USS Lancaster Eagle [SEP] creator
USS Lancaster Eagle
The USS Lancaster Eagle is a figurehead that was carved in 1880-1881 by John Haley Bellamy for the . The eagle is currently owned by and displayed at the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia.
History.
This eagle figurehead was carved for (originally built in 1858) while the ship was at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard located in Kittery, Maine for repairs. There had previously been no figurehead on the ship and an eagle was chosen because of its representation of the United States and
. This piece, referred to as the USS Lancaster Eagle, is the only known surviving figurehead carved by Bellamy and is considered to be his masterpiece. It is currently owned by and displayed at The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia.
Death.
On December 5, 1910, after three years of declining health, John was declared incompetent by his doctor and went to live with a cousin in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. After outliving his parents and all of his siblings, John died of "apoplexy"