Showboat_Majestic

<i>Majestic</i> (riverboat)

Majestic (riverboat)

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The Majestic is a historic riverboat that is moored on the Ohio River at Manchester, Ohio. Built in 1923, she was the last floating theater to be built in the United States, and one of its longest-lived. Declared a National Historic Landmark on December 20, 1989.[2]

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Description

Majestic is moored on the Ohio River at New Richmond, Ohio.[3] She is 135 feet (41 m) long, with a beam of 40 feet (12 m) and a draft depth of 1 foot (0.30 m). Her wooden hull has been sheathed inside a steel one, and is still visible from within the boat. Its superstructure housing the theater has been little altered since 1969.[4]

History

The last of the original traveling showboats, Majestic was built in 1923 in Pittsburgh,[5] and plied the Ohio River and other portions of its watershed for many years, offering shows at towns along the way. The showboat was not necessarily a "ship" at all. It has no motor and no means of movement.[6] Therefore, she came as a pair with a tugboat the Attaboy which towed her from venue to venue.[7] Tom Reynolds and his family owned, lived on and ran it until 1959. Reynolds himself was born into an old established showboat family.[8] Tom Reynolds first boat was the Illinois, lost to fire in 1916, which he replaced by building the America.[9]

From 1945 to 1959 there was an academic alliance between the Reynolds family and Hiram College, Kent State University, and Indiana University that allowed the schools to present summer theater experiences for students on Majestic. In December 2014, longtime drama professor, Tom Weatherston, produced a documentary about the alliance and life on the showboat.[10]

Capt. Tom Reynolds sold the Majestic in August 1959 for $30,000[11] to the Indiana University. He had piloted the Majestic on the Ohio, Kansas, Mississippi and Kanawha Rivers for 36 years. That December he was working on the tug Attaboy, moored alongside the Majestic, when it is thought the tug's engine kicked back, and Reynolds lost his footing and fell into the Kanawha River and drowned. He was 71 and had lived on or beside the river his whole life.[8]

Drydocking in Cincinnati

She was forced into dry dock in 1965 by the Safety at Sea Act, which prohibited wooden-hulled vessels from transporting cast and crew on overnight journeys,[7] though by that time the condition of her hull was fast deteriorating. The outer steel hull was added at that time,[7] as were other modernizing conveniences, including air conditioning. While in dry dock, the City of Cincinnati purchased Majestic for $13,500[7] as part of its downtown Cincinnati Central Riverfront show case. She was docked at the Cincinnati Public Landing. The University of Cincinnati leased the showboat as a summer stock theater for its students until 1988.[12] The showboat was cared for by the cast and crew of Cincinnati Landmark Productions, captained by Tim Perrino for 23 years, until March 2019.

Post Cincinnati Riverfront

She was purchased in a public auction for over $100K by Joe and Cortnee Brumley and on April 4, 2019 left drydock on the Cincinnati Riverfront to be pushed upstream to Manchester, Ohio to property the Brumley's purchased to develop into a tourist attraction, including using her as an Airbnb bed and breakfast.[13][14][15]

Manchester

In April 2019, she arrived at her destination near the Moyer Winery in Manchester, Ohio[16][13]

In December 2019, she was open to the public for public performing art events with the production of "The Majestic Christmas," her first public event since being acquired from the City of Cincinnati and being moved to Manchester, Ohio.[17][18]

On December 11, 2020, The Ledger Independent reported that the owners were considering docking her in Maysville, Kentucky at Limestone Landing, a riverfront landing in a designated entertainment destination known as The Landing at Limestone quarter of Maysville, after discussions with Augusta, Kentucky broke down.[19] In a special meeting of the city council on December 17, 2020, Maysville City Commissioners learned that Joe Brumley had acquired 100% ownership of the Majestic and had formed a 501 3c non-profit to operate the showboat but the board of directors had been dissolved. The city commission, although was in support of the move, deferred permitting and entering into a lease with Brumley until its non-profit status was resolved and the city knew who it was entering a lease with. Brumley was concerned that the showboat be moved as quickly as possible to prevent damage from Ohio River floods. The showboat was battered with debris during major flooding in early 2020. Brumley claimed that being moored in Manchester is not economically sustainable since the historic winery and tourist attraction, The Moyer Winery, burned down in 2019.[20][21]

Flooding of the Ohio River on February 13, 2020, batters the Majestic
Flooding of the Ohio River on February 13, 2020, batters the Majestic

New Richmond

On February 11, 2021, multiple newspapers reported that New Richmond, Ohio's Village Administrator Greg Roberts said the New Richmond Village Council gave the go-ahead for the showboat to moor at its riverfront. Roberts said negotiations had taken less than a week after Brumley telephoned the village.[22] The Ledger Independent reported that Maysville's officials were blindsided by the news, even though city officials had requested a salvage bond worth $2,000,000.[23] On February 17, 2021, the Majestic left Manchester Ohio being pushed by the historic towboat Miss Anne, and arrived to its new dock in New Richmond, Ohio as part of the village's Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), an economic tourist area where persons over 21 can possess and consume alcohol along the Ohio River.[3]

Showboat Majestic on the banks of the Ohio River in New Richmond, Ohio
Showboat Majestic on the banks of the Ohio River in New Richmond, Ohio at the intersection of Johnston Alley and Front Street, while it awaits construction of its dock. In the image is New Richmond's Designated Outdoor Refreshment Area (DORA), an economic tourist area where persons over 21 can possess and consume alcohol along the Ohio River.

