Whaling Days

Whaling Days. New London Waterfront Park. , Whaling has been associated with the port of New London from its earliest days, but it wasn't until the early 1800s that large scale whaling endeavors took place as an alternative to the increasingly unprofitable West Indian trade. The period between 1820 and 1850 was one of great prosperity for New London. Some sixty companies sent out over 260 vessels on more than 1,000 voyages and about 3,000 seamen were employed. , It was said that "the city ate, drank and breathed whaling." The downtown waterfront was alive with activity. Agents were busy outfitting vessels and signing up crews. The docks and piers were crowded with barrels of whale and sperm oil, piles of whalebones, and supplies. Many of the existing Bank Street buildings were constructed during this time to house the businesses and families associated with whaling and shipping. , New London - along with New Bedford and Nantucket - gained an international reputation as one of the three great whaling ports in the world. In 1845, New London had the second largest whaling fleet in the world with eighty-one ships, barks, brigs and schooners. , ( photo captions ) , , Joseph Lawrence and his two sons, Sebastian and Francis, were prominent whaling merchants. This painting by Thomas Petersen is entitled "Lawrence Wharf, New London". , , In 1896, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument was presented to the City of New London by the sons of Joseph Lawrence. , , This photo shows some of the crew of the whaling schooner Era. It made whaling voyages from 1847 until 1892. Whaling was hard, difficult work and voyages would often last from two to three years. The longest recorded whaling voyage on record was the eleven-year trip of the Nile, which sailed from New London in May 1858 and did not return to her homeport until April 1869. , , Whaling vessels in the 19th century were constructed to be spacious and seaworthy. They also had to be easy to handle, especially important when most of the crew took to the whaleboats, leaving only a few men on board. The picture is of the whaling ship Gen. Williams. , , These homes along Huntington Street were built between 1835 and 1845 and are fine examples of Greek Revival architecture. They are locally known as Whale Oil Row because the original owners' wealth stemmed from whaling, either directly or indirectly. For example, Thomas Williams owned ten whaling ships and his neighbor, Enoch Stoddard, owned two. Another neighbor was a merchant, and the other was a doctor. Many local landmarks, such as the New London Public Library, the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Williams Park and the Lyman Allyn Art Museum are a result of the fortunes made by the whaling industry. , , The homes along Starr Street were built between 1835 and 1895. These were middle class homes of people who made their living from whaling or other maritime trades. This street is located just a couple blocks west of the waterfront park and has been designated a local historic district.