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The Two New Bedfords: Spatial and Social Analysis of the City, 1800-1870

About the Project

This site is a pilot project developed as part of HIST 499T Independent Study, in conjunction with the thesis Charity as Coercion: The Ladies' Branch of the New Bedford Port Society, 1833-1880. The objectives of this thesis are the following:

To write a comprehensive history of the Ladies’ Branch of the Port Society, from its founding in 1830 through 1880, noting their achievements in working with troubled sailors in the operations of the Seamen’s Bethel and the Mariner’s Home;
To place this history of the Ladies’ Branch in context with activist fervor of New Bedford, especially the racialized abolitionist efforts during the antebellum period and the era of religious reform;
To place the history of the Ladies’ Branch within a religious context, including the presence of Quakerism in southeastern New England, the Second Great Awakening and the place of women’s involvement and the spiritual rejuvenation of the nation in addition the the focus on the spiritual status of seamen, and the guidelines of “moral improvement” by which the women intended to impose order on the seamen;
To incorporate into the narrative the interplay of femininity and masculinity onshore within seafaring and whalefishery, in viewing the Ladies’ Branch as an extension of the domestic sphere of influence for wealthy women in New Bedford;
To place the history of the Ladies’ Branch in context with women’s involvement in antebellum reform, especially Quaker activism of the early nineteenth century, and compare it to the work performed by the male members of the New Bedford Port Society;
To place the history of the Ladies’ Branch over the course of fifty years in context with the rapidly urbanizing environment of New Bedford, by highlighting the socioeconomic data, especially in support of the social stratification that developed a result of the whaling industry’s introduction to the city.

This project expands on the last objective. As a complement to the written thesis, this project expands upon the relations of the work of the Ladies’ Branch of the New Bedford Port Society to the city of New Bedford. The user experience will come in two forms. The first, created in Scalar, uses various multimedia presentations to expand on quantitative and qualitative analysis of the city. The second experience will create a 3D rendering of the Mariners’ Home, allowing users to see how the home served multiple purposes for the Port Society and how it reflected the rapidly urbanizing city in which it lived. In creating this project, I hope to complement my honors thesis with the technologies of my second major. I also hope to visualize the concept of the “two new Bedfords,” and understand how these wealthy, elite Quaker women contributed to their city’s industry and community as they adjusted to a rapidly urbanized environment. I also hope that in my recreation of the Mariner’s Home, I can complement its physical restoration process and bring alive the energy and multiple uses of the building in its prime.

People

Emily Esten
Laura Lovett
Marla Miller
Eric Poehler

Special thanks to: UMass Amherst Commonwealth Honors College, UMass Amherst Department of History, New Bedford Whaling Museum, New Bedford Free Public Library

