The National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF), currently located at City Dock in “America’s Sailing Capital” of Annapolis, has officially chosen to make its home somewhere else.
A board member confirms to Bay Bulletin that the NSHOF Board of Directors voted to relocate the Hall of Fame to Newport, Rhode Island, in a 17-9 vote Tuesday afternoon.
The organization plans to renovate Newport’s historic Armory building on Thames Street. Back in July the Newport City Council approved the sale of most of the Armory to NSHOF for $1.685 million. The property is set to close November 8, and the organization plans to enter into a contract with Newport by that date, according to published reports.
The Hall of Fame originally wanted to build a museum at its current site, the historic Captain Burtis House in Annapolis. But after a decade of trying, it couldn’t come up with the funding to finance the project.
According to its mission statement, the National Sailing Hall of Fame strives to “promote sailing by preserving America’s sailing legacy and to engage the next generation by sharing the benefits, excitement and beauty of sailing.”
-Meg Walburn Viviano
