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53-714: John Paterson Duncan was a grocery wholesaler and member of the NYYC. He ordered Kanawha from the Gas Engine & Power Company and Charles L Seabury and Company of Morris Heights in the Bronx . She was to replace an 1896 yacht of the same name, which the US Government had requisitioned from Duncan for the US Navy to use in the Spanish–American War . The Government paid Duncan $ 50,000 for

106-475: A building to the Exposition. While some of these buildings offered exhibits on the states' history and industry, others primarily served as quasi-embassies for visitors from the state, providing sitting rooms and guest services. Lack of interest or funds prevented participation by all, but 21 states funded houses, which bore their names: for example, Pennsylvania House, Virginia House, New Hampshire House, etc. During

159-518: A crew of 39 and a cargo of onions. Three days later, one of her boilers exploded, killing one of her crew. The explosion left her adrift without power off Beaufort, North Carolina . She sent wireless distress signals ; the cutters USRC  Manning and Seminole were sent to rescue her; and she returned to Newport News "in distress" on September 1. Black Star ceased trading in February 1922. [REDACTED]   This article incorporates text from

212-664: A fifth of the electric lights could be turned on, and the Warpath recreation area was far from ready. Construction of the government pier left much of the ground in the center of the exposition muddy soup. Of the thirty-eight principal buildings and works that the Exposition Company planned for the fair, only fourteen had been completed by opening day—the Fire Engine House and the Waterfront Board Walk were completed only in

265-649: A financial failure, losing several million dollars. Attendance had been 3 million, a fraction of the numbers promised by the promoters. But, it had other benefits for the United States, Norfolk, and Hampton Roads . Nearly every Congressman and Senator of prominence had attended the exposition, which showcased Sewell's Point. Of naval importance in the early American Civil War , it had been virtually forgotten since shortly after its bombardment and returned to Union control in 1862. The admirals in Norfolk urged redevelopment of

318-529: A race across New York Bay against steam yachts including Chichota , Noma , and Zara . The NYYC chartered Kanawha ' s old adversary Monmouth to carry about 700 guests as spectators. On June 18, 1904, Kanawha again won the Lysistrata Cup. This year the race was over a 60-mile course off the Sandy Hook Lightship , and competitors included the steam yacht Hauoli . The Navy had loaned

371-642: The Daughters of the American Revolution , was also in attendance. The 340-acre (140 ha) site included a 122 by 60 ft (37 by 18 m) relief model of the Panama Canal , a wild animal show, a Wild West show, and a re-creation of the then-recent San Francisco earthquake . Possibly the most popular attraction was a re-creation of the Battle of Hampton Roads , the first battle between two ironclad warships,

424-583: The Jamestown Ter-Centennial Exposition of 1907 , was one of the many world's fairs and expositions that were popular in the United States in the early part of the 20th century. Commemorating the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown in the Virginia Colony , it was held from April 26 to December 1, 1907, at Sewell's Point on Hampton Roads , in Norfolk, Virginia . It celebrated

477-527: The Kanawha River . Under Rogers' ownership, Kanawha raced Sandy Hook , which was another of the New Jersey Central Railroad's steamers. On September 11, 1901, Sandy Hook beat Kanawha across New York Bay. The next day the two steamers raced again, and Kanawha won. In March 1902, Rogers took guests including the humorist Mark Twain , essayist Laurence Hutton , and former Speaker of

530-649: The USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia , which had taken place within sight of Sewell's Point 40 years earlier during the Civil War . The exterior of the Merrimac-Monitor Building looked somewhat like a battleship, while the interior held a large, circular exhibit describing the battle. Source: The event included the naval review of warship fleets on June 10 by President Theodore Roosevelt , who arrived on

583-523: The Virginian Railway (VGN), built by William N. Page and Henry H. Rogers and completed in 1909, were immediately adjacent to the Exposition site. The well-engineered VGN was a valuable link directly to the bituminous coal of southern West Virginia , which the Navy strongly preferred for its steam-powered ships. On June 28, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson set aside $ 2.8 million for land purchase and

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636-654: The destroyer USS  Truxtun to the Regatta Committee, and allegedly she was unable to keep up with Kanawha . The cup came with a $ 2,500 cash prize from James Gordon Bennett Jr. , a former Commodore of the NYYC. In 1907 Twain was again Rogers' guest aboard Kanawha , this time to visit Norfolk, VA for the Jamestown Exposition . On July 9, she raced another New Jersey Central Railroad steamer, Asbury Park , across New York Bay. The New York Times reported that

689-655: The public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships . Consolidated Yachts Consolidated Yachts is a former shipbuilder and (as of 2021 ) present-day marine service company located on City Island in The Bronx , New York City . The company was founded as the Gas Engine and Power Company & Charles L. Seabury Company in 1896 after the merger of the Charles L. Seabury Company (founded in 1885 in Nyack, New York ) and

742-545: The "II" probably to reduce confusion with the oiler USS  Kanawha  (AO-1) . She spent most of the war based at Brest, France , and operating in the Bay of Biscay . By 1918 she was equipped with wireless telegraphy . Her call sign was NND. On March 1, 1918 the Navy renamed her Piqua , perhaps because Kanawha II had not been enough to prevent confusing two US Navy ships of the same name. In 1919 she returned to New York, where she

795-525: The 1960s and 1970s. The base now includes over 4,000 acres (1,600 ha). Some of the exposition buildings which were taken over by the Navy remain in use as of 2006 , primarily as admirals ' quarters for the Navy Base . Thirteen of the state houses can still be seen on Dillingham Boulevard at the Naval Station Norfolk , on what has been called "Admiral's Row." The Pennsylvania House, which through

848-528: The Atlantic Ocean. They recorded giving thanks, planting a cross, and naming the location Cape Henry . Within the next few weeks, they found and explored the harbor now known as Hampton Roads . Sailing upriver on its biggest tributary, the James River , they eventually settled at what they would call Jamestown to begin their first settlement. The first day of the Exposition had its share of difficulties. Only

901-462: The Exposition was a money-loser and derided by many in the press, the Negro Hall achieved nearly universal praise. It was the only exhibit visited by President Roosevelt in either of his visits. Although most commercial ventures lost money, the branch bank in the Negro Hall, affiliated with a local African-American institution, recorded one of the Exposition's only profits, doing $ 75,731.87 in business in

954-654: The Gas Engine & Power Company (founded about the same time in Morris Heights, Bronx ). Seabury was famous for its steam yachts ; the Gas Engine & Power Company's primary focus was on naptha -powered launches. Among other products, the combined company manufactured express cruisers , runabouts , yacht tenders , gas engines and alcohol ranges under the Speedway brand. The manufacturing facility in Morris Heights

1007-555: The Negro Building as an achievement. The organizer, Giles B. Jackson, felt that having the exhibition in a separate Negro Hall allowed for a greater variety and completeness of presentation and that it could better highlight the achievements of African Americans. He said a separate building demonstrated black "capacity as a producer and the maker of anything and everything that has been made by other races." For fairgoers sharing his opinion, many of whom were Black middle-class Southerners,

1060-474: The Negro Building represented an achievement that few white Southerners would have thought possible: the building was architecturally elegant, designed and built by blacks, with funds raised by blacks. A series of dioramas by Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller , a black woman artist from Philadelphia, comprised the first artwork done by an African American with federal funds. Exhibits from both occupational and classical black educational institutions were represented. While

1113-556: The Preservation of Virginia Antiquities had gotten the ball rolling in 1900 by calling for a celebration to honor the establishment of the first permanent English colony in the New World at Jamestown, to be held on the 300th anniversary. During the planning phase, virtually no one thought that the original site of Jamestown would be suitable, as it was isolated and long-abandoned. There were no local facilities to handle large crowds, and it

