolved into a $14 billion industry, supporting more than 80,000 direct tourism jobs statewide and continuing to grow. Mystic Seaport continues to be a major draw in the southeastern region of our state, and this project is one for which Sen. Maynard has advocated passionately. I am glad that we can continue to support the region with this grant.”
Mystic Seaport is one of the top-20 employers in Southeastern Connecticut and is a leading driver of tourism in the region and the state. The new exhibition building will add both temporary and permanent jobs, but it will also fortify a twelve-month business model for the Museum going forward.
Portions of this report were prepared from a press release from Sen. Maynard’s office.
SABINO steaming on the Mystic River. She needs a new boiler to return to operation.
This past month, Mystic Seaport made the decision to launch the 1908 steamboat Sabino without a new boiler. She has been hauled out in the Shipyard for a major restoration since December 2014. The project addresses a wide range of structural and mechanical needs, including a great deal of work on her wooden hull and superstructure.
Although the project has been progressing on schedule, it has been determined that the existing boiler needs replacement and difficulties obtaining funding and identifying a manufacturer who could take on the work have made it impossible to finish that part of the project in time for the 2016 operating season.
Sabino is now scheduled to be launched in early summer once work on her hull and superstructure has been completed. Her engine, boiler cowling, possibly her old boiler, and stack will be installed and she will appear as she always has, but she will not have an operable boiler and she will not operate at that time.
“We are disappointed in the decision we needed to make, but we believe it is in the best interest of the vessel to be launched this year and back in the public experience as a dockside exhibit,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “That is what is best for her wooden hull and it will give the public access to the vessel while we work to complete the project.”
“We maintain our commitment to returning Sabino to steam operation,” he added.
Sabino’s present boiler dates back to the early 1940s. It was installed by the US Navy when she was taken into service in World War II.
Its long term viability has been a question for a number of years and could only be properly evaluated if it was removed from the hull, disassembled, and examined by a certified boiler inspector. The result was the determination that a completely new boiler would be required. That began a broad search with the aid of industry experts for a manufacturer who could design and fabricate a boiler that would be both historically accurate and pass the standards for approval of the United States Coast Guard and meet the National Boiler Inspection Code.
“Sabino’s boiler is now a one-of-a-kind example of an archaic design, which made this a long and difficult process, and it was only at the very end of 2015 that we located an independent designer and a firm who could do the work,” said Quentin Snediker, director of the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard.
As is the case with all of the Museum’s major initiatives, the Sabino restoration relies on private and public support for funding. So far Mystic Seaport has raised $622,000 for the project, including federal and state grants totaling $520,936. The balance has come from private sources. All of these funds are being spent on the vessel’s restoration and will enable her to be launched in as complete as possible. To be able to move forward on the replacement boiler, the Museum needs to secure another $200,000, which is not available at present.
“Sabino is a National Historic Landmark and an important part of our country’s maritime heritage. We want to see her operating on the Mystic River as she has since 1973, and we encourage those who value that experience and tradition to join us in support of that goal,” said White.
The Charles W. Morgan will be open to visitors this winter and she will be part of special guided tours of the Shipyard and historic vessels on weekend days.
Mystic Seaport will return to being open to visitors year-round in 2016. From January 2 to February 12, 2016 the Museum will be open Thursday through Sunday, from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. This comes after several years being closed for the first six weeks of the calendar year.
“An important part of the strategic vision for Mystic Seaport is to be a museum that functions in all four seasons, and over the past year we have added a number of enhancements and changes to our physical plant and exhibits that enable us to offer a more robust visitor experience in the winter months,” said Steve White, president of Mystic Seaport. “This will only get more compelling when we open the new Thompson Exhibition Building later in the year.”
The programs and exhibits that will be open have been chosen with cold weather in mind. This includes the buildings and exhibit galleries on the north end of the grounds, including the Planetarium, Children’s Museum, and the 1841 whaleship Charles W. Morgan. Schaefer’s Spouter Tavern will be open for dining.
