DERBY — A rare early-1900s brass yacht racing cannon has returned to the Derby home of its original owner more than 125 years after it was first used aboard a steam-powered pleasure yacht cruising Long Island Sound.
The cannon, once owned by Sterling Piano Company President Rufus W. Blake, has been donated to the historic Blake residence at 253 Elizabeth Street—today the Edward F. Adzima Funeral Home—by descendants of Blake’s wife, bringing a remarkable piece of Derby history full circle.
The cannon was donated by Kyrill Schrabert of Maine, grandson of Emma Mock Blake Schabert, who inherited the cannon following Rufus Blake’s death in 1901. The cannon remained in the family for generations before Schabert arranged for its permanent return to Derby.
“I’m quite pleased to be able to return this piece of my family’s history to its home in Derby for permanent display,” said Schabert. “I’ve really appreciated the assistance Randy Ritter has provided in both promoting the digitization of local historic newspapers and in helping connect our family history to Derby.”
Schabert discovered Derby’s connection to his family while researching a book about his grandmother, Emma and her second husband Paul Schabert. Emma’s extraordinary life included serving as President of the Sterling Piano Company and surviving the sinking of the RMS Titanic alongside her brother, Phillip Mock.
The cannon is a Strong Breech-Loading Yacht Cannon manufactured by The Strong Fire Arms Company of New Haven. Marketed to yacht owners in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, such cannons were commonly used to signal departures, arrivals, celebrations, and the start of yacht races. Constructed with a solid bronze barrel and mounted on a mahogany naval carriage, the cannon originally sold for $45 and fired specialized 8-gauge signal shells.
The cannon once accompanied Blake aboard his beloved 60-foot steam yacht, The Dream, purchased in 1896 after what newspapers described as a 23-year ambition to own such a vessel. Contemporary accounts show Blake entertaining prominent industrialists, bankers, and business associates aboard the yacht on cruises between Derby, New York, Newport, Block Island, and Woodmont.
Historical newspaper reports describe outings that included directors of Derby’s Home Trust Company, members of the piano industry, and guests from New York and beyond. In August 1899, Blake met Emma Mock aboard The Dream, just two years before his untimely death.
The cannon’s return was celebrated at a gathering attended by Schrabert, Derby historian Randy Ritter, funeral home owners Edward and Jodi Sheehy, local historian Jack Walsh, and Derby Town Clerk and Derby 350th Celebration Chairman Marc Garofalo.
Walsh noted that the return of the cannon adds another chapter to the story of one of Derby’s most historic homes.
“This is one of more than 40 historic plaques that have been installed throughout the city as part of Derby’s 350th anniversary celebration,” Walsh said. “The return of the cannon helps tell the amazing story of this building and the remarkable people associated with it. It’s a story worthy of a movie.”
The cannon will be placed on permanent display in the foyer of the historic home alongside family photographs provided by Schrabert and a Sterling Piano manufactured in Derby, helping visitors connect with one of the city’s most fascinating industrial and social histories.
The return of the cannon highlights the continuing discoveries being made during Derby’s 350th anniversary celebration and demonstrates how local history can reconnect families and communities across generations.
