MATTAPOISETT — The afternoon of Tuesday, Jan. 30 felt like “Christmas Eve” for Mattapoisett Museum Curator Connor Gaudet as he anticipated a cross-country delivery.

What arrived on the doorstep of the local history museum that day wasn’t a present from Santa, but a 181-pound wooden box containing a hand-built model of the Wanderer, the last whaling ship built in Mattapoisett that wrecked off the coast of Cuttyhunk after its launch in 1924.

The model was delicately removed from the box under the watchful eye of Arizona-based master model maker George A. Lowery, who supervised the unpacking via FaceTime.

Lowery donated the model, valued at approximately $90,000, to the Mattapoisett Museum. According to Gaudet, it took Lowery just over 2,000 hours to build the boat.

As each side was removed from the box, more of the Wanderer became visible. The ship was bundled in bubble wrap secured with packing tape that gave the illusion that the boat was once again on the water.

“For this specific model to be coming back … this is not a symbol of fine craftsmanship. This is fine craftsmanship,” said Gaudet.

2024 is the centennial of the Wanderer’s ill-fated final voyage, and Gaudet plans to use Lowery’s model as the centerpiece of a yet-to-be named summer exhibition focusing on the legacy of the Wanderer in Mattapoisett.

“The real Wanderer never got to come home … but for us to receive this as an unsolicited gift from [Lowery] in 2024 is important because it’s a culmination of all the different Wanderers that have been a part of the afterlife of the actual ship,” said Gaudet.

The entire process of unpacking the ship took over an hour. From gently removing packing foam and tape to collecting the ship’s carved oars and whaling boats that came dislodged during transit.

“Good heavens George, this is beautiful,” said Gaudet, after removing the glass case around the boat for the first time.

For now, the model needs a little fixing up — boats need to be reattached to miniature hooks on the side of the ship, and the sails need to be rigged. Gaudet is planning a grand unveiling of the model in May.

“It’s been 100 years since [the Wanderer] left port out of New Bedford and it’s going to sound cliche but it’s almost like it never left because it’s been such a resounding presence [in Mattapoisett] through the last 100 years,” Gaudet said.