Shipbuilding in Thomaston

Shipbuilding in Thomaston. . , The first record of shipbuilding in Thomaston dates back to 1787. The gently sloping banks of the St. George River provide access to the channel out to sea and create ideal conditions for ship-launching. , Early waterfront businesses were located at the mouth of Mill Creek, on the east side of town, but by the 1820's, shipping activity became concentrated on the St. George River, near Wadsworth Street. In fact, a block-maker, a rigger, and a chandler (supply store) all set up business on Paine's Wharf, just below the spot where you now stand., Shipbuilding transformed Thomaston into one of the most prosperous towns in the early 1800's. At its height in the 1840's, the industry built 139 vessels in Thomaston. Many of the ships constructed at that time were owned and operated by Thomaston citizens. The industry was so profitable during this period that three of the seven millionaires reported in the 1840 United States Census were Thomaston residents. Each accumulated their wealth as sea captains and boat builders., Shipbuilding declined in the following decades, due in part to the Panic of 1857, a financial crisis brought on by a lack of confidence in banks. The industry continued to falter after the outbreak of the Civil War. By that time, most of the timbers used in the boatbuilding process were primarily imported from forests in the south due to local shortages of suitably sized trees. Transporting the necessary timbers became prohibitively expensive and dangerous amidst the fighting., The increased use of steam power at the turn of the century further contributed to the rapid decline of wooden shipbuilding. The last of Thomaston's large cargo schooners, the Edna S. Hoyt, was launched in 1920. At about this time, Charles Morse established the Morse Boatbuilding Company in Thomaston, focusing on smaller vessels; draggers for the fishing industry, as well as schooners and sloops. Today, Lyman-Morse Boatbuilding, as it is now called, still carries on the tradition of boatbuilding begun 200 years ago in Thomaston., The Millionaire , One of Thomaston's most prominent shipbuilders, and on of the country's first millionaires, was the Honorable Edward O'Brien. His ships were marked by their broad unpainted and clear-varnished bright line. , O'Brien's son-in-law, William Campbell, added to the family wealth by establishing a sailmaking business in the Carr-O'Brien block. Erected by O'Brien in 1852, the building is now located at the corner of Main Street (Route 1) and Wadsworth Street, and currently houses the Prison Store. , Supporting Cast , Building a wooden ship required a vast number of skilled workers and led to the growth of a variety of industries in Thomaston. , Lumber mills provided wood for housing and ship planking. , Blacksmiths provided hardware for the ship. , Caulkers filled the seams of the wooden planks. , Spar-makers hewed the wooden masts, booms, and yardarms. , Sail lofts fabricated the sails. , Hoop makers built wooden rings affixed to the sail for easy hauling up and down the mast. , Cordage (rope) makers supplied the sail rigging. , Painters applied paint and varnish to the hull and topsides , Carpenters attended to the joinery and outfitting of the vessel's interior. , Short History of a Tall Ship , The largest ship ever constructed in Thomaston was the Washington B. Thomas, built by Washburn Brothers in 1903. The five-masted schooner measured 289 feet in length and weighted 2,689 tons., The immense size of the Washington B. Thomas did not match its lifespan. Just two months after its launching, she ran aground of Prout's Neck in Portland while returning from Virginia with a full load of coal.