New Bedford's Seamen's Bethel to Host Herman Melville Statue

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM)—At the beginning of the year, New Bedford called on all artists to help create a life-sized statue to honor the life of Herman Melville.

As the City prepares to select an artist to create the anticipated statue, Mayor Jon Mitchell and New Bedford Port Society President Phil Oliveira have agreed to locate it at the historic chapel, Seamen’s Bethel.

Before the acclaimed author sailed out of New Bedford aboard the whaleship Acushnet in January of 1841 on the voyage that inspired Moby-Dick, Melville sat in a pew in the southeast corner of Seamen’s Bethel with other whalers in worship before the journey.

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Now, his statue will be erected at a place that has a deep connection to Melville and New Bedford’s rich maritime and whaling history.

“As the Whaleman’s Chapel in Moby-Dick, Seamen’s Bethel is the ideal location for a statue of Herman Melville,” Mitchell said. “I am grateful to the New Bedford Port Society for its collaboration on this important tribute to the City’s whaling history and America’s literary history.”

The statue will be displayed outdoors on the Seamen’s Bethel site at 15 Johnny Cake Hill in Downtown New Bedford’s Historic District.

The Port Society has also agreed to contribute 20 percent of the statue’s cost up to $50,000.

“The New Bedford Port Society’s 192-year history is intertwined with that of Herman Melville,” Oliveira said. “We are excited to be selected as the location for the upcoming Herman Melville statue.”

The project for the Melville statue was announced in January, and 41 sculptors from around the country answered the City’s call for artists.

Since then, an advisory committee composed of local historians and representatives from the City’s arts and culture scene has met several times to review the artists’ qualifications.

An announcement of the finalists is expected within the coming months.

The Melville statue project follows other successful efforts in recent years to recognize individuals associated with the City’s history over the past year.

Last year, the City unveiled a statue of Frederick Douglass at the new Abolition Row Park. In 2016, a sculpture and park dedication honoring former State Rep. Tony Lopes was completed. A monument recognizing local veterans who served in post-9/11 conflicts is being planned for the Clark’s Point neighborhood.