Marblehead residents eye plaque to note town’s link to USS Constitution

MARBLEHEAD – A group of local residents wants to commemorate the special relationship Marblehead has had with the USS Constitution by installing a plaque at Ft. Sewall.David Cashman, Thomas McNulty and Fred Goddard appeared before the Board of Selectmen last week seeking support for their idea. They will visit the Ft. Sewall Committee later this month on the same mission.Cashman is a Marblehead resident and commanding officer of the Constitution from 1987-1991. McNulty is a former selectman and town clerk and former owner of the Warwick Theatre. Goddard is a longtime Marblehead history buff and former editor at The Daily Item.The plaque idea came up at a recent reunion party commemorating the ship’s 1997 visit to Marblehead. The Constitution visited Marblehead during the War of 1812, when it hid in the town harbor after being damaged by British fire. It visited the town once again in 1931 as part of a national tour to thank children who donated pennies to keep the ship in repair.After that, the Constitution only traveled once a year, circling Boston Harbor on its July 4 turn-around, until 1997, when Cashman obtained the Navy’s permission for a third visit to Marblehead.As many as 80-100 Marblehead sailors may have served on the Constitution.Cashman, McNulty and Goddard have already spoken with Town Administrator Tony Sasso, Town Planner Becky Curran and local historian Bette Hunt. They want to install their plaque on the harbor side of the park, adjacent to the top of the fort.Goddard has a boulder in mind for the plaque to rest on, a large stone that the Highway Department has kept since it was found during a 1980s road project.They are working on the appropriate design and wording for the bronze tablet they want to place on that rock. The years the Constitution came to Marblehead will be included.”There isn’t a Marbleheader that wouldn’t be in favor of this concept,” said Selectman William Woodfin, who advised the three men to leave room for more visit dates.