A few weeks ago, walking along the Alexandria waterfront, we came upon this lovely tall ship, the sloop Providence. There’s something special about seeing an 18th century replica ship in the port of an 18th century city. We do like our history here.
The original ship Providence began life as the Katy, used as a whaler, privateer, and merchant ship. In 1775, the Katy became the flagship of the tiny Rhode Island navy. At its commissioning it was renamed the Providence, in honor of its city of origin.
The ship’s career as a naval vessel did not last long. In 1779, during the war for U.S. independence, it was burned in order to keep it from falling into British hands.
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