CHANGE MY LOCATION
Local
California News
Multimedia News
Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace
SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY
Related Topics: Havre de Grace, Md.
)
A Bel Air nonprofit has proposed restoring the USS Forrest Sherman, shown here at a Philadelphia naval facility, and docking it in Havre de Grace as a tourist attraction.
Havre de Grace, Md. (Map, News) - The USS Forrest Sherman, a 418-foot-long destroyer dating to the Cold War era, could soon dock on the Susquehanna River in Havre de Grace.
A Bel Air-based nonprofit seeking to restore and preserve the 53-year-old destroyer has its sights set on the waters off David Craig Park as a possible berth.
There, the ship that served in the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion could become a floating museum and tourist attraction, President Kurt A. Wagemann said.
Wagemann, who served aboard the destroyer from 1957 to 1959, said Adm. Forrest Sherman, a World War II hero and the ship’s namesake, lived all his life in Maryland.
“It certainly would fit in with the maritime history of the city, and it would fit with Maryland’s history,” Wagemann said.
A long pier jutting from the park would be built parallel to the Amtrak bridge near Union Avenue and Otsego Street, and the destroyer could be docked there at the mouth of the Susquehanna River.
So far, public opinion seems to be divided about bringing the destroyer to the city, Mayor Wayne Dougherty said.
“I’d say 50 percent would think it’s worth looking into, but the other 50 fear it would take away from the character of the waterfront,” Dougherty said.
The City Council will consider the outcome of two public hearings scheduled for this month and will likely vote sometime after March.
The USS Forrest Sherman DD-931 Foundation had previously looked to bring the ship to Baltimore. But Wagemann said he changed his mind when the National Aquarium sought to move the historic ships berthed in the Inner Harbor.
A proposal to dock the Forrest Sherman in Calvert County fell through in 2007 because the county did not own a good waterfront site, Wagemann said. Havre de Grace’s David Craig Park — named for the former mayor and current county executive — made an ideal site, with its deep channel and accessibility, he told the council in December. After the ship had two brushes with the scrapyard since its decommissioning in 1982, Congress ordered that the ship be donated to the foundation.
Once about $1.2 million worth of sandblasting and repainting is complete in a Philadelphia drydock, the ship could be moved to Havre de Grace, and an additional $3.2 million in repairs and reconditioning would be done locally, Wagemann said.
He said the ship could then become a floating museum, hosting conventions of at least 6,000 veterans who served aboard it and “sleep-aboard” programs for 300 children at a time, which could generate up to $465,000 per year for the city.
msantoni@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
10:30 AM MST on Mon., Apr. 21, 2008 re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
8:22 PM MST on Sun., Jan. 27, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
8:02 PM MST on Sun., Jan. 27, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
3:21 PM MST on Sun., Jan. 27, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
2:59 PM MST on Sun., Jan. 27, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
2:49 PM MST on Sun., Jan. 27, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
1:04 PM MST on Sun., Jan. 27, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
12:00 PM MST on Sun., Jan. 27, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
7:25 AM MST on Sun., Jan. 27, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
8:46 PM MST on Sat., Jan. 26, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
11:56 AM MST on Wed., Jan. 23, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
8:12 PM MST on Sun., Jan. 13, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
12:25 PM MST on Fri., Jan. 11, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
8:59 AM MST on Wed., Jan. 9, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
8:57 AM MST on Wed., Jan. 9, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
8:33 AM MST on Wed., Jan. 9, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
7:01 AM MST on Wed., Jan. 9, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
5:02 PM MST on Tue., Jan. 8, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
11:06 AM MST on Tue., Jan. 8, 2008
re: "Cold War-era destroyer could find home in Havre de Grace"
Report as inappropriate
Examiner Reader said:
I say put it in Baltimore. As for what M.D. said, I agree a casino would be a great idea for Havre De Grace. After all, back in the 1950's, the horse track "The Graw" was a hot spot for gamblers that got the town started
2 agree | 2 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
M. D. said:
I support the opinion of many of the more sensible people in Havre de Grace that a casino would be a great draw for the city. I suggest that this not for profit explore ways to allow the Forrest Sherman to be a floating casino on the river. This would certainly be a success and I'm sure there would be overwhelming support for it.
37 agree | 19 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
This vessle, when in service, would have never entered these waters for any reason. Why now?
25 agree | 38 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Until called on this wil be a cold war era home in Havre De Grace. A single battle ship.
40 agree | 36 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Not a bad move, the destroyer is a beautiful ship valued. This is not battle ship it is preserved.
21 agree | 28 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Cold Warrier said:
The cold war is over and good riddence. There are thousands of relics of the cold war from tires that dry rotted in depots in europe..never having been used to trucks that never had a driver in the seat. Most of this out dated junk has been destroyed or recycled. The problem with a ship is that its a real task to destroy and the sentimental value to a minute few is not a good enough reason to saddle Havre de Grace with a potential future problem if not an immediate problem. As a cold warrier I have my self taken on a task of preserving a piece of equipment. Bad move. Somday ill complete the exibit and put it on display at the Army Trans Muesuem at Ft Eustis Va. But its not easy as one would have you beleive. I understand the sentiment but reality is another thing altogether. Lets not fall for it. Mabey donate it or team up with the bainbridge muesuem in Port Deposit. NAHHHHH....in second thought I cant find a single reason to put that bohemoth in the river...not one!
