David Carll (abt. 1832–December 27, 1888) was a 19th-century American

shipbuilder Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

. He built

yachts A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...

and

schooners A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than the mainmast. A common variant, the topsail ...

. He specialized in shallow

draft Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...

Centreboard A centreboard or centerboard (US) is a retractable hull appendage which pivots out of a slot in the hull of a sailboat, known as a ''centreboard trunk'' (UK) or ''centerboard case'' (US). The retractability allows the centreboard to be raised t ...

schooners. The David Carll's

shipyard A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are shipbuilding, built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Compared to shipyards, which are sometimes m ...

was the first

commercial Commercial may refer to: * (adjective for) commerce, a system of voluntary exchange of products and services ** (adjective for) trade, the trading of something of economic value such as goods, services, information or money * a dose of advertising ...

shipyard built on City Island. He built the popular schooners ''David Carll'', ''Vesta,'' ''Resolute,'' and ''Ambassadress''. His brother, Jesse Carll had a successful shipyard in

Northport, New York Northport is a Administrative divisions of New York#Village, village in the Huntington, New York, Town of Huntington in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, on the North Shore (Long Island), North Shore of Long Island, New York (state), New ...

Early life

David Carll was born in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, abt. 1832. He married Hannah Amelia Denton in 1861 at Christ's First Presbyterian Church,

Nassau County, New York Nassau County ( ) is a suburban County (United States), county located on Long Island, immediately to the east of New York City, bordering the Long Island Sound on the north and the open Atlantic Ocean to the south. As of the 2020 United St ...

. They had three daughters Susie D. Rich, Minnie Estelle Harrington, Jesse Anita Carll and one son David Carll Jr.

Career

Carll was well known for building fast and seaworthy

and

. He specialized in shallow

schooners. David Carll's

was the first

shipyard built on City Island. He built the popular schooners ''Vesta,'' ''Resolute,'' and ''Ambassadress''. David and Jesse built the bark ''Storm Bird,'' which put them into debt. They dissolved the partnership in 1865. His brother, Jesse Carll continued with a shipyard under the name ''Jesse Carll'' and built yachts, pilot-boats and

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

s, including the bark ''Mary Greenwood,'' the ''Joseph Rudd,'' and the pilot-boat ''Jesse Carll''. David Carll continued with his shipyard until he retired in 1885. In the 1870s, David purchased an orange plantation near

Crescent City, Florida Crescent City is a city in Putnam County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 Census, its population was 1,654, up from 1,577 at the 2010 census. The city is located on two lakes and is part of the Palatka, Florida Micropolitan Statistical ...

, and planted more than sixty thousand trees. In 1859, Carll moved from Northport and bought out and enlarged the shipyard started by Samuel P. Hart in

City Island, Bronx City Island is a neighborhood in the northeastern Bronx in New York City, located on an island of the same name approximately long by wide. City Island is located at the extreme western end of Long Island Sound, south of Pelham Bay Park, and ...

, at the East End of Pilot Avenue. In 1859, he built a 37-foot sloop ''Bell'' for James Sackett at City Island. He built many boats, such as the schooner ''Wm H. Van Name'' (1872), the pilot boat ''David Carll'' (1876) and the

yacht A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...

s ''Vesta,'' (1865) and ''Resolute,'' (1871). The ''Resolute'', was renamed the ''Ramona''. In 1863, David Carll more acres of land a wharf in 1865. The ''Vesta'' was modeled and built by David Carll for the tobacco heir Pierre Lorillard in 1866. She was in the great ocean race in 1866, against the ''Henrietta'' and ''Fleetwing''. Schooner Ambassadress

He also did the alterations for the schooner yacht

Sappho Sappho (; ''Sapphṓ'' ; Aeolic Greek ''Psápphō''; ) was an Ancient Greek poet from Eresos or Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. Sappho is known for her lyric poetry, written to be sung while accompanied by music. In ancient times, Sapph ...

(1867). He built the yachts: Ambassadress (1877), Nirvana (1884), Atalanta (1873), Vega Reindeer (1873), Stephen D. Barnes (1875), LV 39 (1875), William H. Bailey (1878), Samuel S. Thorp (1881), Mollie J. Saunders (1883), Sue Williams (1883), and Vesta; the sloops: Gracie (1878), Phebe and Lurline; and the Magic for Franklin Osgood. Schooner Magic

In 1864, David Carll served as an Elders of the Second Presbyterian Church of Huntington. He was a member and Vestryman of the Grace Episcopal Church in City Island for over twenty five years. His brother, Jesse, died on October 24, 1902, in Northport, New York, at 72 years old. On May 21, 1872, Vice-Commodore John S. Dickerson of the Brooklyn Yacht Club took the schooner-yacht ''Fleur de Lis'' to be fitted out by David Carll. She also got an entire suit of canvass by J. M. Sawyer. Alterations were completed on June 10, 1872.

Death

David Carll died on December 27, 1888, at the age of 62 at his plantation, near Crescent City, Florida. His widow, Hannah, sold the shipyard to Henry Piepgrass, who continued the shipyard until 1900, when he sold it to the Robert Jacob Shipyard (1900-1946); then to the Consolidated Shipbuilding (1946-1958) and Consolidated Yachts (1958–present).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carll, David People from Northport, New York 1888 deaths American shipbuilders 1830s births

Early life

Career

Death

See also

References