Portrait of Fort Sewall Commander Who Saved 'Old Ironsides' Coming to Abbot Hall

Abbot Hall will soon get two new portraits, including one of the Marblehead ship captain who commanded the Fourth Regiment at Fort Sewall when it famously sheltered "Old Ironsides" from the Royal Navy.

If Chris Johnston, the chairman of the Historical Commission, has his way, the portrait of the ship captain may soon grace a wall in the Selectmen's Room on the first floor of Abbot Hall where some of the most famous Marblehead paintings are hung.

The Board of Selectmen agreed recently to accept the two portraits, acquired by the Marblehead Historical Commission. The Commission maintains the Maritime Museum and the museum cases in Abbot Hall and a gift shop.

Portrait 1: William Reed, Congressman and Merchant 

Johnston asked the Selectmen if they wanted a portrait of William Reed, a wealthy Marblehead merchant, who lived from 1776 to 1837.

“He is a guy we ought to know more about,” Johnston told the Selectmen, who clearly had never heard of him.

Reed served in Congress and was generous with his money, including making large donations to Dartmouth College, where a building is named for him, Johnston said.

The portrait, a copy of the original, was donated by Margaret Dyer to Dartmouth where it is in the Hood Museum. The museum is willing to give the portrait to Marblehead, replace the frame and maybe even pay the shipping.

Johnston proposed that the painting of Reed join other portraits of famous Marbleheaders in the second-floor auditorium. The Selectmen accepted the donation and said they would consider later where to hang it.

Portrait 2: Captain John Bailey

A second portrait of ship captain John Bailey seemed to be more exciting to Johnston. Painted in Nice, France, the portrait is what one expert declared to be “one of the best I've seen,” Johnston said.

Bailey, who was a privateer and a long-time ship captain, commanded the Fourth Regiment at Fort Sewall in 1814 during the battle that saved the U.S.S. Constitution. His son was on board the ship during the battle. He died in 1828.

“This is another guy we need to know more about,” Johnston said.

He said the quality of the portrait and Bailey's success in saving the Constitution warranted him a place on the wall in the prestigious Selectmen's Room.

The commission acquired the portrait using an undisclosed amount of funds from the Payne Foundation.