My Great Aunt, who is in her 90’s, would talk often of a statue that she remembered as a young lady being in the town she grew up in. As kids they would hang out on and around it. Its name was Hercules.
Hercules was the figurehead on the U.S.S Ohio which was designed by Henry Eckford. It had the honor of being the first ship launched out of the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1820. It served in a myriad of rolls, one being the flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron in 1838, where its crew helped suppress the slave trade and protect commerce. It later served in the Mexican-American War in 1847. Officers, who sailed it, reportedly said that it was a marvel to sail and was a near perfect vessel.
The ship served in one capacity or another until she was decommissioned and burned in Greenport Harbor, NY in 1884. Her figurehead, Hercules was removed prior to the burning in the harbor. The Aldrich family, who lived in Aquebogue, first bought it during a military surplus auction for $10. Later, Miles Carpenter bought it from the Aldrich family and placed it at the Canoe Place Inn in Hampton Bays, which he owned at the time. Eventually, Mr. Melville acquired it and removed it from Canoe Place Inn giving the deed to the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, who still owns it today. Hercules was given a pavilion as his permanent home, where he is on display for the public.
For years my aunt talked about the statue, but didn’t seem to know, or remember at the time we talked where it went to, she would simply say “It must be somewhere”. In my searching for local historic places to take my kids on fieldtrips, I stumbled across the Ward Melville Heritage Organization page. I saw a link for Hercules. I didn’t think it was the “lost” statue, but said to myself, what are the odds? So I clicked the link and low and behold there was Hercules, in all his glory. Being that it was winter, I decided to wait until to warmer weather. Finally, I had an afternoon and the weather was good, so I took my kids on a pilgrimage of sorts to find Hercules, and we found him, at home by the water in his pavilion. It was a little surreal seeing a figure that I had only ever seen in black and white in small old picture of my aunts, very much in color and in person. I was glad we were able to locate it and that we went. I now have pictures now of my kids in front of it, which is pretty cool.
Hercules was the figurehead on the U.S.S Ohio which was designed by Henry Eckford. It had the honor of being the first ship launched out of the Brooklyn Navy Yard in 1820. It served in a myriad of rolls, one being the flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron in 1838, where its crew helped suppress the slave trade and protect commerce. It later served in the Mexican-American War in 1847. Officers, who sailed it, reportedly said that it was a marvel to sail and was a near perfect vessel.
The ship served in one capacity or another until she was decommissioned and burned in Greenport Harbor, NY in 1884. Her figurehead, Hercules was removed prior to the burning in the harbor. The Aldrich family, who lived in Aquebogue, first bought it during a military surplus auction for $10. Later, Miles Carpenter bought it from the Aldrich family and placed it at the Canoe Place Inn in Hampton Bays, which he owned at the time. Eventually, Mr. Melville acquired it and removed it from Canoe Place Inn giving the deed to the Ward Melville Heritage Organization, who still owns it today. Hercules was given a pavilion as his permanent home, where he is on display for the public.
For years my aunt talked about the statue, but didn’t seem to know, or remember at the time we talked where it went to, she would simply say “It must be somewhere”. In my searching for local historic places to take my kids on fieldtrips, I stumbled across the Ward Melville Heritage Organization page. I saw a link for Hercules. I didn’t think it was the “lost” statue, but said to myself, what are the odds? So I clicked the link and low and behold there was Hercules, in all his glory. Being that it was winter, I decided to wait until to warmer weather. Finally, I had an afternoon and the weather was good, so I took my kids on a pilgrimage of sorts to find Hercules, and we found him, at home by the water in his pavilion. It was a little surreal seeing a figure that I had only ever seen in black and white in small old picture of my aunts, very much in color and in person. I was glad we were able to locate it and that we went. I now have pictures now of my kids in front of it, which is pretty cool.
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