IN MEMORIAM: Remembering Marblehead’s ‘codfather’
Raymond C. Abbott, the man responsible for the ubiquitous golden codfish carvings adorning Marblehead homes, was laid to rest on May 23.
His grandson, Derek Abbott, told the Marblehead Current that his grandfather passed away on April 20 after a period of declining health. He was 93.
In the 1990s, Marblehead quickly adopted Abbott's golden codfish, elevating it to the status of other historic symbols gracing homes, including the majestic golden bald eagle and pineapples.
Raymond Abbott, left, with his grandson, Derek Abbott, was the mastermind behind Marblehead's distinctive wooden codfish carvings that adorn local homes. COURTESY PHOTO / DEREK ABBOTT
The golden cod adorning the facades of homes pays tribute to Marblehead's historical connection to the 17th-century fishing tra...