Sheathing

Object Name:

Sheathing

Object ID:

2025.057 a-d

Place of Origin:

Portsmouth, NH

Date:

circa 1864

Description:

Four pieces of copper sheathing from the USS New Hampshire which sank off the coast of Manchester by the Sea, MA, in 1922. Salvaged in 1999 by Ed Fitzgerald of Burlington, MA.

Material:

Copper

Dimensions:

H-10 W-8.25 inches

Provenance:

Originally named Alabama, the USS New Hampshire, along with five sisters was authorized on 29 April, 1816 and was laid down three years later on 1 June, 1819 at Portsmouth Navy Yard. Construction was halted at some point after this and she remained on the stocks until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. In the intervening decades naval technology had passed her by, and she was converted to a storeship. Renamed New Hampshire on 23 October, 1863, she was finally launched on 23 January, 1864 and was complete by the spring of that year.

The USS New Hampshire served as a receiving ship at Norfolk Navy Yard from 1866 through 1872, then variously at Norfolk, Port Royal, and Newport until 1891. Transferred to New London in 1891. Decommissioned on 5 June, 1892 and transferred to the New York Naval Militia the next year. Caught fire and sank at her berth on the Hudson River on 23 May, 1921, the remains of the Granite State were intact enough to be salvaged and then sold on 19 August, 1921. In tow to the Bay of Fundy in Canada during July 1922 she caught fire again and sank off the coast of Manchester by the Sea, Massachusetts.

Credit Line:

Gift of Ed Fitzgerald

Subjects:

Navy, Naval warfare, Naval ships, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard