Tall Ship Providence, a replica of the original USS Providence used during the American Revolutionary War, has called Alexandria, Virginia, home since 2019.
However, as of Friday, the nonprofit foundation has suspended its educational and tour operations aboard the vessel, which is docked year-round near Waterfront Park in Old Town.
Two weeks ago, WTOP’s Matt Kaufax highlighted the Providence’s participation in an America 250 gathering of tall ships.
”The decision to suspend these operations was not made lightly, and the Foundation’s board and staff share in the sadness felt by the community that has supported this mission so faithfully,” according to a statement from the Tall Ship Providence Foundation.
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The closure coincides with a proposal by the two-year-old United States Maritime Foundation to build a national museum around the tall ship’s Old Town location.
”The museum will tell the story of America and the sea; the merchants, shipbuilders, sailors, naval leaders, watermen, explorers, conservationists and recreational mariners who helped shape our country,” according to a news release. “Alexandria is the right place to tell that story for all Americans.”
According to the Washington Business Journal, the maritime foundation is under contract to buy the property at 1 Prince St., adjacent to Waterfront Park, where it hopes to build a 50,000-square-foot museum.
The maritime foundation is hoping to raise the money and support needed to build the museum, calling it “a major opportunity for Alexandria.”
”It will strengthen the waterfront, support tourism and local businesses, deepen the city’s identity as a historic port, and provide families, students, veterans, visitors, and donors with a meaningful place to encounter America’s maritime legacy.”
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