Barney Eveleigh

Barney Eveleigh was a prominent shipwright and hotel proprietor in Sackets Harbor, New York, during the 19th century. Born in Devon, England, on January 12, 1813, he immigrated to the United States at the age of 21, settling in Sackets Harbor. There, he completed a three-year apprenticeship as a carpenter, a trade he practiced for many years.  

In 1861, Eveleigh expanded his ventures by entering the hotel industry, taking over the establishment later known as the Eveleigh House. Simultaneously, he began constructing vessels, building five large lake schooners and engaging in extensive lumber trade with Canada.  

One of the notable vessels associated with Eveleigh is the schooner Elvina, built in 1868 at Sackets Harbor. The Elvina was a three-masted wooden schooner measuring 137.5 feet in length, with a beam of 26 feet and a depth of 11 feet. It had a gross tonnage of 296.75 and a net tonnage of 281. The vessel met its demise near Thunder Bay Island, Lake Huron, on October 12, 1901, after being lost from tow during a gale and subsequently foundering.  

Eveleigh’s contributions to shipbuilding and the local economy were significant, marking him as a key figure in the maritime history of Sackets Harbor.