Hesper and Luther Little

Hesper (left) and Luther Little (right) in 1979
History
United States
NameHesper
Owner
  • Various owners (1918-1932)
  • Frank Winter (1932-1936)
BuilderCrowninshild Shipbuilding
LaunchedJuly 4, 1918
FateAbandoned in 1936, demolished in 1998
NotesHesper fully collapsed by 1994
History
United States
NameLuther Little
Owner
  • Various owners (1917-1932)
  • Frank Winter (1932-1936)
BuilderRead Brothers Co
LaunchedDecember 1917
FateAbandoned in 1936, demolished in 1998
General characteristics
TypeSchooner
Tonnage
  • 1,348 GRT (Hesper)
  • 1,234 GRT (Luther Little)
Length
  • 210 ft (64 m) (Hesper)
  • 204 ft (62 m) (Luther Little)
Decks2 (Luther Little)

Hesper and Luther Little were two trade route schooners that were left abandoned at Wiscasset, Maine. Both ships were built in Massachusetts in the 1910s, and wound up under one owner by 1932. Despite efforts to make use of the two schooners, this last owner went bankrupt and died not long afterwards. Both ships were essentially abandoned where their owner had left them in Wiscasset where they were disintegrated over time. Despite efforts to save the ships as tourist attractions, both were demolished in 1998 having been finally reduced to piles of debris by the elements. Various pieces of the former ships were saved by the public from the local landfill while others are now displayed in museums.