C.A. Thayer (Built 1895; Schooner, 3M) Restoration Records, 1972-2016
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http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8wq08dh No online items A guide to the C.A. Thayer (built 1895; schooner, 3m) restoration records, 1972-2016 Processed by: L. Bianchi, 2016. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park Building E, Fort Mason San Francisco, CA 94123 Phone: 415-561-7030 Fax: 415-556-3540 [email protected] URL: http://www.nps.gov/safr 2016 A guide to the C.A. Thayer (built HDC1765 (SAFR 24806) 1 1895; schooner, 3m) restoration records, 1972-2016 A Guide to the C.A. Thayer (built 1895; schooner, 3m) restoration records HDC1765 San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, National Park Service 2016, National Park Service Title: C.A. Thayer (built 1895; schooner, 3m) restoration records Date: 1972-2016 Date (bulk): 1998-2007 Identifier/Call Number: HDC1765 (SAFR 24806) Creator: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (Agency : U.S.) Physical Description: 29532 items. Repository: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, Historic Documents Department Building E, Fort Mason San Francisco, CA 94123 Abstract: The C.A. Thayer (built 1895; schooner, 3m) restoration records, 1972-2016, bulk 1998-2007, (SAFR 24806, HDC 1765) consist of 5.4 linear feet of documents, photographs, audiocassettes, and VHS tapes as well as 20,892 digital files comprised mainly of San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (SFMNHP) project management documents created during the 2003-2007 C.A. THAYER restoration construction project. The collection has been processed to the File Unit level and is open for use. Physical Location: San Francisco Maritime NHP, Historic Documents Department Language(s): In English. Access This collection is open for use unless otherwise noted. Publication and Use Rights Some material may be copyrighted or restricted. It is the researcher's obligation to determine and satisfy copyright or other case restrictions when publishing or otherwise distributing materials found in the collections. Processing Note The collection level extent is an estimate of the item count. Due to the National Park Service's Interior Collection Management System (ICMS) database limitations in describing the collection extent, the system currently only allows reporting the extent in terms of a single value in either linear feet or individual item count. The collection is made up of 5.4 LF of paper documents, photographs, audiocassette tapes, and VHS tapes as well as 20,892 digital files. The linear feet was multiplied by a standard of 1600 items per LF for an item count of 8,640 items. This count was added to the 20,892 digital files for a final item count of 29,532. The Series and File Unit descriptions consist of a more detailed and accurate breakdown of the collection extents. Duplicate digital files that appeared in the same folder were removed. When digital files not organized into subfolders by the staff member from whom the files were collected were found to duplicate files that had been organized into subfolders, the unsorted files were not preserved. In some cases, an entire folder with files that duplicated those within another folder were not retained for preservation. However, some duplicate digital files remain in the collection. They may have come from different sources, or they are from the same source but could have been used for different purposes. The descriptions in this collection guide were compiled using the best available sources of information. Such sources include the creator's annotations or descriptions, collection accession files, primary and secondary source material and subject matter experts. While every effort was made to provide accurate information, in the event that you find any errors in this guide please contact the reference staff in order for us to evaulate and make corrections to this guide. Please cite the title and collection number in any correspondence with our staff. Preferred Citation [Item description], [Location within collection organization identified by Collection Number/Series Number/File Unit Number/Item Number], HDC1765 (SAFR 24806), C.A. Thayer (built 1895; schooner, 3m) restoration records, San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park A guide to the C.A. Thayer (built HDC1765 (SAFR 24806) 2 1895; schooner, 3m) restoration records, 1972-2016 Acquisition Information SAFR-02383 SAFR-02514 The primary accession (SAFR-02383) consisted of paper documents acquired from the office of Michael Bell, Project Manager, in August 2015. In addition, his electronic records were captured from his computer hard drive and the park shared network server in December 2015 and February 2016. The paper documents were received in multiple folders with no formal arrangement. An additional accession (SAFR-02514) consisted of paper documents acquired from the office of Robbyn Jackson, Chief of Cultural Resources and Museum Management, in November 2015. The documents were received in one large folder. Her electronic documents were captured from her computer hard drive in May 2016. Historical or Biographical Note The wooden-hulled, three-masted schooner C.A. THAYER was built in 1895 at Hans D. Bendixsen's shipyard in Fairhaven, California. Originally designed to carry lumber, she also served in the Alaska salmon and codfishing industries. With her final codfishing voyage in 1950, C.A. THAYER became the last operating American commercial sailing vessel on the West Coast. Today she is preserved at San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park as the last surviving example of a West Coast lumber schooner. 