USS Niagara (1813)

42°8′14″N 80°5′15″W / 42.13722°N 80.08750°W / 42.13722; -80.08750

US Brig Niagara near Put-in-Bay, Ohio in June 2009
History
United States
Name	Niagara
Owner	Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Operator	Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
Ordered	31 December 1812
Launched	June 13, 1813; 210 years ago (1813-06-13)
Sunk:	1820
Raised:	6 March 1913
Restored:	1913, 1931–1943, 1963, 1988
In service	Active
Homeport	Erie, Pennsylvania
Status	Sea-going museum ship
General characteristics
Class and type	Niagara-class snow-brig
Displacement	297 long tons (302 t)[1]
Length	110 ft 8 in (33.7 m) LBP
Beam	32 ft (9.8 m)
Height	113 ft 4 in (34.5 m) Foremast 118 ft 4 in (36.1 m) Mainmast
Depth	9 ft (2.7 m)
Sail plan	12,665 sq ft (1,177 m2) on two masts[1]
Boats & landing craft carried	2 cutters, 1 yawl[2]
1813:
Tons burthen	492 60⁄95 tons[1][3]
Complement	155 officers and enlisted
Armament	18 × 32-pounder carronades 2 × 12-pounder long guns
1998:
Tonnage	162 GT[1]
Installed power	2 × 200 bhp (150 kW) diesel engines
Crew	20 professional, 20 volunteer[1]
Armament	2 × 32-pounder carronades
U.S.S. Niagara
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Brig Niagara firing its cannons, off of Put-in-Bay, Ohio
Location	Erie, Pennsylvania
Coordinates	42°07′46″N 80°05′07″W / 42.129561°N 80.085214°W / 42.129561; -80.085214
Area	Less than one acre
Architectural style	Snow-brig
NRHP reference No.	73001628[4]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	11 April 1973
Designated NHL	11 April 1973

USS Niagara, commonly called the U.S. Brig Niagara or the Flagship Niagara, is a wooden-hulled snow-brig^[b] that served as the relief flagship for Oliver Hazard Perry in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. As the ship is certified for sail training by the United States Coast Guard, she is also designated SSV Niagara. Niagara is usually docked behind the Erie Maritime Museum in downtown Erie in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania as an outdoor exhibit for the museum. She also often travels the Great Lakes during the summer, serving as an ambassador of Pennsylvania when not docked. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and was designated the official state ship of Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1988.

Niagara was constructed from 1812 to 1813 to protect the vulnerable American coastline on Lake Erie from the British and played a pivotal role in the battle for the lake. Along with most warships that served in the war, Niagara was sunk for preservation on Presque Isle in 1820. Raised in 1913, it was rebuilt for the centennial of the Battle of Lake Erie. After deteriorating, the restoration of Niagara was started again in the 1930s, but was hampered by the lack of funds caused by the Great Depression and remained uncompleted until 1963. A more extensive restoration was carried out in 1988 in which much of the original ship was largely destroyed. The incorporation of new materials and modern equipment makes it ambiguous as to whether it is or is not a replica.