Cfffl BULLETIN Volume 12: No. 4 Cultural Resources Management • National Park Service 1989 A Technical Bulletin for Parks, Federal Agencies, States, Local Governments, and the Private Sector Difficult Choices and Hard-Won Successes in Maritime Preservation reserving the remnants of America's life, times, and travails. Scores of wharves, and working waterfronts Pmaritime past poses special chal­ lighthouses, lifesaving stations, and that survived the decline of America lenges and problems. Ships were built other marine structures were built on as a seafaring nation often have not to last for a few decades, and then, if isolated shores, on surf-tossed survived waterfront redevelopment not on the bottom, were torn apart beaches, or on crumbling cliffs. Sub­ and urban renewal. with sledges, axes, or cutting torches jected to the powerful fury of ocean Ships, lighthouses, and other mari­ by shipbreakers. Sailors lived a hard waves, and the corrosive salt air of time relics are often saved by people life at sea and ashore; often illiterate, the marine environment, many suc­ they left little written record of their cumbed to the sea. Those buildings, (continued on page 2) Grim Realities, High Hopes, Moderate Gains: The State of Historic Ship Preservation James P. Delgado hile maritime preservation is maritime cultural resources were historic vessels slowly followed, in Wconcerned with all aspects of the originally created to serve or assist large part after the Depression, with Nation's seafaring past, including ships and shipping. the establishment of maritime lighthouses, shipyards, canals, and Historic ship preservation in the museums that included large ships— sail lofts, the major effort and atten­ United States dates to the last cen­ Mystic Seaport being the first major tion has been devoted to historic tury, when public interest and outcry example. Other projects followed— ships. The ship is the focus of mari­ led to the saving of USS Constitution time culture, and all other types of from scrapping. Efforts to save other (continued on page 3) early 20th century. There is also only one T-2 tanker, which now awaits scrapping. Hundreds of T-2 tankers ferried fuel and oil into battle in World War II. Lighthouses corrode or topple; offshore lights face abandon­ ment and decay. Historic shipwrecks are treated as commodities, not resources. Historic docks, wharves, warehouses, chandleries, and sail lofts vanish or lose their historic character as waterfronts are revitalized. Therefore, maritime preservationists face difficult choices; to save or not to save, to invest large sums of money, to limit their efforts, and to seemingly struggle against the tide of public disinterest and conflicting in­ terests. Yet, as noted in the writer's overview article, success has been achieved in many cases. It has been hard-won success. Because of difficult choices made now, and with the les­ sons learned from the successes of Shown being raised from the bottom of San Francisco Bay in 1984, Delta King is now a floating today, maritime preservation will riverfront attraction in Sacramento, California. Photo courtesy of River Boat Delta King, Inc. hopefully succeed in rescuing many of the more than 270 historic ships, 1,000 lighthouses, countless marine Difficult Choices and Hard- water, but rather view themselves as Won Successes rescuers of marine lore from Davy structures, thousands of historic ship­ (continued from page 1) Jones' locker. The concept of ship­ wrecks, and the memories and experi­ wrecks as archeological sites is ences of those alive now who worked relatively new; even some cultural and lived in close interaction with the who simply loved old ships and nau­ resource professionals persist in seeing sea and inland waters of the United tical lore, perhaps due to love of only famous, historically-significant States. That is why this issue of the history, pride in achievements past, wrecks as being worthy of protection. CRM Bulletin has been prepared. or the ancestral tie to salt water. The Yet shipwrecks, resting on the bottom, These articles highlight some of the romantic appeal of ship-saving has are often a well-preserved record of difficult choices, how they have been resulted in maintaining more than a the maritime past, and human history met, and a few notable successes. hundred vessels afloat and ashore as in general, that should be recorded and John S. Carter, in a frank discussion, museum exhibits. Major collections of left in place to await careful study. grapples with the issue of when a his­ ships now exist at several maritime toric ship has to die. Lynn R. Hickerson and naval museums throughout the The fragile nature of maritime tackles a very real problem; the need United States, but the majority of