Maritime museum weighs anchor after six-year restoration project

The Wareham Historical Society recently celebrated the completion of a six-year journey to acquire, rehabilitate and restore the Captain John Kendrick Maritime Museum.

Captain John Kendrick was in command of the United State’s first expedition to the Pacific, which left from Boston in the late 1700s to attempt to open trade between the United States and China, the organization said.

After facing a typhoon, Kendrick’s ship entered Japanese waters, becoming the first foreign ship to do so since Japan enacted its isolationist policy 150 years prior, according to Angela Dunham, president of the Wareham Historical Society.

The museum, which used to be Kendrick’s home, was built around 1745 and began operating as a museum in 1976.

While the building has local and national significance, it is also significant in Japan because Kendrick was often credited with ending the country’s isolationist policy, Dunham said.

Several Kendrick descendants attended the event to thank those involved in the museum’s restoration and dedication to saving the historic landmark, which is a source of pride for the community and future generation, the organization said.