Nantucket shipbuilding

Nantucket shipbuilding began in the late 1700s and culminated in the construction of notable whaling ships during the early 19th century.

These relatively few Nantucket forest trees were cut for firewood, fence posts, and short boards for diverse construction projects.

The first ship built on Nantucket after the town moved to Great Harbor was the brig Dolphin, a West Indies trader launched in 1770.

On her last voyage under the United States flag, the 'Rose' was captured by the British and finished her days as a dispatch ship for the Royal Navy.

[3] In 1832, the whaler 'Charles Carroll' was built for captain and 1/32 share owner Owen Chase the first mate and survivor of the Essex tragedy.

Whaleship Essex , original sketch by Thomas Nickerson. Rammed and sunk by a whale, in the South Pacific, 1820. Image from the collection of the Nantucket Historical Association.
Brant Point Lighthouse, Nantucket, 1856
Two whale ships under construction at Brant Point, Nantucket – on the launch ways and on “camels”, nd.
Taking the blubber off, Nantucket Harbor by Josiah Freeman, ?1867–?1890.
Nantucket Whaler "Rose", scrimshaw by E.Burdett (1805–32)
Ocean Whaling Scene, E.Burdett (Nantucket), (1805–32)