Berkshire No. 7

Last updated

View of Bridge from Harbour.jpg
Site of the sunken Berkshire No. 7
History
OwnerSteward J. Dailey
OperatorS. J. Dailey Company
Route Connecticut–Long Island Sound
Ordered1935
BuilderJacobson and Peterson, Inc.
Completed1935
Out of service1974
FateSunk in 1974
General characteristics
TypeCanal barge
Tonnage216
Length104 feet (32 m)
Beam20 feet (6.1 m)
Depth of hold10 feet (3.0 m)
Berkshire No. 7
USA Connecticut location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationBridgeport Harbor, Bridgeport, Connecticut
Coordinates 41°10′42″N73°11′14″W / 41.17833°N 73.18722°W / 41.17833; -73.18722 Coordinates: 41°10′42″N73°11′14″W / 41.17833°N 73.18722°W / 41.17833; -73.18722
Arealess than one acre
Built1935
ArchitectJacobson, Irving
NRHP reference No. 78002837 [1]
Added to NRHPDecember 21, 1978

Berkshire No. 7 is a wood and steel barge constructed in 1935. It is historically important as a transitional canal barge and as one of the few surviving wooden-hulled canal boats. It was used to transport bulk cargo, including shipping fertilizer, from Connecticut to Long Island Sound. It sank in 1974 along with the Elmer S. Dailey and the Priscilla Dailey in the harbor of Bridgeport, Connecticut, on the west side of the Pequonnock River. The sunken vessel has deteriorated to the point that a salvage operation could result in breaking it apart. The Berkshire No. 7 was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 21, 1978.

Contents

Description

The Berkshire No. 7 is a small wood and steel canal barge that measures 104 feet (32 m) long with a 20 feet (6.1 m) beam. The depth of the hold is listed at 10 feet (3.0 m) and it had a listed capacity of 216 tons. [2] It is a transitional canal barge with steel framing and wood planking over the skeleton. Clouette describes the hull as being "nearly rectangular in profile, section and plan, with squared-off stern and bluntly rounded bow. Low bulwarks with scuppers rise slightly to a peak where they join the prominently projecting stem". [2] The superstructure is primarily of a single low coaming with convex hatch covers that runs almost the full length of the shop. A rectangular cabin rises up above the coaming and has a companionway in the rear. The Berkshire No. 7 is listed in the U.S. Registry as #172071. [2]

History

1973 image of the three barges; the Berkshire No. 7 is the one with the distinctive bow BridgeportBarges.jpg
1973 image of the three barges; the Berkshire No. 7 is the one with the distinctive bow

The Berkshire No. 7 was constructed in 1935 by Jacobson and Peterson, Inc. in Brooklyn, New York, for Stewart J. Dailey, a former mule driver on the Erie Canal who later became a partner in a Tonawanda, New York, shipbuilding company and afterwards opened his own business, S. J. Dailey Company. [2] [3] The barge was used to ferry materials, including shipping fertilizer from Connecticut to Long Island Sound [3] between 1941 and 1972. [4] Afterwards it was moored in Bridgeport Harbor together with the Elmer S. Dailey and Priscilla Dailey, two other barges. [4] In the spring of 1974, one of the barges began to take on water, dragging down the other two. [5] No part of the Berkshire No. 7 is visible above water. [2]

Importance

The Berkshire No. 7 has historical importance because of its design, which reflects the construction of 19th-century canal boats. However, there is no record that the barge was ever used on a canal. [2] The barge is one of two surviving wooden-hulled canal boats in existence. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 21, 1978. Its nomination and listing is unusual because the Berkshire No. 7 was not yet 50 years old at the time of its nomination, and it sank in 1974. [2] It and the other two barges that sank with it are the only shipwrecks in Connecticut listed on the National Register of Historic Places. [5]

In 1998, the historic status of the barges was a concern for the Port Authority of Bridgeport Harbor, as the sunken ships interfered with a billion-dollar redevelopment project. Over the years, the barges had deteriorated so that a salvage operation would likely result in them breaking apart. [4] No action had been taken by 2003, but a report noted that prior to any activity of the Berkshire No. 7, the Federal Transit Administration and/or the City of Bridgeport should document the barge with photos and a technical description. Specifics regarding the documentation based on the activity would be archived at the State Historic Preservation Office and the Mystic Seaport Museum. [6]

