Name: Extreme Sports in Historic Small Boats
Start: 2026-07-16T18:30:00-05:00
Location: McFaddin-Ward House Museum

Join the McFaddin-Ward House Museum for “Extreme Sports in Historic Small Boats,” a free public lecture presented by Pieter Roos on Thursday, July 16, at 6:30 p.m. in the Museum’s Visitor Center Lecture Hall (1906 Calder Avenue, Beaumont).
Maritime historian Pieter Roos will bring to life the thrilling stories of fast boats from the 19th and early 20th centuries, highlighting the daring sportsmen and women who guided uniquely designed vessels to high speeds and victory. From unstable state-of-the-art “sandbagger” sailboats to nimble ice scooters and pioneering powerboats, each boat showcases the innovation, intensity, and fearless spirit of sailing on the edge.
For more than four decades, Roos has worked as a museum professional in New York, New Jersey, and New England, serving on the staff of a wide range of institutions, including Historic Hudson Valley, Old Sturbridge Village, Mystic Seaport Museum, and the Newport Historical Society.
The majority of Roos’ career has been focused in the leadership role of executive director, a prominent position he held at both the Newport Restoration Foundation in Newport, Rhode Island, and at the Mark Twain House and Museum in Hartford, Connecticut.
Currently, Roos is the professor of museum administration at the Cooperstown Graduate Program in Museum Studies in Cooperstown, New York. In addition to his work life, Roos is a landscape artist specializing in seascapes, and for over 30 years, he has been carving half models of boats and ships.
Roos holds a master’s degree from the Cooperstown Graduate Program at the State University of New York and a B.A. in anthropology from Drew University.
McFaddin-Ward House Museum lectures are admission-free and open to the public, but space is limited. Doors open at 6 p.m. For more information, call 409-832-2134.
For those unable to attend, the full lecture will be available for viewing on the museum YouTube Channel (youtube.com/@mcfaddinwardhouse), Facebook (facebook.com/McFaddinWardHouse), and website (mcfaddin-ward.org/about/videos) after the event.