112 year old artifact headed to Kingston, Ontario
CLAYTON, New York (May 6, 2015)
– The Antique Boat Museum (ABM), North America’s premier freshwater nautical
museum based in Clayton, New York, announced today that its largest collection
artifact, La Duchesse, will head to drydock at MetalCraft Marine in Kingston,
Ontario for routine inspection and hull maintenance.
La Duchesse is expected to
depart the ABM on the morning of Friday, May 8 and float across the St.
Lawrence River, with assistance from Patch Seaway International, to Kingston.
The boat will likely remain for at least 10 days before its return trip to
Clayton.
Patch Seaway International,
based in Clayton, will act as the towing service since La Duchesse does not
have an engine. This trek across the international border for maintenance marks
the second time in the past 10 years since becoming a collection piece of the Museum.
The 106-foot houseboat is an
iconic piece relating to river lifestyles from more than one hundred years ago.
Built in 1903 for hotelier George Boldt, manager of New York City’s famed
Waldorf-Astoria hotel, the houseboat had once been owned by E.J. Noble and
later acquired by the McNally family. The houseboat was the first planned
gift made to ABM and was received as a bequest from the late Andrew McNally, III, who lived aboard during the summer months. The vessel opened for visitors
at the Museum in July of 2005 and each year more than 10,000 visitors enjoy the
opportunity to climb aboard to see her luxurious interior and one-of-a-kind
furnishings, while hearing the story of this unique two-story summer home.
In recent years, local
contractors, ABM staff, and multiple volunteers have worked to rebuild
stairwells, refinish flooring, clean the interior, and work is currently being
completed on a second floor balcony. Over the course of this past winter, all
window casings were rebuilt in the ongoing effort to restore the boat to her
original glory.
La Duchesse will reopen to
visitors at the ABM later this month. Tours of the houseboat are included with
the price of Museum admission.
About ABM
Located on the St. Lawrence
River in upstate New York, the ABM features a collection of over 300 antique
and classic boats, among thousands of recreational boating artifacts, including
the world’s largest runabout, Pardon Me. In 2015, the ABM will host the 51st
annual Antique Boat Show and Auction, the longest running such show in North
America. For more information, please visit the Museum’s website at abm.org.
