Latest news with #TheSeamen'sBethel

Boston Globe

Fishing around for fun things to do? Use the South Coast commuter rail to explore New Bedford.

From the commuter rail station, you'll have to walk 15 minutes to reach Fisherman's Wharf. You'll pass the fish processing plants and cold storage facilities that support the nation's highest-grossing commercial fishing port. True to its name, Fisherman's Wharf is lined by vessels that range up to 100 feet long and tower above the mere human beings along the dock. The vast majority are rigged as scallop dredgers or groundfish boats, although offshore lobster boats, clammers, and deep-sea crabbers also call New Bedford home. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up According to the most recent Advertisement Plaques along the waterfront illuminate New Bedford's maritime history. David Lyon Advertisement That mentality was already part of New Bedford's cultural DNA. From 1830 to 1860, most American whaling ships sailed from New Bedford. Commercial fishing took hold when the whaling industry waned around 1900. Simply put, New Bedford had the infrastructure — why let all those piers go to waste? But the whaling industry has not been forgotten. The cobblestone streets, granite US Custom House, 'double″ bank building, and old candleworks recall that mid-19th-century heyday. Even the visitor center of the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park occupies a handsome Greek Revival red sandstone structure. It was built in 1853 as a bank during the height of New Bedford's whaling fortunes. Stop in to pick up a map and get a swift overview of how whaling transformed New Bedford. Whale skeletons seem to float in the two-story atrium of the New Bedford Whaling Museum. David Lyon A block away, the This half-scale model of the whaling bark Lagoda is a prime exhibit in the New Bedford Whaling Museum. David Lyon On the museum's main level, a half-size model of the whaling bark Lagoda gives an idea of the complexity of a typical whaling vessel. An adjacent gallery holds the skeleton of a 48-foot sperm whale, the chief prey of New Bedford whalers. This 30-year-old male was found stranded on Nantucket in 2002. The toothed leviathan dwarfs the six-man whaleboat installed on a back wall in the same room. It is amazing that any whalers survived. Advertisement The New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Center occupies a former bank building from the city's whaling heyday. David Lyon That sense of imminent mortality weighed on many a whaler. Central to the The Seamen's Bethel, established in 1832, offered solace and comfort to whalers and other sailors. David Lyon Herman Melville visited the Advertisement The Nathan and Polly Johnson House was a key location in New Bedford's anti-slavery struggle. David Lyon The Abolition movement burned bright in New Bedford, which had the highest percentage of African Americans in the Northeast. Among Rotch's neighbors in what is now called the County Street Historic District were Nathan and Polly Johnson, who owned a block on 7th Street. As free African American businesspeople, the Johnsons were leading anti-slavery activists. They also opened their home to harbor men and women fleeing bondage. On Sept. 17, 1838, they took in a fugitive who would assume the name Frederick Douglass along with his wife, Anna. The Johnson house at 21 7th St. is now owned by the The fried scallop plate at Moby Dick Brewing Co. comes with cole slaw and fried potato wedges. David Lyon From the park, it's only a 10-minute walk back to New Bedford's central historic district. Before leaving town, be sure to sample some New Bedford scallops. At If you go … One-way weekday fare on the MBTA commuter rail is $12.25 for adults, $6 for seniors and students. The MBTA offers a $10 Commuter Rail Weekend Pass for unlimited travel. On weekdays, 15 trains per day leave South Station for New Bedford (536 Acushnet Ave.) Advertisement New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center 38 Bethel St. 508-993-8894, Thurs.-Mon. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Adults $8, seniors and students $5, under age 12 free New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park Visitor Center 33 William St. 508-996-4095, Wed.-Sun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Check for schedule of tours. Free New Bedford Whaling Museum 18 Johnny Cake Hill 508-997-0046, Open daily 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Adults $23, seniors $21, youth $13 Seamen's Bethel 15 Johnny Cake Hill 508-992-3295, Open Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Donation requested Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum 396 County St. 508-997-1401, Wed.-Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., also Sun. noon-4 p.m. (closed Sun. after Oct. 13). Adults $8, seniors and students $6, ages 7-17 $3, under age 7 free Moby Dick Brewing Co. 16 South Water St. 774-202-6961, Mon.-Thu. 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m., Sun. noon-8 p.m. sandwiches and entrees $13-$45 The Whale's Tail Clam Bar Advertisement 52 Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 3 774-425-8980, Open daily 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. sandwiches and baskets $12-$28 Patricia Harris and David Lyon can be reached at . Patricia Harris can be reached at