Donald McKay House
Encyclopedia
The Donald McKay House is a historic wood-frame home at 78-80 White Street in East Boston, Massachusetts. It was the residence of Donald McKay
, noted builder of clipper ships
.
The house was built in 1844 in the Greek Revival architectural style and is distinguished by an A-roof with a front-facing gable resembling a Greek pediment. McKay moved into the house in 1845, and during his residence there he designed and built some of the most successful clipper
s ever built.
These ships include the Flying Cloud (1851), whidh made two 89-day passages from New York to San Francisco; the Sovereign of the Seas
(1852), which posted the fastest speed ever by a sailing ship — 22 kts. — in 1854; the Lightning
(1854), which set multiple records, including sailing 436 miles in a 24-hour period and sailing from Melbourne
, Australia
, to Liverpool
, England
, in 64 days; and the James Baines
(1854), which logged a speed of 21 knots on June 18, 1856.
While living in East Boston, McKay also built five large packet ships for Enoch Train's White Diamond line, which specialised in the Atlantic emigrant route from Europe to North America, between 1845-1850. These ships were the Washington Irving, the Anglo Saxon, the Anglo American, the Daniel Webster, and the Ocean Monarch. The Ocean Monarch was lost to fire on 28 August 1848, soon after leaving Liverpool and within sight of Wales; over 170 of the passengers and crew perished. The Washington Irving carried Patrick Kennedy to Boston in 1849.
During the American Civil War
, the US Navy contracted McKay to build the USS Nausett
, one of the few Casco-class
monitors
to be commissioned.
The Donald McKay House was added to the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982. A monument to McKay on Castle Island near Fort Independence
in South Boston lists all of McKay's ships.
Donald McKay
Donald McKay was a Canadian-born American designer and builder of sailing ships.He was born in Jordan Falls, Shelburne County on Nova Scotia's South Shore. In 1826 he moved to New York, working for shipbuilders Brown & Bell and Isaac Webb...
, noted builder of clipper ships
Clipper
A clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had three or more masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area...
.
The house was built in 1844 in the Greek Revival architectural style and is distinguished by an A-roof with a front-facing gable resembling a Greek pediment. McKay moved into the house in 1845, and during his residence there he designed and built some of the most successful clipper
Clipper
A clipper was a very fast sailing ship of the 19th century that had three or more masts and a square rig. They were generally narrow for their length, could carry limited bulk freight, small by later 19th century standards, and had a large total sail area...
s ever built.
These ships include the Flying Cloud (1851), whidh made two 89-day passages from New York to San Francisco; the Sovereign of the Seas
Sovereign of the Seas (clipper)
The Sovereign of the Seas, a clipper ship built in 1852, was a sailing vessel notable for setting the 1854 world record for fastest sailing ship-- 22 knots.Sovereign of the Seas has held this record for over 100 years.-Notable passages:...
(1852), which posted the fastest speed ever by a sailing ship — 22 kts. — in 1854; the Lightning
Lightning (clipper)
Lightning was a clipper ship, one of the last really large clippers to be built in the USA. She was built by Donald McKay for James Baines of the Black Ball Line, Liverpool, for the Australia trade....
(1854), which set multiple records, including sailing 436 miles in a 24-hour period and sailing from Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, to Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, in 64 days; and the James Baines
James Baines (clipper)
The James Baines was a passenger clipper ship completely constructed of timber in the 1850s and launched on 25 July 1854 from the East Boston shipyard of the famous ship builder Donald McKay in the USA for the Black Ball Line of James Baines & Co., Liverpool...
(1854), which logged a speed of 21 knots on June 18, 1856.
While living in East Boston, McKay also built five large packet ships for Enoch Train's White Diamond line, which specialised in the Atlantic emigrant route from Europe to North America, between 1845-1850. These ships were the Washington Irving, the Anglo Saxon, the Anglo American, the Daniel Webster, and the Ocean Monarch. The Ocean Monarch was lost to fire on 28 August 1848, soon after leaving Liverpool and within sight of Wales; over 170 of the passengers and crew perished. The Washington Irving carried Patrick Kennedy to Boston in 1849.
During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the US Navy contracted McKay to build the USS Nausett
USS Nausett (1865)
USS Nausett, a single-turreted, twin-screw monitor, was built by Donald McKay, South Boston, MA, and launched on 26 April 1865, and commissioned on 10 August 1865, Acting Master Win. U. Grozier in command...
, one of the few Casco-class
Casco class monitor
The Casco-class monitor was a unique class of light draft monitor built on behalf of the United States Navy for the Mississippi theatre during the American Civil War. The largest and most ambitious ironclad program of the war, the project was dogged by delays caused by bureaucratic meddling...
monitors
Monitor (warship)
A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...
to be commissioned.
The Donald McKay House was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982. A monument to McKay on Castle Island near Fort Independence
Fort Independence (Massachusetts)
Fort Independence is a granite star fort that provided harbor defenses for Boston, Massachusetts. Located on Castle Island, Fort Independence is the oldest continuously fortified site of English origin in the United States. The first primitive fortification was placed on the site in 1634 and...
in South Boston lists all of McKay's ships.