Photo: Katherine Frey/The Washington Post
Last October we posted about the Providence, a replica of a Revolutionary War sloop, which in the summer of 2019, will be moving to its new home port, Old Town Alexandria, VA. Old Town Alexandria is certainly no stranger to 18th-century ships. Indeed, it would be literally accurate to say that Old Town was, at least in part, built on ships. As ships wore out, they were filled with soil and used in expanding the waterfront in what was then a very busy commercial port.
Recently, three 18th-century merchant ships were uncovered in a single block during the excavation for a townhouse and condominium project along the Potomac River. The area was originally a cove called Point Lumley. The three ships were scuttled and used as fill in around 1798. The newly filled land was used for the construction of warehouses, mills and other commercial buildings.
The Washington Post reports: Alexandria’s top archaeologist calls the recently discovered ships “one of the most archaeologically significant sites in Virginia,” particularly in an urban setting. They were uncovered last month by contract archaeologists working with developer EYA on a townhouse and condominium project at Robinson Landing, along the Potomac River.
The largest and best-preserved portion of a ship, in clear view from the unit block of Wolfe Street, was discovered March 29. It remains partially buried but looks to be about 25 feet wide and 46 feet long….
The other two ships, which are along the east side of the construction site and not visible from the street, were found March 9 and 16. They are about 12½ feet wide and have not yet been fully uncovered.
A fourth historic ship was dug up a block north along the waterfront in January 2016 as the Hotel Indigo was being built….
The ships were probably ordinary merchant vessels, the archaeologists said, although their reinforced futtocks (curved timber pieces forming the lower part of a ship’s frame) could mean they carried heavy cargo or military gear.
Thanks to Irwin Bryan for contributing to this post.
I have often wondered how many ships were buried as landfill around lower Manhattan. I know some ships were uncovered when the orighnal World Trade Center was built. But I have never heard anything else from the east side of Lower Manhattan to the west side (west of Church Street) up thru Canal Street.
Good gravy, its a keel. Not a ship. They are getting excited over knowledge already known. Waste of money