Media

1871 Whaling Disaster
The Whaling Disaster of 1871
Barroom Dancing
By John Lewis Krimmel - This image is available from the United States Library of Congress's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID cph.3g04548.This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing for more information.العربية | čeština | Deutsch | English | español | فارسی | suomi | français | magyar | italiano | македонски | മലയാളം | Nederlands | polski | português | русский | slovenčina | slovenščina | Türkçe | українська | 中文 | 中文（简体）‎ | 中文（繁體）‎ | +/−, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6565585
Centennial celebration : proceedings in connection with the celebration at New Bedford, September 14th, 1864, of the two hundredth anniversary of the incorporation of the Town of Dartmouth
The metadata below describe the original scanning. Follow the "All Files: HTTP" link in the "View the book" box to the left to find XML files that contain more metadata about the original images and the derived formats (OCR results, PDF etc.). See also the What is the directory structure for the texts? FAQ for information about file content and naming conventions.
County Street Methodist Church, New Bedford, MA
County Street Methodist Church, New Bedford, MA.
Custom House in New Bedford on the corner of William and North Second Streets.
Custom House in New Bedford on the corner of William and North Second Streets. It still stands, in the heart of the current historic district.
Down to the sea in ships (Elmer Clifton, 1922)
See review and synopsis at: http://www.acinemahistory.com/2015/10/down-to-sea-in-ships-1922.html A story of deception and love at the end of the 19th century ...
Father Mapples Sermon
Classic Sermon delivered by Orson Welles in the orignial Moby Dick.
Four Corners 1807
William Allen Wall
History of New Bedford
History of New Bedford and its vicinity, 1602-1892
The metadata below describe the original scanning. Follow the "All Files: HTTP" link in the "View the book" box to the left to find XML files that contain more metadata about the original images and the derived formats (OCR results, PDF etc.). See also the What is the directory structure for the texts? FAQ for information about file content and naming conventions.
Mariners Home,
Mariners Home, Bethel Street (now Johnny Cake Hill) New Bedford.
Mariners Home,
Mariners Home, Bethel Street (now Johnny Cake Hill) New Bedford.
Boarding Houses
Pg. 247 in New Bedford City Directory (1878)
Boardinghouses List
Pgs. 232-233 in 1878 New Bedford City Directory
Hotels & Taverns
From the New Bedford City Directory, 1838
The Underground Railroad: New Bedford
New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park
New Bedford Directory (1879-1880)
Title varies: 1836-1867, The New Bedford directory.--1869, 1877-1881, Greenough's directory of the ... city of New Bedford.--1871-1873, Greenough, Jones & co's directory of the ... city of New Bedford.--1883-1889, The New Bedford city directory.--1893-1903, The New Bedford and Fairhaven directory.--1904- , New Bedford 1904- directory
New Bedford City Directory (1895)
Title varies: 1836-1867, The New Bedford directory.--1869, 1877-1881, Greenough's directory of the ... city of New Bedford.--1871-1873, Greenough, Jones & co's directory of the ... city of New Bedford.--1883-1889, The New Bedford city directory.--1893-1903, The New Bedford and Fairhaven directory.--1904- , New Bedford 1904- directory
New Bedford City Directory (1852)
Title varies: 1836-1867, The New Bedford directory.--1869, 1877-1881, Greenough's directory of the ... city of New Bedford.--1871-1873, Greenough, Jones & co's directory of the ... city of New Bedford.--1883-1889, The New Bedford city directory.--1893-1903, The New Bedford and Fairhaven directory.--1904- , New Bedford 1904- directory
New Bedford Directory (1873-1874)
Title varies: 1836-1867, The New Bedford directory.--1869, 1877-1881, Greenough's directory of the ... city of New Bedford.--1871-1873, Greenough, Jones & co's directory of the ... city of New Bedford.--1883-1889, The New Bedford city directory.--1893-1903, The New Bedford and Fairhaven directory.--1904- , New Bedford 1904- directory
New Bedford City Directory (1877-1878)
Title varies: 1836-1867, The New Bedford directory.--1869, 1877-1881, Greenough's directory of the ... city of New Bedford.--1871-1873, Greenough, Jones & co's directory of the ... city of New Bedford.--1883-1889, The New Bedford city directory.--1893-1903, The New Bedford and Fairhaven directory.--1904- , New Bedford 1904- directory
New Bedford City Directory (1890)
Title varies: 1836-1867, The New Bedford directory.--1869, 1877-1881, Greenough's directory of the ... city of New Bedford.--1871-1873, Greenough, Jones & co's directory of the ... city of New Bedford.--1883-1889, The New Bedford city directory.--1893-1903, The New Bedford and Fairhaven directory.--1904- , New Bedford 1904- directory
New Bedford Directory (1836)
New Bedford Directory (1836, 1838)
Vol. 1- 1836- contain "A list of whale ships, belonging to the United States."
New Bedford, Massachusetts; its history, industries, institutions and attractions
Book digitized by Google from the library of the New York Public Library and uploaded to the Internet Archive by user tpb.
Photograph of the first floor hall and staircase of the William Rotch Jr. House, the Mariners' Home.
Photograph of the first floor hall and staircase of the William Rotch Jr. House, the Mariners' Home. The Mariners' Home was built in 1787, serving as the mansion home of William Rotch Jr. The house originally stood on the southeast corner of Water and Williams Streets, moving to its current location after a $3,000 re-furnishing compliments of the Ladies Branch of the New Bedford Port Society whose first president was Mrs. Sarah Rotch Arnold. Sarah Rotch Arnold, wife of James Arnold, was the daughter of William Rotch Jr. and she presented the home to the Port Society to serve as a Mariner's Home in 1851.