1895 July 9 Launched at Hans D. Bendixsen's shipyard in Fairhaven, California. 1895-1912 Operated by the E.K. Wood Lumber Company for use in the lumber trade. 1912-1924 Purchased by "Whitehead" Pete Nelson for use in the Alaska Salmon industry. 1924-1931 Purchased by Captain J.E. Shields of the Pacific Coast Codfishing Company of Poulsbo, Washington, for use in the Bering Sea codfishing industry. 1932-1942 Laid up at Lake Union, Seattle, Washington. 1942-1945 Requisitioned by the United States Army for use as a barge. 1946-1950 Repurchased by Captain Shields for use in the Bering Sea codfishing industry. 1950-1954 Laid up at Lake Union, Seattle, Washington. 1954-1957 Purchased by Charles McNeal for use as a beached "pirate ship" attraction at Hood Canal, Washington. 1957-presentMuseum vessel. Purchased by the State of California in 1957. Ownership transferred to the National Park Service in 1978 as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. The Maritime Unit became a separate national park called the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park in 1988. C.A. THAYER was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1966 and designated a National Historic Landmark 1984. C.A. THAYER's 1895 lumber schooner design was modified over the years to suit her career in the fishing industry and as an army barge. Since becoming a museum vessel in 1957, C.A. THAYER has undergone various haulouts and repairs with the ultimate goal of restoring her to her original 1895 appearance. Her restoration began in May 1957 at the Lake Union Drydock Company in Seattle, Washington, to prepare her for sailing to San Francisco, California. She underwent more extensive work before she opened to the public at Hyde Street Pier in 1963. By 2003, dry rot threatened the structural integrity of her 108-year-old hull. She was drydocked from December 2003 to April 2007 for major restoration work where approximately 80% of her lumber was replaced. Since then, the aft house has been rebuilt, and in 2016 she received new masts and rigging. For a timeline of C.A. THAYER repairs from 1957-1989, see pages 19-26 of the Schooner C.A. Thayer Historic Structure Report 1991 Draft prepared by Tri-Coastal Marine, Inc. (San Francisco: San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, 1991.) Collection Scope and Content The C.A. Thayer (built 1895; schooner, 3m) restoration records, 1972-2016, bulk 1998-2007, (SAFR 24806, HDC 1765) consist of 5.4 linear feet of documents, photographs, audiocassettes, and VHS tapes as well as 20,892 digital files comprised mainly of San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (SFMNHP) project management documents created during the 2003-2007 C.A. THAYER restoration construction project. The collection has been processed to the File Unit level and is open for use. The collection contains documents primarily created during the planning and 2003 to 2007 construction work for the rehabilitation of C.A. THAYER (built 1895; schooner, 3m). The records include research and reference materials from as far back as 1972 and records covering the planning for the project starting in 1998. The collection contains documents and photographs in both physical and digital forms, as well as audiocassettes and a VHS videotape. The major C.A. THAYER restoration work, which involved replacing approximately 80% of her lumber, was completed as part of PMIS 5588, package SAFR 643. The construction contract was awarded to Bay Ship & Yacht Co. of Alameda, A guide to the C.A. Thayer (built HDC1765 (SAFR 24806) 3 1895; schooner, 3m) restoration records, 1972-2016 California. After towing to the Bay Ship & Yacht Co. shipyard in December 2003, C.A. THAYER was placed in a cradle atop house-moving dollies. She was rolled onto a barge that was towed around the coast of Alameda to the site of the former Alameda Naval Air Station where she was placed inside a aircraft hangar for the duration of the construction work until 2007. Workers patterned new pieces for the vessel directly from the deteriorated wood they removed. Architect and engineering services were provided during the project by BMT Designers & Planners, Inc. They were involved with the value analysis report, lumber lists, cost estimates, drawings, and other tasks. Allen C. Rawl, Inc., a subcontractor for BMT Designers & Planners, Inc., provided construction management support. The National Park Service entered into an interagency agreement with the Defense Logistics Agency, part of the United States Department of Defense, to purchase wood for the rebuild through prime vendor Sylvan Forest Products.