Adrian Mount Pearsall, renowned furniture designer, yachtsman, and philanthropist died Tuesday in his home in Washington Crossing, Pa. He was 85.
A renowned furniture maker, Pearsall left the industry to pursue a passion for preservation and meticulous craftsmanship that led him to the hobby of sailing and classic yacht restoration.
Spending summers in his historically rebuilt cottage in Groton Long Point, Conn., he enjoyed sailing and maintaining the many treasured vessels he rescued and personally restored through the years, including the 44-foot 1905 Herreshoff NY-30, Amorita; the 1913 50-foot P-Class Sloop Chips; and the 1924 Herreshoff Watch Hill 15, Emma.
Most notably, he was solely responsible for the rescue and rebuild of the longtime Fastnet Race record holder, the 72-foot 1926 William Fife designed Hallowe’en, which was completely restored during a four-year period in a shed behind the Museum of Yachting in Newport, R.I.
