By Alexa Epitropoulos | aepitropoulos@alextimes.com
Port City Brewing Co. announced that it’s partnering with the Tall Ship Providence Foundation, which is raising funds to bring tall ship The Providence to the Alexandria waterfront permanently, the longtime local brewery announced in a news release.
As part of the partnership, Port City is giving one dollar from every pint of beer sold at its tasting room on Wheeler Avenue to the initiative until its fundraising goal is met, starting on Jan. 1.
Port City Brewing Co. founder Bill Butcher said the tall ship would be beneficial for the city for years to come.
“Our hometown has a long history as an important port city, so we’re excited to be part of this initiative to bring that history to life … We want our customers to have a stake in this project. The Providence will be an asset for the city and the people of Alexandria for years to come,” Butcher said in the release.
The Tall Ship Providence Foundation kicked off efforts to bring The Providence, a 110-foot, single mast tall ship, to Alexandria in September. The group aims to bring the ship to the city’s Waterfront Park by the spring of 2019. The intention is for the ship to serve as a tourist attraction, a private event venue and a floating classroom for the Alexandria Seaport Foundation.
The ship is a full-sized replica of colonial era ship the U.S.S. Providence, which was commissioned into the newly created Navy of the Continental Congress in January 1775 and which also served as the first command of John Paul Jones. The ship was used for a similar purpose as the Tall Ship Providence Foundation proposes when it was based in Rhode Island.