NEWPORT, R.I. – A proposal by a prominent treasure hunter to bring a pirate museum to downtown Newport has reportedly won out in a lightly contested sweepstakes to redevelop the Lower Thames Street Armory.
The Whydah Pirate Museum will relocate from its current home in Provincetown (above) to the Lower Thames Street Armory
Barry Clifford’s Whydah Pirate Museum was given the nod over a proposal by the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation to maintain the Armory in its present use as a small vendor antiques center.
Members of the city’s Redevelopment Agency apparently settled on Clifford’s proposal as the most suitable for the venue, which is slated for a major overhaul, during a meeting last week. According to one city official, Clifford’s vision for the site best fits with the city’s plan to convert the downstairs level of the Armory complex into a transient boater facility while at the same time should serve as an attraction that will hopefully bolster the Lower Thames Street area.
Members of the Armory Antiques Center have been notified that their proposal was not selected by the city.
Under his proposal, Clifford intends to bring his popular Cape Cod-based Whydah Pirate Museum to downtown. The Whydah, a three-masted galley ship, was captured in February 1717 by Captain “Black Sam” Bellamy. Filled to the gills with gold and goods traded in Jamaica for 312 slaves, the Whydah sailed into a storm off Cape Cod in April of 1717 and was sunk.
So she sat for the next 250 years, until Clifford and his team of underwater explorers discovered the site of the wreck in 1984. For the next two decades, Clifford recovered objects from the ship, and has used those wares as the centerpiece of his display for his museum in Provincetown. However, looking to expand last year, Clifford began investigating relocating to Newport. The Armory building seemed to be a perfect fit, and he appeared to be the front-runner for the property until the Rose Island Lighthouse Foundation, which already has an office in the building, offered to step in and maintain the property in its current form as the Armory Antiques Center.
But, looking to breath new life into the Lower Thames Street area, Redevelopment Agency members have decided to take a chance on Clifford’s treasure ship.
City Council members will still need to sign off on the project, and a lease agreement still needs to be worked out, but as one of only two proposals that were submitted during the public bidding process, it’s probable that the Redevelopment Agency’s endorsement will be accepted.
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Newport, RI
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This is so gross. The Rose Ligthouse plan was LOCAL and appropriate to the needs of the community. Once again in Newport, it is a case of who you know and NOT what is best for the community.
Interesting idea, perhaps they can work out a sublet for Rose Island Foundation to maintain an office there. The additional traffic would bring awareness to their cause, it could be a complimentary relationship vs adversarial. Worth a try.
Did the City Council exercise due diligence in inquiring into Mr. Clifford’s past with Wydah? The Boston Globe contains:
August 7, 1994; “Shivered timbers: the Whydah; Were investors made to walk the plank to the tune of $ 8 million?” Allegations that Clifford and others bilked investors in the project.
December 5, 1988, “Archeology; Some call it enterprise; others call it plunder; archeology pruists and treasure hunters at war over for-profit digs; pragmatists willing to give in a bit.” A discussion of the disconnect between treasure hunters and those who wish to preserve antiquities.
October 20, 1992, “Pirate ship theme park sails south to Tampa.” So how’d it get to P’town and now wants to move to Newport?
January 10, 1993, “Dead in the water; how race, politics, and business in Boston converged to sink the WHYDAH project.
You can find the listed articles via LexisNexis, not too difficult.
This is such a shame. The city’s Redevelopment Agency strikes a blow against small business. Think of it: All those antiques vendors are being evicted from the heart of downtown Newport during tough economic times. And for a pirate museum that will add to the honky tonk ambiance of Thames Street and drive away a sophisticated market. I was in the Armory recently and was impressed by the offerings as well as the client base. The customers were discerning and many were spending money–lots of money. The city needs more of these people and more venues like the Armory to breathe life into downtown Newport. RIP to another Newport treasure.
Antiques or left overs from a garage sale that did not make the cut. I have been in there and looked and it looked like any other so called antique store…that was not.
Now pirate plunder is a whole nuther thing!