New Lease on Life for Historic Tall Ship Providence
The recently-formed United States Maritime Foundation (USMF) is set to acquire the tall ship Providence with the intention of reopening it as a museum, educational and tourist attraction in the port city of Alexandria, Virginia.
The Providence, a replica of an 18th-century ship that played an instrumental role in the American Revolution, was facing the prospect of fading into oblivion after its previous owner, the Tall Ship Providence Foundation, suspended its educational and tour programs in June. Considering that the ship had become a top tourist destination, the charity said the decision to suspend operations was not made lightly.
A longtime attraction on the Alexandria waterfront, the Providence is a reproduction of the sloop Providence, originally named Katy, which was built in 1769 and was one of a fleet of ships owned by John Brown of Providence. Six years later, the ship would go on to become the flagship of the tiny Rhode Island Navy, which was created to protect the interests of Rhode Island merchants against British naval captains.
The original Katy, however, gained historical significance in 1775, when legislation was passed authorizing her purchase, along with another ship, to serve as the first ships of a new Continental Navy. Following her commissioning into the Navy, she was renamed Providence in honor of both her city of origin and the fact that all the Rhode Island delegates to the Continental Congress were from Providence. The passage of the legislation remains the reason why October 13 is still celebrated as the birthday of the U.S. Navy.
Construction of the replica ship, a project spearheaded by a young Harvard graduate named John Fitzhugh Millar, started in 1973 and was completed three years later. The ship went on to serve as Rhode Island's official tall ship for years, offering educational sailing and tours and participating in tall ship events. The ship even appeared in the second and third movies of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise.
In February 2015, Providence was nearly destroyed by a severe storm while in dry dock at Newport Shipyard. One of her jack stands collapsed, the ship fell, the mast and spars were shattered, and the jack stand punched a large hole in the hull. Two years later, the Tall Ship Providence Foundation purchased the ship with the intention of restoring her to her previous glory and using her as the centerpiece of a new maritime museum in Alexandria.
The nonprofit ran into financial challenges, which forced the suspension of operations in June, and USMF is stepping in to give the ship a new lease on life. Founded last year, the nonprofit organization has presented a proposal to the Alexandria Waterfront Commission under which it intends to acquire Providence and its pier as soon as next month, keeping the tall ship running for education and tourism.
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