Seamen's Bethel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Seamen's Bethel
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U.S. National Historic Landmark District
Contributing Property |
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Front elevation, 2006
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| Location | New Bedford, Massachusetts |
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| Area | New Bedford Historic District |
| Built | 1832 |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000773 |
| Added to NRHP | 1966 |
The Seamen's Bethel is a special chapel in New Bedford, Massachusetts. It's located at 15 Johnny Cake Hill. For a long time, this chapel was a very important place for sailors. Many sailors would visit it before they left on long journeys at sea.
Contents
A Look Back: The Bethel's History
Building a Home for Sailors
The Seamen's Bethel was built by a group called the New Bedford Port Society. It was finished on May 2, 1832. This building is a key part of the New Bedford Historic District. This whole area is a National Historic Landmark, which means it's a very important historical place.
The Bethel was made especially for the many sailors who lived in New Bedford. Most of these sailors were whalers, who hunted whales. It was a tradition for them to visit the chapel before they sailed away.
Changes Over Time
In 1866, there was a fire, and the building needed repairs. After that, some parts of the Bethel were changed. Inside, you can see the names of New Bedford whalers who died at sea. Later, names of all local fishermen who were lost were also added to the walls.
In the summer of 1862, a man named James Henry Gooding got married in the Bethel. He was a war reporter and a member of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment during the Civil War.
Becoming a National Park Site
In 1996, the Seamen's Bethel became part of something bigger. It joined the New Bedford Whaling Museum (which is right across the street) and other important whaling sites. Together, they formed the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. This park helps protect and share the history of whaling in New Bedford.
The Bethel in Moby-Dick
A Famous Book's Connection
In 1851, Herman Melville wrote his famous book, Moby-Dick. This book tells the exciting story of a giant white whale. The Seamen's Bethel became famous because it was featured in the book. In Moby-Dick, it's called the "Whaleman's Chapel". Melville wrote:
In this same New Bedford there stands a Whaleman's Chapel, and few are the moody fishermen, shortly bound for the Indian Ocean or Pacific, who fail to make a Sunday visit to the spot.
Father Mapple and His Pulpit
In the novel, a chaplain named Father Mapple gives a sermon (a religious speech) from a special pulpit. This pulpit is shaped like the front of a ship. People believe that Melville got the idea for Father Mapple from a real person. He likely heard Father Edward Thompson Taylor preach in Boston. But he was also probably inspired by Enoch Mudge, who preached at the Seamen's Bethel on December 27, 1840. Melville was in New Bedford at that time, waiting to leave on his own whaling ship.
The unique ship-shaped pulpit in the book was Melville's own idea. But in 1961, a copy of it was added to the chapel. It was built by Robert Baker, a boat builder. You can also see the pew (a long bench) where Melville sat when he visited in 1840.
After Moby-Dick was published, the Seamen's Bethel became a well-known symbol. It represented the whalers and their amazing history.
The Bethel on the Big Screen
Movies Filmed Here
The Seamen's Bethel has even appeared in movies! You can see shots of it in the 1922 film Down to the Sea in Ships.
In 1956, director John Huston filmed a scene for his movie version of Moby-Dick. Famous actors like Gregory Peck and Orson Welles were in it. They shot a scene right in front of the real Seamen's Bethel. However, the scenes inside the chapel were filmed somewhere else. This movie helped bring more visitors to the area.
Images for kids