On June 28, 2022, the New Richmond Village Council voted to revoke owner Joe Brumley's license to moor her at New Richmond and gave Brumley 90 days to have her removed, citing lack of progress in Brumley's development of the showboat's riverfront attraction.[24] According to The Waterways Journal Weekly, the city revolked the license due to environmental concerns and lack of insurance on the showboat.[25][26]

Post New Richmond

In September 2022, the showboat left New Richmond and was pushed up the Ohio River back to Manchester, Ohio where it is banked near the Moyer Winery.[27]

In January 2023, it was reported by The Ledger Independent that the showboat was moored along the Ohio River in an area along Maysville’s west end. City officials said they had no desire to have the showboat moored in Maysville and was told she was on her way to Vicksburg, Mississippi.[25]

See also

Citations

  1. [1]
    "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. June 30, 2007.
  2. [2]
    "Majestic (Showboat)". National Historic Landmarks Program. National Park Service. Archived from the original on January 19, 2008. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
  3. [3]
    WLWT Digital Staff (February 18, 2021). "Showboat Majestic arrives at its new home on the Ohio River in New Richmond". WLWT. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  4. [4]
    "NHL nomination for Majestic (riverboat)". National Archive. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  5. [5]
    "A Walk Through the Historic Showboat Majestic Before It Leaves". Cincinnati Refined. February 22, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  6. [6]
    Salerno, Ronny (February 22, 2019). "A Walk Through the Historic Showboat Majestic Before It Left". Cincinnati Refined. Sinclair Broadcast Group. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
  7. [7]
    Klein, Chuck (July 15, 2001). "Keep Majesty of the Showboat". The Cincinnati Enquirer. p. 66. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  8. [8]
    "Ol' Man River Gets 'Em. Showboat Captain Tom Reynolds Survives Everything Else - Drowns". The News-Herald (Franklin, Pennsylvania). UPI - Point Pleasant W. VA. December 17, 1959. p. 1. Retrieved August 25, 2018.
  9. [9]
    "Summer School Means Boat Trip for Group of Students". The Jackson Sun (Jackson, Tennessee). May 9, 1949. p. 7. Retrieved August 25, 2018. ...captain, Tom Reynolds, is no rookie at showboating. He's been at it for 36 years. His first boat, the Illinois, burned at the pier at Foster, In 1916. The captain's oldest son, Norman, died in that fire. But he went ahead and built another showboat, the America.
  10. [10]
    "VIDEO-Tom Weatherston and the Showboat Majestic". YouTube. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  11. [11]
    "Students Big Hit in Oldtime Melodramas". The Times (Munster, Indiana). July 10, 1960. p. 9. Retrieved August 25, 2018. John Reynolds, 27, Point Pleasant, W.Va.. towboat skipper. Reynolds offered to spend 40 days of his vacation as Majestic captain. He has sentimental reasons for following the' Majestic. He and his two brothers and one sister were born on the boat, and the family formed their own troupe, playing melodrama up and down half & dozen rivers as recently as 1952. His father, the late Capt. Tom Reynolds, sold the Majestic to the university.
  12. [12]
    Maggard, Suzanne (June 28, 2011). "Theater on the River: The Showboat Majestic Records". LiBlog; The blog of the University of Cincinnati Libraries. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
  13. [13]
    "Showboat Majestic bids farewell to Cincinnati". fox19.com. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  14. [14]
    Knight, Cameron. "Showboat Majestic bought by Adams County couple". The Enquirer. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  15. [15]
    "Historic Showboat Majestic floating theater sold for $110,100". WLWT. February 11, 2019. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  16. [16]
    "Showboat Majestic arrives in Adams County". Ledger Independent – Maysville Online. April 11, 2019. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  17. [17]
    Independent, Ledger (December 5, 2019). "Showboat Majestic to hold first public event". Ledger Independent – Maysville Online. Retrieved December 6, 2019.
  18. [18]
    Independent, Ledger (December 2, 2019). "Guests get peek at Showboat Majestic". Ledger Independent – Maysville Online. Retrieved December 3, 2019.
  19. [19]
    Kearns, Mary Ann (December 11, 2020). "Showboat may make Maysville its home". Ledger Independent – Maysville Online. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  20. [20]
    Independent, Ledger (December 18, 2020). "Showboat move hits a snag". Ledger Independent – Maysville Online. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  21. [21]
    Brookbank, Sarah. "Fire badly damages Moyer Winery, the planned dock of Showboat Majestic". The Enquirer. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  22. [22]
    Brookbank, Sarah. "'Closer to home': Showboat Majestic will call New Richmond home". The Enquirer. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  23. [23]
    Kearns, Mary Ann (February 11, 2021). "Showboat bypassing Maysville for New Richmond". Ledger Independent – Maysville Online. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
  24. [24]
    Moorwood, Victoria. "'We had high hopes': Showboat Majestic given 90 days to leave New Richmond after council vote". The Enquirer. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
  25. [25]
    Kearns, Mary Ann (January 27, 2023). "Showboat lands in Maysville in latest move". Ledger Independent – Maysville Online. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  26. [26]
    Byrne, Shelly (July 12, 2022). "Ohio Village Evicts Historic Showboat Majestic". The Waterways Journal. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  27. [27]
    "Historic boat no longer docked in New Richmond after officials ask it to be removed". WKRC. September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022.

References
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