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1166-513: The Tidewater Railway to prepare to move the thousands of daily attendees anticipated. New piers had to be constructed on the shore to move supplies to exposition buildings. Hotels had to be raised to handle the millions of expected exposition visitors. Bad weather slowed everything. Another major setback was the death of Fitzhugh Lee in 1905 while traveling in New England to drum up trade for

1219-531: The United States House of Representatives Thomas B Reed aboard Kanawha on a visit to Santiago de Cuba and Newport News, Virginia . On another occasion, Rogers hosted the African American educator Booker T. Washington aboard Kanawha . In July 1903 Kanawha took part in the NYYC's annual cruise to Newport, Rhode Island , where she won the annual Lysistrata Cup race. On August 25, 1903 she won

1272-673: The celebration except her location on the James River." By September 1901, the Norfolk City Council had supported the project, and in December, 100 prominent residents of Hampton Roads journeyed to Richmond to urge Norfolk to be the site. In 1902, the Jamestown Exposition Co. was incorporated. Former Governor of Virginia Fitzhugh Lee , a nephew of General Robert E. Lee , was named its president. The Company decided to locate

1325-508: The celebration. Henry St. George Tucker III , a former Virginia Congressman, succeeded him. The Norfolk businessman David Lowenberg ran most of the operation as director general. Opening day was April 26, 1907, exactly 300 years after Christopher Newport and his band of English colonists made their first landing in Virginia at the point where the southern shore of the Chesapeake Bay meets

1378-532: The course of the fair. In conjunction with the first day of Exposition, the U.S. Post Office issued a series of three commemorative stamps celebrating the 300th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown. The 1-cent value portrayed Captain John Smith , the 2-cent value depicts the landing of Captain Smith and colonists at Chesapeake Bay , and the 5-cent depicts Pocahontas . The Exposition closed on December 1, 1907, as

1431-458: The erection of storehouses and piers for what was to become the Navy Base . Of the 474 acres (192 ha)originally acquired, 367 had been the old Jamestown Exposition grounds. The military property was later expanded considerably. The former Virginian Railway coal piers, land, and an adjacent coal storage facility owned by Norfolk & Western Railway (which merged with the VGN in 1959) were added in

1484-413: The exposition site as a Naval Base to use the infrastructure that had been built. Nearly ten years would elapse before the idea, given impetus by World War I , would become a reality. The new Naval Base was aided by the improvements remaining from the Exposition, the strategic location at Sewell's Point on Hampton Roads, and the large amount of vacant land in the area. The coal piers and storage yards of

1537-716: The exposition was its "Negro Building," designed by W. Sydney Pittman , which displays showed the progress of African Americans . Richmond lawyer and businessman Giles Beecher Jackson was a leader in the formation of the Negro Department at the Jamestown Exposition and had worked hard to raise funds for the exhibition. The Negro Building exhibit was charged with being a " Jim Crow affair" and criticized by prominent figures like W. E. B. Du Bois who voiced his complaint in Appeal to Reason . However, other Black Americans saw

1590-539: The exposition, days were set aside to honor the states individually. The governor of each state usually appeared to greet visitors to the state's house on these days. On June 10, 1907, "Georgia Day," Theodore Roosevelt returned to the Exposition, delivering a speech on the steps of the Georgia Building, which had been modeled after his mother's family's home. Emily Nelson Ritchie McLean , the President General of

1643-411: The federal government for $ 1,640,000 and received a loan for an additional million, to be repaid through a lien on 40% of the gate receipts. When crowds failed to appear in the anticipated numbers—the exposition was attracting an average of 13,000 visitors daily, only 7,400 of whom paid entrance—the company could repay only $ 140,000 of the million-dollar loan. The fair began attracting negative attention in

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1696-435: The first Kanawha . He paid Seabury's $ 250,000 for the second one. The new Kanawha was launched on May 27, 1899. Her registered length was 208.4 ft (63.5 m), her beam was 24.4 ft (7.4 m), and her depth was 14.8 ft (4.5 m). Her tonnages were 475  GRT and 323  NRT . She had twin screws , each driven by a three-cylinder triple-expansion engine . The combined power of her twin engines

