Charles W. Morgan (ship)
Charles W. Morgan at Mystic Seaport, Connecticut | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| United States | |
| Owner |
|
| Builder | Jethro and Zachariah Hillman, New Bedford, Massachusetts |
| Launched | 1841 |
| Identification |
|
| Status | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 351.3 (Old Tons); 313.8 (New Tons) |
| Length | 113 ft (34 m) LOA |
| Beam | 27 ft 6 in (8.38 m) |
| Depth | 17.1 feet (5.2 m) |
| Sail plan | Double-topsail bark rig; 13,000 sq ft (1,200 m2) of sail |
Charles W. Morgan | |
| Location | Mystic, Connecticut |
| Coordinates | 41°21′44″N 71°57′55″W / 41.36222°N 71.96518°W |
| Built | 1841 |
| Part of | Mystic Bridge Historic District (ID79002671) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000804 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | 13 November 1966 |
| Designated NHL | 13 November 1966 |
| Designated CP | August 31, 1979 |
Charles W. Morgan is an American whaling ship built in 1841 that was active during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Ships of this type were used to harvest the blubber of whales for whale oil which was commonly used in lamps. Charles W. Morgan has served as a museum ship since the 1940s and is now an exhibit at the Mystic Seaport museum in Mystic, Connecticut. She is the world's oldest surviving (non-wrecked) merchant vessel, the only surviving wooden whaling ship from the 19th century American merchant fleet (of an estimated 2,700 built), and second to USS Constitution, the oldest seaworthy vessel in the world. Charles W. Morgan was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966.