Over the weekend, Marblehead came together to honor its Revolutionary past at Marblehead 250. The celebration highlighted Marblehead’s vital role in the American Revolution. Residents and visitors immersed themselves in the town’s history all weekend, as they boarded a Revolutionary-era schooner, watched live reenactments and explored historic sites all around town.
On Saturday and Sunday morning, visitors had the opportunity to explore the Fame, a schooner that is similar to the Hannah, a Marblehead vessel believed to be the first armed American ship of the American Revolution.
The Hannah was originally a fishing vessel owned by Marblehead captain John Glover. Devoted to the Patriot cause, he outfitted it as a small warship when the Revolution broke out.
The British occupied Boston, and Glover intended to use the Hannah to attack British ships and weaken their hold in the region. The Hannah went to sea in September of 1775 and was actually damaged beyond repair off the Beverly coast on her second voyage after being chased by a British warship. Despite her unsuccessful tenure as a warship, the USS Hannah is a legendary part of Marblehead history. It is known as the first ship in Washington’s fleet, giving Marblehead its reputation as the “Birthplace of the American Navy.”
Visitors could take a free 90-minute tour of the Salem Sound on the Fame. Passengers got a chance to raise the schooner’s sails, watch its cannons fire towards Fort Sewall and hear Capt. Mike Rutstein talk about the history of the Hannah and the surrounding islands.
Visitors also explored Fort Sewall and met Glover’s Regiment.
The regiment spent Saturday and Sunday at the fort, preparing for battle by making musket balls and performing firing drills. Glover’s Marblehead Regiment was vital to the colonists’ victory in the Revolution and are most famous for rowing Washington across the Delaware River on Christmas Eve to attack British forces at Trenton.
At St. Michael’s Church, Marbleheaders met Ashley Bowen, an 18th-century Marblehead sailor who wrote a journal about his life for over 40 years and is credited as the first American sailor to write an autobiography.
Bowen was portrayed by historian Donald Friary. He spoke about his life and the Revolutionary War’s impact on his community, and taught the audience about the history of the church, which is more than three centuries old.
Visitors to the Lee Mansion listened to local historian Meghan Boehmer portray Sarah Mugford, the wife of Capt. James Mugford, as she talked about life in Revolutionary War-era Marblehead.
In one of the most popular events of the weekend, a reenactment of a 1774 Town Meeting was held at the Old Town House. Town historian Don Doliber led the meeting, which informed the audience about the growing Revolutionary sentiment in Marbleheaders, and the specific issues that led to the Revolution a year later.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