1749-667: The first part of the century served as the Officer's Club, later served as the Hampton Roads Naval Museum for many years until it was relocated in 1994 to Nauticus on the harbor in Norfolk. Other surviving state buildings on their original sites are the Georgia, Maryland, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia House, as well as the Baker's Chocolate Company House. The remaining state buildings were moved in 1934, including

1802-494: The first permanent English settlement in the present United States. In 1975, the 20 remaining exposition buildings were included on the National Register of Historic Places as a national historic district . Early in the 20th century, as the tercentennial of the 1607 Founding of Jamestown in the Virginia Colony neared, leaders in Norfolk, Virginia began a campaign to have the celebration held there. The Association for

1855-410: The globe as evidence of the nation's military might. In addition to the ships anchored at Hampton Roads, the exposition provided a campground sufficient to house five thousand troops. Military and "semi-military" men in uniform were admitted for fifty cents for a day's admission. They were permitted to come and go after that as long as they were encamped at the exposition grounds and drilled regularly on

1908-454: The holding of this celebration. Norfolk is today the center of the most populous portion of Virginia, and every historical, business and sentimental reason can be adduced in favor of the celebration taking place here rather than in Richmond." The Dispatch was an unrelenting champion of Norfolk as the site for the exposition, noting in subsequent editorials that "Richmond has absolutely no claim to

1961-422: The international exposition on a mile-long frontage at Sewell's Point . The location was almost an equal distance from the cities of Norfolk, Portsmouth , Newport News and Hampton . While hard to reach by land, it was much more favorably accessible by water, which ultimately proved a great asset. Because of the isolation of Sewell's Point, the company's choice made the site difficult to reach by land. Access to

2014-468: The last two days. The company failed to complete two planned buildings, the Historic Art and Education buildings, by the Exposition's end in late November. Prominent visitors included President Theodore Roosevelt , who opened the exposition and presided over the naval review. After the opening day, attendance dropped sharply and never again achieved projections. The Exposition Company had initially lobbied

2067-508: The latter's yacht Kanawha . Ships of two squadrons commanded by Admiral Robley D. Evans stood off in the bay from Sewell's Point. On opening day, an international fleet of fifty-one ships was on display. The assembly included 16 battleships, five cruisers, and six destroyers. The US Navy warships remained in Hampton Roads after the exposition closed and became President Theodore Roosevelt's Great White Fleet under Admiral Evans, which toured

2120-414: The parade ground. This accounts for many of the 43% of people tallied entering the fair daily who did not pay admission. The organizers felt the troops provided informal entertainment and were an attraction to the exposition. The railroads put on elaborate displays. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) displayed its entire F.F.V. passenger train. The New York Central (NYC) electric engine on display

2173-467: The presidential yacht Mayflower . As the news coverage of Battle of Tsushima , Treaty of Portsmouth , and President Roosevelt winning the 1906 Nobel Peace Prize for hosting the peace treaty conference at Portsmouth were fresh in the mind of people, display of naval and military technology was an important theme that distinguished this exposition from the World Fairs in the past. The review included

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2226-400: The press as early as January before it opened, as a divisive split between planning committee members became public. The press who arrived for the opening day found the grounds unfinished, the hotels overpriced, and the transportation between the fair and nearby towns insufficient. In time, things improved, and portions of the event became spectacular. Planners asked each US state to contribute

2279-434: The race was so close that neither steamer could claim victory. In September 1907 Twain again on Kanawha from New York to Norfolk for a commemoration of Robert Fulton at the Jamestown Exposition. This time, Twain sailed as Kanawha ' s commander, rather than as a guest. Kanawha sailed in company with Vanderbilt's North Star . Rogers died in 1909, and Kanawha passed through the hands of his executors. Her next owner

2332-476: The race, despite one of her propellers being damaged, and Duncan accepted Kanawha from Seabury. He registered her at New York . Her US official number was 161123, and her code letters were KPDW. Duncan died on April 7, 1901. By 17 April Kanawha had been sold, and by 24 April Henry H Rogers was revealed to be the buyer. Rogers happened to be a major developer of coal and railroads in West Virginia along

