Wood model ship carving of the USS Wasp. 36"L x 8" x 28"H. Hand carved and detailed by Richard Hewitt. Richard Hewitt moved to Port Townsend, WA when he was 18 to take a job as a boat builder. He lived in Port Townsend for 27 years and raised his family there. He always had a passion for tall ships from the past and started building hand crafted wooden ship models when his family was young. He enjoyed building the forgotten ships – those with no photos or paintings, just a record in the archives. By reading the history, his artist eye started creating what he thought the ship may have looked like. Each ship is started with a solid block of wood, he carved the full by hand. To complete the ship, it takes anywhere from 8 to 12 months. Each ship is special and hard for him to part with, but his shipyard was getting full.
USS Wasp (1775) was a Continental Navy Schooner originally built as a merchant vessel named Scorpion in Baltimore. It was purchased by Col. Benjamin Harrison on December 2, 1775, and commissioned in December 1775 or January 1776, with Capt. William Hallock in command. It set sail from Baltimore on January 14, 1776, to meet Commodore Esek Hopkins' squadron at the Delaware Capes, becoming the first ship of the Continental Navy to go to sea with Hornet in tow. The fleet joined Hopkins' squadron on February 13 and four days later, the first American squadron set sail.
In November 1777, the Wasp was destroyed. The exact circumstances of its destruction are unclear, but it is believed to have been caused by a storm or a navigation error. The loss of the Wasp was a significant blow to the Continental Navy, as it was one of the first ships commissioned in the newly formed navy. USS Wasp (1775) played an important role in the early days of the Continental Navy, being the first ship to be commissioned in the navy and to set sail with a convoy to meet the squadron. The Wasp and the Fly later sailed independently and attacked several British vessels, and while it was destroyed in November 1777, it had already made a significant contribution to the navy's early success.
This is a large item. Please contact the Gallery (208)769-7575 for shipping information.
PERIOD: Contemporary
ORIGIN: Washington, United States