Highlights to a visit this winter are the award-winning exhibit “Ships, Clocks & Stars: The Quest for Longitude” on temporary loan from the National Maritime Museum, London, the “Voyaging in the Wake of the Whalers” exhibit, and the new Home Port children’s activity center in the P.R. Mallory Building. In addition, visitors may view the Figureheads Exhibit, the Benjamin F. Packard Ship’s Cabin, and the art exhibit by Dalvero Academy, “Journey of Transformation.”
The Planetarium will be offering free shows as part of Museum admission from January 2-February 12, 2016.
The Planetarium will have two shows: “Winter Stars and the Mariner” and “Longitude: Proof in the Pacific.” The latter is a special 35-minute program that brings ships, clocks, and stars together to follow Captain James Cook as he tests longitude solutions in the Pacific Ocean during his voyages in the 18th century. The audience can see the night sky from the island of Tahiti as Cook and the astronomers in his company seek to view the rare astronomical phenomenon known as the Transit of Venus. Planetarium shows are free and included with general admission during this time.
The Membership Building will be open to assist members and provide a hot cup of cocoa, tea, or coffee for those in need of a warm up.
There will be several special programs this winter not to miss. The Stars of the Smithsonian Lecture Series continues with Carlene Stephens, a curator at the National Museum of American History, presenting “Connecting the World in Time” on January 14. This talk explores the changing ways humankind used to connect around the globe over the centuries and draws on treasured timekeepers and their stories.
The Mystic Seaport Adventure Series returns on January 21 with USCG CWO Randall J. Rice recounting his remarkable career in “Stories of a Rescue Swimmer.”
Winter Vessel Tours showcasing steamboat Sabino, Plimoth Plantation’s Mayflower II, schooner Amistad, and the Charles W. Morgan will be offered weekends from January 2 through February 7, 2016.
During this period, the 19th-Century Village and the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard will be closed to visitors. They will reopen on February 13, 2016 for Winter’s Aweigh.
As part of this new operating plan, Mystic Seaport will offer reduced admission: Adult $19; Senior (ages 65+) $17; Youth (ages 6-17) $12; and Children (5 and younger) Free. The reduced admission is effective January 2 through February 12, 2016. Regular admission rates will apply after that time.
The Museum is very excited to return to operating year round. It is great time to see Mystic Seaport in a different way–at a great price!
A time-lapse image of the new Thompson Exhibition Building taken during construction. Click on the image to begin a slide show. (Photo by Joe Michael/Mystic Seaport)
The construction of the Thompson Exhibition Building reached a milestone this past week with the installation of the final wood beam. This completed the erection of the primary structure for the building. Each of the ten beams is 105-feet long and constructed of glue-laminated fir. The beams were manufactured outside Montreal, Canada and shipped to Mystic Seaport in sections. The contractor then assembled the parts on-site.
Following close behind the structural work were the roofers. At this point, the entire roof has been sheathed in plywood and a waterproof membrane has been applied. Contractors presently are working on erecting the wall framing to have the building enclosed as we head into winter.
At the same time, the water, electrical, IT, and HVAC lines are being installed in advance of the pouring of the concrete floor, and the mezzanine level is being erected. The building’s systems will be located on the second floor mezzanine.
Work will continue on the building throughout the winter. For more information on the Thompson Building and the McGraw Gallery Quadrangle project, please visit our McGraw Quad page.
A time-lapse video of the erection of the glue-laminated beams of the Thompson Building beginning with the first beam on October 16, 2015 and running to the installation of the final beam on December 15.
The Connecticut League of History Organizations (CLHO) announced that the Noank Historical Society, Inc. is the recipient of an Award of Merit for Larry Jacobsen’s book “Celebrating the Emma C. Berry: The history and adventures of the last Noank, Connecticut fishing sloop and the people who helped her reach her 150th birthday.” The CLHO Award of Merit is a prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of Connecticut history.
