Whalemen's & Fishermen's Memorial Is Returning to New Bedford

Some people referred to him as Neptune, others referred to him as Poseidon.

Whatever you called him, the majestic sculpture that once stood at the New Bedford waterfront is set to return and the city needs your help in choosing his new home.

Created by Anna Hyatt Huntington, the Whalemen’s and Fishermen’s Memorial has been restored.

Here is how to vote on its new location.

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Who Is Anna Hyatt Huntington?

Anna Hyatt Huntington was a sculptor and benefactress who specialized in animal and garden sculpture. According to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, she is credited with establishing and designing the country’s first outdoor sculpture museum, Brookgreen Gardens, in South Carolina.

“She had always loved animals because her father was a paleontologist and a professor of zoology at Harvard,” the Smithsonian said. “Her sculptures capture the uninhibited actions and postures of many types of animals.”

Huntington created The Whalemen’s and Fishermen’s Memorial in 1963 and gifted it to the City of New Bedford.

Depicting a sea god gripping a codfish in one hand and a sturgeon in the other atop a group of swirling sea creatures, the statue had several locations over the years but ultimately stood by the New Bedford waterfront since the '80s.

The sculpture was moved into storage eight years ago and locals have been wondering about its fate ever since.

The New Location for the Whalemen’s and Fishermen’s Memorial

According to the City of New Bedford, Deadalus Inc. in Watertown, Massachusetts, has completed the restoration work of the statue and it is ready to return to the city.

But where should it go? The city has narrowed the choices down to three potential locations: Cove Road entrance to the Covewalk, West Rodney French Boulevard entrance to the Covewalk, or the future pedestrian bridge entry plaza on Purchase Street that leads to the MBTA train station.

People are encouraged to vote online and the City of New Bedford will announce the statue’s new home by the end of July.

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