Photograph of the first floor interior, northeast room, of the William Rotch Jr. House, the Mariners' Home.
Photograph of the first floor interior, northeast room, of the William Rotch Jr. House, the Mariners' Home. Photograph of a vessel on the sea hanging on one wall and a framed instructional guide to tying different types of knots hanging on another wall. Window side-shutters ajar and door slightly ajar. The Mariners' Home was built in 1787, serving as the mansion home of William Rotch Jr. The house originally stood on the southeast corner of Water and Williams Streets, moving to its current location after a $3,000 re-furnishing compliments of the Ladies Branch of the New Bedford Port Society whose first president was Mrs. Sarah Rotch Arnold. Sarah Rotch Arnold, wife of James Arnold, was the daughter of William Rotch Jr. and she presented the home to the Port Society to serve as a Mariner's Home in 1851.
Photograph of William Rotch Jr. House, Mariners' Home, taken of the front, east side.
Photograph of William Rotch Jr. House, Mariners' Home, taken of the front, east side. 15 Johnny Cake Hill at the west side. A low fence runs the perimeter of the yard, flanked on either side by large bushy trees. The Mariners' Home was built in 1787, serving as the mansion home of William Rotch Jr. The house originally stood on the southeast corner of Water and Williams Streets, moving to its current location after a $3,000 re-furnishing compliments of the Ladies Branch of the New Bedford Port Society whose first president was Mrs. Sarah Rotch Arnold. Sarah Rotch Arnold, wife of James Arnold, was the daughter of William Rotch Jr. and she presented the home to the Port Society to serve as a Mariner's Home in 1851.
Safely Moored At Last: Cultural Landscape Report for New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park: Volume 1: History, Existing Conditions, Analysis, and Preliminary Preservation Issues
Seaman's Bethel, New Bedford, Ma.
Object Name: Negative, Glass, Wet Plate Catalog #: 2000.100.441.56.a
The History of Bedford and visitor's guide
Book digitized by Google from the library of New York Public Library and uploaded to the Internet Archive by user tpb.
The history of New Bedford, Bristol County, Massachusetts : including a history of the old township of Dartmouth and the present townships of Westport, Dartmouth, and Fairhaven, from their settlement to the present time
Includes index
Two African American men on the deck of the WANDERER
Two African American men on the deck of the WANDERER. PHOTOGRAPH- Accessioned Photo
Two African-American men rowing in a whaleboat with one man standing up about to harpoon
Two African-American men rowing in a whaleboat with one man standing up about to harpoon. Reproduction --Mounted. PHOTOGRAPH - Accessioned Photo.
Union Street, New Bedford
Black and white early 20th century copy photo of 19th century daguerreotype of New Bedford, Massachusetts street scene. Shows Union Street from view facing west; cobblestone street running through center of images with predominantly wood frame commercial buildings on each side. Watchmaker's sign on building on left. Fenestrated church steeple with quatrefoil window seen in distance at left. Pedestrians and horse drawn carriages along street and sidewalk. Inscriptions on back, one of which states that the photo belonged to the New Bedford Five Cents Savings Bank. Original photographer possibly Morris Smith.
Union Street Showing Mansion House, New Bedford
Black and white photo of Union Street, New Bedford, Massachusetts at southeast corner of Second Street. Early 20th century copy photo from ca. 1848 daguerreotype by Morris Smith. Row of wood frame buildings at left with Mansion House near center (with Doric columned front porch). Carriages parked on sides of street. Watchmaker's sign visible at right; directly behind it in the distance are masts of whaling ships in harbor. Mounted on gray cardboard with typed caption pasted beneath image; library stamp at lower right.
Unitarian Church, First
Unitarian Church, First Congregational Church.
View of the city of New Bedford, Mass., 1876 /
- Bird's-eye view. - Relief shown pictorially. - "Presented by J. & W.R. Wing & Co., 111 Union Street." - "Printed by by J. Knauber & Co." - Includes indexes to points of interest and 5 col. ill. of buildings. - Imperfect: Stained, darkened, brittle. - Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as a raster image. - PM3 - Acquisitions control no.: 2005-160
Whaleship brothel known as the Ark
A house with a porch on three sides has been built on a ship's hull which rests on land. There are steps leading down to the ground on the left end, beside the bow. The nameboard "Ark Nantucket" is above two windows at the gable end of the house. Six people employed at various tasks are visible on the porch or through open widows and doors. A laundry tub is visible on the porch, and laundry hangs drying above. The roof is in disrepair, and water can be seen in the background.
"Whaling Wives"
Oval portrait of six women in shawls and bonnets. According to Miss Wing on 12/31/53, they include from left to right (presumably): Mrs. Henry F. Thomas at fourth from left, and Mrs. Henry Clark or possibly Mrs. Thomas Sullivan, at sixth from left.
Wharf Scene, New Bedford, MA
Wharf Scene, New Bedford, MA
William Allen Wall (1801-1885) - Purchase Street New Bedford - 1820's
Looking North up Purchase Street from Union Street - This painting is in the NBWM.

About the Project