Like a ship in a bottle, the historic local dory now on display at the Marblehead Museum and Historical Society doesn't look like it could have fit through the front door - let alone the narrow stairway to the second floor. 

The small boat's raised sail stretches up to within an inch or two of the museum's ceiling and the craftsmanship certainly harkens back to Marblehead's not-so-distant past.

According to curator Karen Mac Innis, the dory was donated to the museum in 2000 by two grandchildren of the builder, William Chamberlain. 

Chamberlain, she said, was a well-respected local boat builder who constructed the dory at 14 Orne St. around 1906. Sometime between 1906 and 1910, Chamberlain brought the dory to his summer cottage on a lake north of Ottawa, Canada.

The Chamberlain family used the dory during vacations to the lake until about 1990 and when it was not in use, it was reportedly stored in a boathouse, which explains why it is still in such excellent condition.

It is approximately 20' long with a beam (width) of 5'. The boat has four seats, oars and oar locks, a mast and other assorted sailing equipment.

This is the first time that the museum has raised the sail on the dory and officials are encouraging local residents to stop by to check it out.