See also

Notes

The New York Times article notes that the barges sunk in 1974, but inaccurately says that the ships were placed on the National Register of Historic Places "shortly before they went down". [4] The Berkshire No.7's nomination form was produced in May 1978 and it was added on December 21, 1978. [2] Another document relating to the Intermodal Transportation Center erroneously states the Berkshire No. 7's National Register of Historic Places listing date and that it sank because of Hurricane Gloria in 1985. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harkness Memorial State Park</span> Historic preservation area in Connecticut

Harkness Memorial State Park is a historic preservation area with botanical garden and recreational features located on Long Island Sound in the town of Waterford, Connecticut. The state park's 304 acres (123 ha) center around Eolia, a 42-room Renaissance Revival mansion with formal gardens and greenhouses. The park is managed by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Fairfield County, Connecticut</span>

This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. The locations of National Register properties and districts for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below may be seen in an online map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tongue Point Light</span> Lighthouse

Tongue Point Light Lighthouse, also known as Bridgeport Breakwater or Bug Light, is a lighthouse on the west side of the Bridgeport Harbor entrance, in the city of Bridgeport, Connecticut in the United States. Built in 1891 and moved to its present location in 1919, it was instrumental in the development of the city's inner harbor as a transshipment point connecticut rail and water freight transport systems. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

<i>Thomas Wilson</i> (shipwreck) Whaleback freighter that sank in Lake Superior

The Thomas Wilson was a whaleback freighter built in 1892 and used to haul bulk freight on the Great Lakes. The ship sank in Lake Superior just outside the harbor of Duluth, Minnesota, United States, on 7 June 1902, after a collision with the George Hadley. The wreck of the Thomas Wilson is one of the best remaining examples of a whaleback steamer, and it is also significant for the changes made in operating procedures at the Duluth harbor. The remains of the ship were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

<i>Priscilla</i> (sloop) United States historic place

Priscilla is a classic oyster dredging sloop and museum ship at the Long Island Maritime Museum. Built in 1888, it is the oldest surviving boat from the Great South Bay oyster fleet, and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2006. It is berthed near the Modesty, another National Historic Landmark sloop.

<i>Luna</i> (tugboat)

Luna is a historic tugboat normally berthed in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. Luna was designed in 1930 by John G. Alden and built by M.M. Davis and Bethlehem Steel. She is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a U.S. National Historic Landmark. In 1985, the Luna was designated as a Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission.

<i>Samuel P. Ely</i> (shipwreck) Schooner wrecked in Lake Superior

Samuel P. Ely is a shipwreck in Two Harbors, Minnesota listed on the National Register of Historic Places. She was a schooner that sailed the Great Lakes carrying iron ore, coal, and other bulk freight. She was built in 1869 and was a fairly typical example of the 200-foot schooner built in the 1870s, though she was reinforced for the demands of carrying iron ore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maplewood School</span> United States historic place

The Maplewood School, also known as Grammar School No. 5, is a historic school building at 434 Maplewood Avenue in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It was built in 1893, and was designed by Longstaff & Hurd. It was built as part of a major program to improve the city's schools and provide for a rapidly growing population. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McLevy Hall</span> United States historic place

McLevy Hall is a historic municipal building at 202 State Street in downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut. The building was built in 1854 to house both the City Hall and the Fairfield County Courthouse, and served as Bridgeport City Hall into the 1930s. It was renamed McLevy Hall after Bridgeport mayor Jasper McLevy in 1966. The current city hall on Lyon Terrace was built in 1916, however municipal offices continued to occupy McLevy Hall through the 1970s. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 19, 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Saugatuck River Railroad Bridge, also known as Saugatuck River Bridge, is a railroad bridge carrying trackage of Metro-North Railroad's New Haven Line over the Saugatuck River in Westport, Connecticut. It is one of eight moveable bridges on the Amtrak Northeast Corridor route through Connecticut. It was built in 1905 for the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mianus River Railroad Bridge</span> United States historic place

The Mianus River Railroad Bridge, also known as the Cos Cob Bridge, is a bascule drawbridge built in 1904 over the Mianus River, in Greenwich, Connecticut. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. The bridge carries the Northeast Corridor, the busiest rail line in the United States, both in terms of ridership and service frequency. It is operated by the Metro-North Railroad, successor to Conrail, Penn Central, and the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, which erected it, and is owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation.