2385-413: The site required the construction of new roads to develop it for the Exposition. Two existing streetcar lines had to be extended considerably to reach the site. The eastern portion of the newly built Tidewater Railway (soon to become part of the coal-hauling Virginian Railway ) was rushed into service, and the local Norfolk Southern Railway agreed to add substantial passenger capacity in conjunction with

2438-537: The sixteen battleships of the US Navy Atlantic Fleet including USS Georgia and many warships from foreign countries. One such example was the Imperial Japanese Navy cruiser Tsukuba , displaying the newest naval concept of a ' Battlecruiser ' that had the speed of a cruiser with the firepower and protective armor of a battleship. Mark Twain and Henry H. Rogers also paid a visit, arriving in

2491-685: The time. After the First World War the company rebranded itself as Consolidated Shipbuilding . It was heavily involved in the production of small yachts and military vessels, employing as many as 3,000 skilled tradespeople to that end. Upon the conclusion of World War II , the company moved from Morris Heights to the former Robert Jacobs shipyard on City Island , and it continued to build ships until 1958. 40°51′8.16″N 73°55′23.09″W  /  40.8522667°N 73.9230806°W  / 40.8522667; -73.9230806 Jamestown Exposition The Jamestown Exposition , also known as

2544-489: Was Abram Baudouine, one of the sons of Charles Baudouine . He spent about $ 100,000 on having her interior refitted. In May 1915 the financier Morton F Plant bought the yacht. By September or October 1915 John Borden had acquired her, and by 1916 he had registered her in Chicago . In April 1917 the US Navy requisitioned Kanawha for conversion into a patrol vessel. On April 28 the Navy commissioned her as USS Kanawha II , with

2597-409: Was believed that the fort housing the settlement had long ago been swallowed by the James River . No rail lines ran near Jamestown. Many Virginia residents thought that Richmond, the state capital, would be chosen as the site of the celebration. On February 4, 1901, James M. Thomson began a campaign for the celebration in his Norfolk Dispatch , proclaiming: "Norfolk is undoubtedly the proper place for

2650-670: Was decommissioned on July 1, 1919. The yacht seems to have passed to the United States Shipping Board (USSB) rather than back to her owner, as in 1920 Marcus Garvey 's Black Star Line was reported to have bought her from the USSB. Black Star is said to have renamed her Antonio Maceo , but this name may not have been registered, as news reports continued to call her Kanawha . By now she was no longer in good condition. On 26 August she left Norfolk, VA for Havana , Cuba on her first voyage for Black Star. She carried no passengers, but

2703-614: Was part of its Grand Central Station modernization project in New York City . The Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) brought a 23-foot (7.0 m)-diameter section of its new East River Tunnel. The same section was later installed underwater as part of the link to the new Penn Station in New York City , with an inscription that it had been displayed at the Jamestown Exposition. Other technology included late-model automobiles, auto-boats, and electric and steam traction engines, each in its highest stage of development. A controversial feature of

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2756-605: Was rated at 172 NHP or 3,200 ihp , and gave her a speed of 22 knots (41 km/h). In 1902, one newspaper compared her with Cornelius Vanderbilt III 's 233-foot (71 m) yacht North Star . Duncan had specified to Seabury that Kanawha must be swift enough to beat the New Jersey Central Railroad passenger steamer Monmouth , which ran across New York Bay between New York and Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey . Kanawha ' s sea trials included an impromptu race against Monmouth on July 31, 1899. Kanawha won

2809-499: Was referred to as the Speedway Shipyard, and it stood along Mathewson Road, near what is today the location of Roberto Clemente State Park . On July 16, 1908 Charles L. Seabury & Co's shipyard launched the "largest yacht in the world driven by motor power ... in the presence of its owner Charles Henry Fletcher ". She was 111 feet over all, with a 21-foot beam, and 260 horse power and an engineering feat for luxury yachts of

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