New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
Encyclopedia
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park is a United States
National Historical Park
in New Bedford, Massachusetts
, and is maintained by the National Park Service
. The park commemorates the heritage of the world's preeminent whaling
port during the nineteenth century.
Established in 1996, the park encompasses 34 acres (fourteen hectares) dispersed over thirteen city blocks. It includes a visitor center
, the New Bedford National Historic Landmark District
, the New Bedford Whaling Museum
, the Seamen's Bethel
, the Schooner Ernestina, and the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum
.
The enabling legislation also established a legislative connection with the Inupiat Heritage Center
in Barrow, Alaska
, to commemorate the more than 2,000 whaling voyages from New Bedford to the Western Arctic
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
National Historical Park
National Historical Park
National Historic Sites are protected areas of national historic significance in the United States. A National Historic Site usually contains a single historical feature directly associated with its subject...
in New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford, Massachusetts
New Bedford is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, located south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and about east of Fall River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 95,072, making it the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts...
, and is maintained by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
. The park commemorates the heritage of the world's preeminent whaling
Whaling
Whaling is the hunting of whales mainly for meat and oil. Its earliest forms date to at least 3000 BC. Various coastal communities have long histories of sustenance whaling and harvesting beached whales...
port during the nineteenth century.
Established in 1996, the park encompasses 34 acres (fourteen hectares) dispersed over thirteen city blocks. It includes a visitor center
Old Third District Courthouse
The Old Third District Courthouse in New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States, is located at the corner of Second and William streets. It was built in 1853 by Russell Warren in the Greek Revival architectural style, as the home of the New Bedford Institute for Savings, a local bank. After the bank...
, the New Bedford National Historic Landmark District
New Bedford Historic District
The New Bedford Historic District is a National Historic Landmark District in New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States, west of the community's waterfront. During the 19th century, when the city was the center of the American whaling industry, this was its downtown...
, the New Bedford Whaling Museum
New Bedford Whaling Museum
The New Bedford Whaling Museum is located in New Bedford, Massachusetts, USA. The museum, through its collections and exhibitions, tells the story of the international whaling industry and the history more generally of the "Old Dartmouth" area, the Southcoast of Massachusetts...
, the Seamen's Bethel
Seamen's Bethel
The Seamen's Bethel is a chapel in New Bedford, Massachusetts, United States, located at 15 Johnny Cake Hill.-History of building:Built by the New Bedford Port Society, it was completed on May 2, 1832...
, the Schooner Ernestina, and the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum
Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum
The William Rotch, Jr. House, now the Rotch-Jones-Duff House and Garden Museum, is a National Historic Landmark at 396 County Street in New Bedford, Massachusetts, in the United States. The three families whose names are attached to it were all closely tied to the city's nineteenth-century...
.
The enabling legislation also established a legislative connection with the Inupiat Heritage Center
Inupiat Heritage Center
The Iñupiat Heritage Center is a museum in Barrow in the U.S. state of Alaska. Dedicated in February 1999, it is an affiliated area of New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and recognizes the contributions of Alaska Natives to the history of whaling.It houses...
in Barrow, Alaska
Barrow, Alaska
Barrow is the largest city of the North Slope Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. It is one of the northernmost cities in the world and is the northernmost city in the United States of America, with nearby Point Barrow being the nation's northernmost point. Barrow's population was 4,212 at the...
, to commemorate the more than 2,000 whaling voyages from New Bedford to the Western Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
.