New Bedford – Snapping The Globe

The port city of New Bedford, Massachusetts, has been the home of countless fisherman for thousands of years.

While I love sailing in and out of this port when traveling to Cuttyhunk Island, I haven’t had much of an opportunity to see what makes up the city itself.

Known as the “The Whaling City” due to its importance in the whaling industry during the nineteenth century, there is a wonderful museum which focuses on the history of the trade. Though I would have loved to have visited this institution, the Covid restrictions had closed it down until further notice.

I wasn’t in town for long…only as long as it took to get groceries and board our boat which was to take us to Cuttyhunk. As I stood guard over our belongings at the New Bedord State Pier, my friends brought over load after load destined for our stay on the island. My attention wandered from the multitude of fishing boats lining the harbor to the occasional passerby. As I finally took a turn carrying one of the many bags from the car, I noticed a statue on the edge of the pier. Taking a quick walk over, I noted the plaque set into the concrete.

The statue, which honors the fishermen of the Port of New Bedford, was installed in this spot on June 30, 2016 and designed by sculptor Erik Durant. The installation depicts the scene of a fishing family consisting of a mother standing near her fisherman husband, who is down on one knee. He holds his daughter in his lap, accepting her hugs, and has his hand on the shoulder of his son, who holds a crew cap.

The monument is quite moving and it is evident that it is one that most families of the area can relate to. With a little research, I learned that the passing of the cap to the son signifies the continuation of the fishing tradition and the clinging daughter represents the regret of the separation that the family has when the father is away. The woman stands behind the father and the children, representing those who stay behind while the fisherman are at sea.

So, I didn’t get to take a quick tour of the whaling museum, however, I stumbled upon something more significant.

One that represents the fishermen of both the past and present.

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The Fisherman’s Monument

Address: 49 State Pier, New Bedford, Massachusetts, 02740
Hours: 24 hours, daily
Admission: Free