"Down to the Sea Again"

On April 24, 2014, at 7 p.m. at the Fort Trumbull Conference Center, the Friends of Fort Trumbull State Park are delighted to present as this season's first speaker Matthew Stackpole of Mystic Seaport Museum.

During the summer of 2014, the Charles W. Morgan, the only surviving wooden whaling ship in the world, will again set sail. In honor of that restoration, Governor Dannel Malloy has proclaimed the 2013-2014 academic year-The Year of the Charles W. Morgan. In keeping with that event, The Friends have developed a 2014 program series called “The Whaling City and the Sea: Past, Present and Future”. As the first speaker in that series, Mr. Stackpole will discuss the ship's history, its place in American whaling history, the five years of restoration, and the plans for its 38th voyage in 2014.

Mr. Stackpole, who is one of the leading members of the team supporting the restoration, comes from a family central to the history of Mystic Seaport and Whaling. From 1952-1966, he and his family lived on the grounds of the Mystic Seaport Museum where his father, Edouard Stackpole, a noted historian and author, served as curator. Edouard was the author of the highly praised “The Sea-Hunters: The New England Whalemen” and “The Charles W. Morgan: The Last Wooden Whaleship.” Matthew's whaling ancestors include many members of Nantucket's founding families.

Mr. Stackpole, who was a political science major at the University of Connecticut, has had a varied career, serving as an American history teacher, an Island surveyor, and the executive director of the Martha's Vineyard Historical Society.

At the Re-Launching of the Charles W. Morgan in July, 2013, Ric Burns, the keynote speaker, said, “Our good friend, Matthew Stackpole, is here in the audience today. He's a historian and sailor and a lover of ships, and it's true to say that of the people who made this day possible and without whom we wouldn't be here, Matthew is second to none. His passion, his knowledge, his commitment have made this day possible as much as anyone. His love for ships, and whale ships and history is legendary, running from Nantucket and Mystic, where he grew up, to Martha's Vineyard, where he built ships and ran the historical society, and back again.”

The presentation is open to the public and new members are always welcomed. Seating is limited.