44 agree | 23 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Ship is a looser. said:
Bay of Pigs? Iran rescue mission ? This ship is begging for an end to its misery. Saving this ship is like saving a cup from a mess hall Patton didnt visit but could have if he did. Somone please put it out of its misery...on the bottom of the Atlantic gunnery range off Puerto Rico where the pretty little fishies can make a home in it. Take its engines (tourbines) and send them to a third world countrie where there is volcanic activity (steam vents) as U.S. aid for electric power generation without fossile fuel(this technoligy is sucessfull and used on islands in south pacific). This would be a final good legacey for a run of the mill ship whose history encompasses the worst in our military endevars.
40 agree | 30 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
HDG for HDG said:
Send it to Lancaster Pa....along with the rest of the Lancaster navy. HDG has been to long allowing itself to be over run by out of town / out of state interests in the supposed interest of tourism at the citizens very high expense. If we wanted to live in a convention center we would rent space at the Javits center in NYC and set up house in the main hall. Better to promote what we are known for such as fall and winter hunting on the bay and boating in the summer. Mabey a transit dock near down town so boaters can dock and go down town easily for dinner entertainment and drinks. A vibrant water front is essential to the health of a waterfront community. Not the current pandering to an increasingly slim section of the population over 65 who feel that the community should age with them. This is not to say we shouldnt do every thing possible for our seniors but not exclusivly at the expense of those who follow. Why not both? HdG has major problems. The citizens want it back.
47 agree | 33 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
You Know Who This Is ! said:
Local reconditioning? The last guy who did local reconditioning of a ship, actually a 100 plus foot dupont family yacht, was LOCALLY abating asbestos into a dumpster in his reconditioning efferts. This tub is scrap metal and expensive to recycle. One need only look at the "coral sea" and the "ship breaking" buisness in general. The coral sea had every problem immiginable and the owners were in court more than they were cutting the ship. Not because they were bad people but because the navys gives that beast away as is. The promises they make amount to not much more than a nice folder to file away when there is stil pcb,s and lead paint and asbestos in the ship after they say it isnt. The coral sea actually had live ordinance in it. Also note that a excibit like this is a one trick poney and not a repeater. If you visited a ship elsewhere you probably wont bother...been there done that. Lets be real its the promoters pipe dream, not the population of the city,s.
42 agree | 38 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Disgusted in have a disgrace. said:
Its to big and hdg would not be a fit for it. The proposed loation is near out water intake and residual chemicals and paint residue would certainly have an effect. If it were a sucess there would also be the problem of corruption as with every other sucessfull venue in hdg. One need only look at the extremely problimatic city yacht basin and its lack of equity and abuse of state tax payer funds and the fourth of july events where one private group disrupts the life of the entire city for a week for their own ego endorsement and who knows what else with an all cash event having little accountibility. Its to much,we the citizens of Havre de Grace ether loose with a white elephant we are stuck with, or loose cause our leaders wont know how to get their fingers in the pot fast enough.
42 agree | 25 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Put it right there in Havre de Grace. It will bring lots of people in their SUV's to town. And they'll need a Starbucks of course. Jobs Jobs Jobs.
30 agree | 38 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
No different between a ship & all the condos on the water. we still wont see anything.
38 agree | 37 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Juanita said:
Most of the Citizens of Havre De Grace do NOT support this endeaver. It is a terrible idea and would ruin our wonderful little town. There is no practical place for it in a small town like HdG. We have a petition against it and will be at every meeting in full force. We have already sent many letters to the City Council Members and will see it to the end.
71 agree | 41 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
As a Md scuba diver, my friends andI have not found many new attractions to increase the sport in MD. I propose sinking it off the coast as an artificial reef and tourist attraction. Florida is reaping a windfall for the sinking of the Spiegal Grove and the Oriskany with divers from all over the world coming to dive these great ships.
46 agree | 47 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
baltimoron said:
Bring it to Baltimore! Havre de Grace is a pristine relaxing town that doesn't need any more traffic than BRAC is already bringing.
62 agree | 38 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
I say lets put it in Baltimore. The Baltimore harbor could use a mix of Navy ships. What a sight that would be. GO NAVY
51 agree | 36 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
Tell Kurt Wegemann that if her wants the beast so badly, put it in his OWN backyard. Not ours in Havre de Grace!!!
48 agree | 29 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
5 million to fix it and get to dock. $465 thousand a year tom the city. what about operating expenses. continual maintainence, electric service. these numbers do not add up. this will be a drain on the taxpayers.
56 agree | 30 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
I kayak at this location. There’s a wild-life refuge on that little island in the middle of the river. The area is pristine and relaxing. Putting a behemoth eye sore in the Susquehanna River is nothing short of psychotic.
Granted, the ship’s namesake is a Marylander and there are other loose connections to the state, but this location is neither a large shipping channel or an area known for modern war heroics much less vessels.
Bad idea for Havre deGrace and Port Deposit.
Annapolis or another location like Curtis Creek works better.
62 agree | 41 disagreeVote on this comment: I agree or I disagree