Fishing Schooner Fredonia, rigged model 

 USNM 1 6021 1. This vessel, designed by 

 Edward Burgess and built in 1889, influ- 

 enced the design of New England fishing 

 schooners for about fifteen years. {Smith- 

 sonian photos: Top, 4^g26~b; and bottom, 

 44956-c.) 



East Boston, Massachusetts. Burgess was the first 

 yacht-designing specialist to design a fishing schooner 

 (Dennison J. Lawlor had designed yachts in his long 

 career but had not specialized in them), and this 

 design was the second made by Burgess for a fishing 

 schooner, the first being for the Carrie E. Phillips, 

 a straight-stemmed schooner built by Arthur Dana 

 Story at Esse.x in 1887, which attracted much atten- 

 tion by her sailing and appearance and was the first 

 New England fishing schooner to have iron wire 

 standing rigging. The Fredonia was somewhat more 

 yacht-like, and this vessel, though built to fisherman 

 specifications, was actually employed as a yacht for 

 a season and was then refitted for a fisherman. 

 Hence the less publicized Nellie Dixon was the first to 

 sail as a fisherman. 



The Dixon, less ornately finished than the Fredonia, 

 which had carved trailboards, was lengthened slightly 



by the stern, and the shape of the shoe, or outside keel, 

 was altered slightly from that of the Fredonia, the alter- 

 ations being made by the designer. Both vessels 

 sailed well and attracted favorable attention, resulting 

 in the introduction of the so-called "Fredonia model," 

 having a clipper bow with strongly flaring and raking 

 stem rabbet, adorned with a small gammon-knee 

 head on which was carved an eagle's head. Head- 

 rails and rail knees were omitted, being replaced by 

 iron-rod Ijraces and cross straps. The Phillips had 

 introduced the spike bowsprit, and the Fredonia em- 

 ployed it, but all vessels built on the Fredonia model 

 did not give up the old jib boom rig until about four 

 years had passed. The Fredonia model was also 

 marked by a shallow forefoot, more or less rockered 

 keel, light and relatively narrow counter, and very 

 sharp lines at bow and stern. The midsection was 

 formed with strongly rising and often hollow floor. 



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