Buffalo Maritime Center facts for kids
The Buffalo Maritime Center is a super cool place in Buffalo, NY! It's like a special museum and workshop all rolled into one. Here, people learn how to build and fix old wooden boats. It's a great way to bring the community together and teach about the history of boats.
At the Center, you can see amazing old ships and learn about how boats traveled on the Great Lakes and New York's canals. They also have a boat-building program where volunteers create copies of historic wooden boats. Plus, there's a special workshop called a foundry that makes metal parts, like brass fittings, for these old and new boats.
The Story of the Center
The Buffalo Maritime Center began in 1989. It was started by a professor named Dr. John Montague. He taught at Buffalo State College and loved design.
In 2007, Dr. Montague retired. He decided to turn his popular boat-building classes into a non-profit group. This group became the Buffalo Maritime Center. They moved to a spot in downtown Buffalo.
Over the years, the Center grew a lot! It added a foundry to make old-style boat parts. It also created a research library and a museum. The museum now has many historic boats, tiny ship models, paintings, and other items. These items all tell the story of boating on the Great Lakes and canals.
The Center has been in different old factory buildings in Buffalo. Now, it has a new main spot at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park. This new building is right on the Buffalo waterfront. It's a perfect place for building boats!
Exciting Projects
The Center has a team of volunteers who build historic wooden boats. These volunteers have made replica canal boats. These boats are now used at the Flight of Five Locks in Lockport, New York. It's amazing to see them in action!
In 2019, the Center received money to build a special boat. This boat is a copy of the packet boat that Governor Dewitt Clinton rode. He rode it when the Erie Canal first opened in 1825.
The State of New York gave $4 million for a new building. This building is 4,000 square feet and is open all year. In this new space, volunteers are building the historic canal boat by hand. It will be 73 feet long and 10 feet wide. This new boat and building are ready for the 200th anniversary of the Erie Canal's opening.
The Center has also made a special mold. This mold helps museum members build their own historic wood-frame canoes. It's a fun way for people to learn and create!
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