Market Friday Historic district and Seamen's Bethel

A post for Market Friday hosted by Hive account@dswigle, if you haven't followed her yet you should she is one of the kindest and most supportive people here on Hive, a comment from her is like a ray of sunshine on your page.
This is the one tag and challenge that I always make a point of joining, and also look through the posts of others that join the challenge and seeing markets from all around the world.

For this weeks post, I am sharing a few shots from a walk around the Historic District in Downtown New Bedford

One thing that really catches my eye when walking in this area are the cobble stone streets to me they really added to the historic feel of the area even if there a pain to drive over so let me start with a shot of a cobblestone street

^{Sony A7iii 31mm F8 1/60 Sec ISO 100
Click here to view larger}

and let me start with a few shots of the Seamen's bethel chapel and building
showing the mariners home portion of it

^{Sony A7iii 24mm F8 1/400 Sec ISO 100
Click here to view larger}

Now you may ask, or maybe not but I did ask myself

What is a Bethel?

The term “bethel” comes from two Hebrew words, “Beth” and “El.” Beth means “House” and El means “God”, so it is a Seamen’s House of God or a Seamen’s Church.

The history of this buildings is quite interesting

If you ever read Moby Dick you may remember it referred to the "Whaleman's Chapel" that was based on the Seamen's bethel I am showing you here

it was built and completed in 1832, and was built as the Quaker heads of the whaling community who were concerned that the whalers working on the ships ( literally thousands of them) were wasting away all their money in bars and houses of ill repute and wanted to give them a place to better spend there time and to prey

In the novel Moby Dick , a nautically-themed sermon is given from a bow-shaped pulpit by a chaplain named Father Mapple. The character is generally believed to be inspired by Father Edward Thompson Taylor, who Melville likely heard preaching in Boston. However, he was likely also inspired to create the character after hearing Enoch Mudge preaching at the Seamen's Bethel on December 27, 1840, while in New Bedford awaiting his own departure on a whaling vessel.

The pulpit shaped like the bow of a ship in the novel was a Melville invention, but a replica of the one described in the book was added to the chapel in 1961 by Robert Baker, boat builder and naval architect from Westport, MA. Also noted is the pew that Melville sat in when he visited in 1840

I read the book when I was a teenager seeing its ties to New Bedford I am tempted to read it again

^{Sony A7iii 24mm F8 1/100 Sec ISO 100
Click here to view larger}

over the door you can see a reference to Moby Dick

^{Sony A7iii 35mm F8 1/200 Sec ISO 100
Click here to view larger}

The Rodman Candleworks building I decided i should do at least one mono edit to fit the historic era of this part of the city

^{Sony A7iii 24mm F8 1/160 Sec ISO 100
Click here to view larger}

One of the restaurants in this area with outdoor seating

^{Sony A7iii 25mm F8 1/200 Sec ISO 100
Click here to view larger}

and this building hosts a visitor information center

^{Sony A7iii 28mm F8 1/100 Sec ISO 100
Click here to view larger}

And that’s all folks

---

---

unless stated otherwise all photos used in my posts are taken and owned by myself, if you wish to use any of my images please contact me.