Saving Mariners' Souls - New Bedford, MA
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 41° 38.100 W 070° 55.411
19T E 339787 N 4611039
This sign is located at Seamen's Bethel...which was referred to as the "Whaleman's Chapel" in a scene from Moby Dick.
Waymark Code: WMKFF9
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 04/06/2014
Views: 5
Seamen's Bethel is part of the New Bedford Historic District, a National Historic Landmark also known as the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.
This Park Service sign has photos of the chapel and reads:
"Saving Mariners' Souls
After months at sea, many whaling men were unable to resist the temptations of this port city. In 1832, the New Bedford Port Society for the Moral Improvement of Seamen opened this mariners' chapel 'to protect the rights and interests of Seamen, and to furnish them with ... moral, intellectual and religious instruction.'
By supplying Bibles and nondenominational services, the Bethel (chapel) helped to combat all those influences to which the port's mariners fell prey - liquor, licentiousness, and dishonest merchants. A survey in 1852 found 37 'liquor shops' and 21 'houses of ill repute' in this ward alone."
Agency Responsible for Placement: National Park Service
Agency Responsible for Placement (if not in list above): N/A
Year Placed: unknown
County: Bristol
City/Town Name: New Bedford
Relevant Web Site: [Web Link]
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