resources, however, has been made of keeping some ships operating in preserved historic vessels are single clear. Ships built to wage war on the order to save them. Larry Murphy ship operations, many privately owned, high seas, harvest the ocean for food, cogently articulates the problem of often by people who might not other­ or carry people or goods under sail or focusing research and recovery efforts wise identify themselves as historic steam, once their careers are over, are on individual ships, proposing instead preservationists. Even those who are difficult to save as idle, wharf-bound, a thematic and geographic approach preservationists, cultural resource inanimate structures. Idle ships sink, that looks at groups of wrecks as managers, professional curators, his­ rot, or burn, be they on land or in representatives of the sweep of mari­ torical architects, or historians are the water. As this issue was prepared, time history. Toni Carrell explores often hard pressed to translate land- reports were received that the 1909 the tragic aspect of shipwrecks—the based experience into action to save ferry G.A. Boeckling, listed in the status of some as graves—and the maritime cultural resources. National Register of Historic Places, burned in Sandusky, Ohio. The last problems this poses for managers, The inaccessibility of the largest original Biloxi schooner, Margaret relatives and descendants. number of maritime cultural resources Emilie, too rotten to be saved, was Daniel Lenihan shows how ship­ has created other, more unique prob­ recently dismantled. Other vessels are wrecks can be carefully studied and lems. Shipwrecks, originally the threatened, and for many, once they documented while leaving them vir­ domain of salvors, then treasure are gone, we will not see their like tually untouched for divers to enjoy hunters seeking lost riches or profit again. There is only one Fredonia- and future generations to study and from marine antiques, are plundered type schooner remaining in the United experience through the use of new by souvenir hunters who do not see States; these vessels were the typical technology and a careful, non­ American fishing schooners of the wrecks as historical places under­ destructive approach. Stephen Haller 2 1989 No. 4 Lightship "Nantucket," recently restored, is in need of a permanent home. Photo courtesy of National Park Service/James P. Delgado also explores the issue of documenta­ labor of local communities respond­ tion, Wapama will never float again. tion; his article, however, clearly ing to the challenge. Yet from her dry-rotted hull, scientists demonstrates the importance of doing Don Birkholz's article exemplifies from U.S. Borax and the University careful research in the archives before the theme of this issue. He demon­ of California have achieved a victory diving, restoration, or interpretation strates how a difficult choice led to a over dry rot that can be applied to begins. Carol Minick's update on the hard-won success. One of the most other vessels before they too face Bicentennial Lighthouse fund is an in­ difficult choices made in maritime Wapama's fate. dicator of how a few dollars form the preservation in recent years was the incentive to raise additional money, National Park Service's decision to JPD stimulate interest, and promote pull the National Historic Landmark preservation, in this case made possi­ steam schooner Wapama from the Illustration on page 1 drawn by Ellen Stoner, ble by dedicated lobbying of Congres­ water and place her on a barge. Leslie Ullman. Inked by Mark Bittle. Courtesy of sional support and the sweat and Historic American Engineering Record, National Without a near-complete reconstruc­ Park Service Grim Realities, High Hopes diminishing maritime skills, limited Senate Interior Appropriations Com­ (continued from page 1) funds, and conflicting priorities mittee asked the National Park Service plagued work to preserve historic to conduct a survey of the Nation's the saving of historic naval vessels, ships. A special one-time appropriation historic maritime resources, recom­ the creation of San Francisco Maritime of funds from Congress in 1976 aided mend priorities for their preservation, Museum and South Street Seaport, some projects and also got others and identify appropriate Federal and which showcased collections of ships— started that may have never had a private sector roles in addressing and were matched by efforts around chance at success otherwise. When those priorities. This request led the the country to save individual vessels. the money was gone, the projects Service to create the National Maritime faltered—and in some cases died. Initiative in 1985. Since then, a com­ The high hopes of the ship savers puterized inventory has been com­