Ben Reno

Keuka Lake has long been known for its excellent lake trout population. In the days before outboard motors, fishermen sought out small, sleek fishing boats which were easy to row and could safely handle the occasional turbulent waters of the lake. During the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, several boat builders arrayed around Keuka operated small boat shops which turned out wooden rowboats in response to this demand. These boats were usually framed with white oak, and carvel planked (plank boards butted together to form smooth inner and outer surface) with red cedar or cypress. The designs varied according to the ingenuity and preference of the builder. Few builders affixed any identification (nameplates, etc.) to their boats, and consequently it is frequently difficult to determine the origin of surviving examples.

The boat shown here incorporates many of the characteristics of these early rowboats (carvel planked, round bottom, decked fore and aft, fine entry at bow). It also contains the remnants of support brackets for a positionable center seat, a feature attributed to Ben Reno and incorporated by several other Keuka Lake builders. This boat may have been built by Reno at his shop in Keuka Village during the early 1900s. However, some features of the boat differ slightly from those of known Reno rowboats.