The Sunken barges of Bridgeport are several ships sunk in Bridgeport Harbor, Bridgeport, Connecticut:

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Bridgeport Harbor is an inlet on the north side of Long Island Sound in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It was carved by the retreat of the glaciers during the last ice age approximately 13,000 years ago.

SS <i>Henry Chisholm</i> Wooden freighter sunk in Lake Superior

The Henry Chisholm was a wooden freighter; it was sunk off the shore of Isle Royale in Lake Superior in 1898 and the remains are still on the lake bottom. The wreck was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

<i>Elmer S. Dailey</i> Wooden barge by Willian H. Follette

Elmer S. Dailey, originally known as the Claire B. Follette, is a wooden barge built by William H. Follette in 1915 at Tonawanda, New York, and rebuilt and renamed in 1928 by Brown Drydock on Staten Island, New York. It was used to transport materials from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. It is the only known surviving Erie Canal boat and is one of a few remaining wooden-hulled canal boats. It sank in 1974 along with the Priscilla Dailey and the Berkshire No. 7 in the harbor of Bridgeport, Connecticut on the west side of the Pequonnock River. It has deteriorated to the point that a salvage operation could result in it breaking apart. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 21, 1978.

<i>Priscilla Dailey</i> Canal boat on the National Register of Historic Places

Priscilla Dailey, previously known as the Elizabeth E. Newell, is a wooden canal boat constructed in 1929 in Whitehall, New York. The barge was used to transport bulk cargo in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut harbors. It sank in 1974 along with the Elmer S. Dailey and the Berkshire No. 7 in the harbor of Bridgeport, Connecticut on the west side of the Pequonnock River. The sunken boat has deteriorated to the point that a salvage operation could result in it breaking apart. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 21, 1978.

SS <i>Robert Wallace</i> Wooden steamship wrecked in Lake Superior in 1902

SS Robert Wallace was a wooden-hulled American bulk freighter that served on the Great Lakes of North America from her construction in 1882 to her sinking in 1902 on Lake Superior near the town of Palmers, St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States. On November 17, 1902 shortly after leaving Superior, Wisconsin with a cargo of iron ore, Robert Wallace sprang a leak and sank. Her wreck was found in 2006, and on October 14, 2009, the wreck of Robert Wallace was listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

SS <i>Selah Chamberlain</i> Great Lakes freighter that sank on Lake Michigan in 1886

SS Selah Chamberlain was a wooden hulled Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Michigan in 1886, 6 miles (10 km) off the coast of Sheboygan, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States after being rammed by the steamer John Pridgeon Jr. with the loss of five lives. On January 7, 2019, the wreck of Selah Chamberlain was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and was given the reference number 100003288. She was the first shipwreck listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.

References

  1. ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bruce Clouette (March 8, 1978). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Berkshire No. 7". National Park Service. and Accompanying photo from 1973
  3. 1 2 Studenroth, Zachary (2013). Cutchogue and New Suffolk. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   9780738598284.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Musante, Fred (February 1, 1998). "Rough Navigating Around Bridgeport's Sunken Barges". The New York Times . Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  5. 1 2 "Bridgeport Barges". Connecticut Office of State Archeology. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  6. ↑ "Environmental Assessment, 4(f) Evaluation (National Environmental Policy Act) And Draft Environmental Impact Evaluation (Connecticut Environmental Policy Act) Proposed Bridgeport Intermodal Transportation Center Bridgeport, Connecticut" (PDF). Fitzgerald & Halliday, Inc. June 17, 2003. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
  7. ↑ Doyle, Richard (August 19, 2003). "Re: Intermodal Transportation Center Finding of No Significant Impact" (PDF). Federal Transit Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 27, 2014. Retrieved April 18, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.