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MAN
AT THE WHEEL STATUE
Resting
on a granite base in the center of Gloucester's long, narrow
Stacy Esplanade is the Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial. It
is an eight-foot tall, bronze statue of a fisherman dressed
in oilskins standing braced at the wheel on the sloping deck
of his ship. It is positioned so that the fisherman is looking
out over Gloucester Harbor. The English sculptor Leonard F.
Craske (1882-1950) designed the sculpture, and it was cast
by the Gorham Company of Providence, Rhode Island, in 1925.
A small plaque on the north or street-facing side of the base
reads, "MEMORIAL TO THE GLOUCESTER FISHERMAN, August 23, 1923." A
larger recessed panel on the front or harbor-facing side of
the base holds an inscription of bronze letters taken from
the 107th Psalm, which reads: "They That Go Down to Sea in Ships 1623 - 1923".
The Gloucester Tercentenary Permanent Memorial Association sponsored
an artistic competition to commemorate Gloucester's 300th anniversary
and to permanently memorialize the thousands of fishermen lost
at sea in the first three centuries of Gloucester's history.
In 1879 alone, 249 fishermen and 29 vessels were lost during
a terrible storm. In preparing for the competition, Craske spent
many hours aboard fishing schooners, sketching and photographing
fishermen at work. His design was accepted and cast at a cost
of $10,000. Generally acknowledged as Craske's finest work, the
Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial is viewed by thousands of visitors
annually and has become a symbol of the city, commemorating Gloucester's
link to the sea.
The Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial is located on the south
side of Stacy Blvd. at the edge of Gloucester Harbor in Gloucester.
It is owned by the City of Gloucester and is publicly accessible.
In
2000, a Cenotaph of granite and bronze was added in front of
the statue listing by name all of the men who fished out of
Gloucester who have been lost at sea. Since
its installation, additional names have had to be added. Each
year, in August, a memorial service is held to honor the men
who through their hard work and sacrifice have made Gloucester
what it is today.
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