145-year-old schooner Governor Stone to be rebuilt with $1.5 million FEMA grant. How to help.

PANAMA CITY — A 145-year-old Bay County relic soon will receive a long-awaited makeover, and you can be part of the once-in-a-lifetime rebuild.

The Governor Stone Rebuild Project has received a $1.5 million grant to refurbish the historic schooner after it sustained severe damage from Hurricane Michael.

The Friends of Governor Stone Inc. received a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to starting rebuilding the ship, with Stone Loft Boat Inc. leading the charge. During Tuesday's City Commission meeting, officials approved the short-term lease of the St. Andrews School pavilion to house the ship for its rebuild.

The Governor Stone is a cargo schooner built in 1877, the surviving ship among five that were built. After Michael's wrath in 2018, it had to be docked on dry land at Snug Harbor.

Colleen Reilly, president of the Friends of Governor Stone, said organization officials were nervous the rebuild wouldn't happen, saying it took more than two years to raise $150,000 in matching funds needed to receive the FEMA grant.

Then came the near-shipwreck of finding a builder.

"We had the publish for bids to try to find a qualified shipbuilder to rebuild her. That was a little bit dicey because we weren't finding qualified shipbuilders," Reilly said. "We knew we might have to send her out of the state of Florida, where there were quality shipbuilders and we really didn't want to do that."

With their luck running out, they found local Capt. Anderson Barnes who created Stone Loft Boat Inc. Reilly said they approved Barnes' bid because of his skills and the fact that the ship would be rebuilt in St. Andrews.

How you can help

Commissioner Joshua Street said St. Andrews has a rich history with shipbuilders, so it was important to do something locally about the Governor Stone.

"That's been part of our history for so long, and this being a boat that has such significance to an historical value, we get to be a part of returning to that heritage and be a part of rebuilding it," Street said. "So getting volunteer time in, it helps them with the grant applications, but it also is just part of being who we are as a community and we have been for over 100 years."

In its new home at the elementary school, the Governor Stone will be made available in an open air section for the public to view the piece of history, as well make their mark on it. Literally.

"Visitors to the St. Andrews area can actually come onto the property and pick up a piece of sandpaper and sand a little bit on the vessel itself to be part of history as we're rebuilding," Reilly said. "We're going to be working with youth groups, like the Sea Cadets and the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, so they'll be able to come over and learn that age-old trade of shipbuilding and knot tying, and all of those things because it truly will be an historic event that you get to see this being rebuilt and you get to be part of her future."

It will be transported to the school within the next two weeks. Street said the vessel will not affect the school's operations.

"The historic St. Andrews School is something that the city has entered into a lease with the county to provide a community center, as well as a tourism destination inside of historic St. Andrews," Street said. "So, this is a great match for attracting people to the area. To be a part of something that really is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

The organization anticipates the rebuild process taking 18 months, expecting to have the vessel on the water by October 2023.

If all goes to plan and weather does not get in the way, Reilly said they will hold a celebration once the schooner is back in the water at the marina.

Street said acknowledging this part of local history is very important, especially as it is the last of its kind.

"It traveled up the Apalachicola River, it was a mail ship. It's had so many uses over the years and so, this is a really important piece, protecting our history," Street said. "And through that, we'll be able to teach future generations what sacrifices were made by previous generations to get us to where we are today."

After three long years of bidding and searching for the right builder, Reilly said it is a relief to finally start the rebuilding process.

"To watch everything come together with Capt. Anderson in his Stone Loft Boat shop and then the city finding a property, so we can do it locally," Reilly said. "It's just been amazing. And we're so excited to get started now."

This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Historic Bay County ship to be rebuilt after Hurricane Michael damage