A handcrafted ship measuring roughly 3 by 4 feet is set to be displayed near the mailroom at Edgewood.
HERMANTOWN — While Duluth readies itself for the arrival of tall ships, residents at Edgewood Hermantown Assisted Living have been constructing a smaller, yet equally impressive, tall ship of their own over the past several months.
What initially began as a modest effort involving just four residents has now grown to include about 20 individuals collaborating to carefully assemble a detailed model of the HMS Victory.
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“That was the ship’s original name,” said resident Richard Gurske. “But once it’s complete, we’ll rename it the ‘USS Edgewood’ and display it above the mailboxes so everyone—residents and visitors alike—can admire what we’ve accomplished.”
The idea took shape after a few residents learned about a long-term project by Tom Parker, a member of the dining services team. He had previously built a plastic version of the USS Constitution but was unsatisfied with the result. This led him to begin crafting a larger wooden version using the plastic model as a reference.
Russ Hannu holds a piece of wood against another as he prepares for the next cut—part of the USS Edgewood project.
“That project took me five years from scratch,” Parker explained. “Everything was made by hand—except the eye bolts and the sail fabric. I even cut the tiles for the cabin floor from actual tile material.”
When Parker shared images of his work with a few residents, they asked if he would help guide them through a similar endeavor. He agreed but made it clear that it would be a lengthy process if they followed his traditional methods.
Twice a month, residents gather in a shared dining space to work on the model, chat, and enjoy snacks. Though open to all, the project was primarily driven by male participants at first. Recently, women with crafting experience have joined in, especially to help with intricate hand-made netting.
“We’re forming part of the rigging by knotting black thread wherever lines intersect,” said resident Joyce Cerny. “It’s tricky work. I’ve never done anything like this before, but it’s enjoyable. You get to meet people, and everyone’s been great.”
Joyce Cerny ties tiny knots in black thread to form netting that will connect to the ship’s crow’s nest.
According to Gurske, this isn’t the residents’ first hands-on project. Previous efforts included building birdhouses, but the ship project has garnered much more enthusiasm.
“It’s something we’re doing together,” Gurske noted. “People are genuinely interested. It’s stimulating, and you hear folks chatting about it all over the place.”
In the early stages, a few residents looked at professionally crafted models for ideas and noted how detailed some of the model ships from makers like Premier Ship Models could be—giving them both inspiration and a higher bar for craftsmanship, especially when comparing traditional models to dynamic options like rc racing boats.
He hopes that this initiative will inspire other assisted living residents to stay active and socially engaged.
“It shows that just because we’re in assisted living doesn’t mean we’re sitting around doing nothing,” Gurske added. “When it’s finished, people are going to see it and say, ‘Wow, that’s really something.’”
Currently, the ship is only halfway done, with monthly meetings planned through the rest of the year.
