Steaming into Warwick

Posted 10/23/14

With flags lending a nautical feel, and the chef from the Radisson providing an epicurean flare, the Steamship Historical Society of America officially berthed at its new headquarters at the New …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Steaming into Warwick

Posted

With flags lending a nautical feel, and the chef from the Radisson providing an epicurean flare, the Steamship Historical Society of America officially berthed at its new headquarters at the New England Institute of Technology on Oct. 16.

As Mayor Scott Avedisian said at the ribbon cutting, the link between NEIT and the society was born from a discussion with Realtor Mark McHugh at the annual Warwick Neck July 4th parade. McHugh was looking for a home for the society that has an extensive collection of items, paintings, movies, books, plans, photographs and more than 8,000 volumes and periodicals, all relating to steam ships.

Avedisian knew of space at NEIT’s Post Road building and could see the synergy between the society’s collection and the college’s programs, in particular, its newest program in shipbuilding.

For the society, with a waning membership of 2,000, NEIT offered an opportunity to re-energize the organization while accomplishing something it had never had before.

“We have never had a home with everything in one place,” society executive director Matthew Schulte told members and guests assembled for the occasion.

Since its founding in 1935, Schulte said the collection has been housed at different locations around the country. As leases and agreements expired, the need of a permanent central location became critical. Now, much of their collection is on display at the former New England Tech Library on Post Road. It includes ships bells and ranges to clocks and nameplates salvaged from vessels. Books – some rare and early – and periodicals fill the library shelves, but still there are boxes to be unpacked.

“What better than the Ocean State for our home,” Schulte said.

Congressman James Langevin said he is thrilled the society picked Rhode Island and Warwick. He noted how the society’s library will be an educational benefit and how the society can “bring this exciting history to our schools.”

Avedisian recalled his July 4 talk with McHugh and how the match with NEIT grew out of that. Referring to criticism of Rhode Islanders for being excessively provincial and inter-connected, Avedisian said, “Sometimes being that close in Rhode Island isn’t that bad.”

He also spoke of how NEIT looked to close most of its Warwick operations after acquiring its main campus in East Greenwich.

“Losing NEIT would have been a great loss for us,” he said, “but, before you knew it the old campus filled up.”

Retired U.S. Coast Guard Commander Marc Cruder called the society’s library especially significant because much of its collection of nautical books and periodicals can’t be found anywhere else. 

Comments

No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here