Sylvanus Blanchard
Captain Sylvanus Blanchard was an American merchant sea captain. A native of North Yarmouth, Maine, after retiring from the seas he became a noted shipwright, owner of one of the four main shipyards of Yarmouth harbor during the town's peak shipbuilding years of 1850–1875.
Early life
Blanchard was born in 1778, to Joshua Blanchard and Jane Prince. He was one of eleven children, the others being William, Elizabeth, Hannah, Saba, Nathaniel, Perez, Reuben, Huldah, Theodotia and Levi.Career
After a successful career as a sea captain, he became a shipwright after returning to shore full-time. He formed the shipbuilding company Blanchard Brothers, with his sons Paul, Sylvanus Cushing and Perez, which was in operation between 1857 and 1893. Under master builder Joseph A. Seabury, among the ships his company built was Admiral, Commodore, S. C. Blanchard, Pacific, Star and Detroit. The sons continued the business after their father's death.Personal life
Blanchard married Dorcas Prince Blanchard, daughter of Cushing Prince and Hannah Blanchard, on October 25, 1804. They had eight children: David Prince Blanchard, Paul Greely Blanchard, Sylvanus Cushing Blanchard, Perez Nathaniel Blanchard, Samuel Woodbury Blanchard, Dorcas Jane Blanchard, Ammi Mitchell Blanchard and Olive Elizabeth Blanchard. Paul, Sylvanus Cushing and Perez became sea captains.Having lived for a period at today's 158 Main Street in Yarmouth, in 1855 Blanchard had built the home at today's number 317. He lived to enjoy it for only three years, however, before his death. The home passed to one of his sons, and is today known as the Captain Sylvanus Cushing House. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.