The Marblehead Historical Commission announced the acquisition of a model of John Glover’s schooner vessel, the Hannah.
George Washington commissioned Glover to make the Hannah, along with five other similar ships, the first armed vessels to sail under Continental pay. The Hannah would eventually depart from the port of Beverly in the fall of 1775 under the command of Captain Nicholson Broughton of Marblehead.
The approximately 12-inch piece was donated by model-maker Tom Conant, who has made a long career creating models of historical ships. Conant and his wife Rebecca contacted the Historical Commission with the offer to give his model of the Hannah to Marblehead. The Colorado resident has begun donating his models to various museums and collections nationwide.
What makes this recreation of the Hannah significant is that its exact design has been lost throughout history. However, Conant conducted extensive research in an attempt to craft the most accurate recreation.
“No one knows exactly what it looks like,” Marblehead Historical Commissioner Pam Peterson said. “He’s (Conant) done a lot of really good research to make the model.”
The model also includes the flag used by Washington’s fleet, which depicts a pine tree on a white field with the inscription “An Appeal to Heaven.” This was one of the early flags of the Revolution and was used on all of the six vessels in the fleet.
The Hannah is slated to become the newest addition to the Maritime Museum in Abbot Hall.
