A 200 Year Story
Saving the Day
During the famous naval Battle of Erie, Perry's ship
Lawrence led the charge into the British fleet that controlled the lake. After
Lawrence was disabled by enemy fire, Perry and four men of his crew rowed through a hail of cannon and musket fire to
Niagara.
Niagara, along with several other American ships, regrouped, engaged the British ships, and forced them to surrender. The decisive win was a key turning point in the war.
Oliver Hazard Perry
Perry supervised the building of the American fleet in Erie Harbor and commanded the fleet during the Battle of Lake Erie. His famous words; "We have met the enemy and they are ours ..." were written in a dispatch to General William Henry Harrison on the outcome of the battle.
U.S. Brig Niagara
Overall (Sparred) Length - 198 feet
Hull Length at Load Water Line - 110 feet, 8 inches
Width at Widest Point - 32 feet
Draft - 10 feet, 6 inches
Mast Heights (above water line)
Foremast - 113 feet, 4 inches
Mainmast - 118 feet, 4 inches
Armament - 18 /32 Pound Carronades, 2 /12 Pound Long Guns
Crew - 155 Officers and Men
Today, a preproduction of Niagara can be
seen in and sails out of Erie Harbor. The replica ship still contains some timbers salvaged from the original 1813 ship.
Niagara Timeline
1991 - Niagara sails!
1990 - Sea trials.
1988 - Launch of the hull of the third rebuild of
Niagara
1963 - Masts and rigging are added to
Niagara's hull for the Sesquicentennial of the Battle of Lake Erie.
1943 - Niagara's hull is launched and then installed in a concrete cradle on shore.
1933 - Second reconstruction begins, and stalls for lack of funds.
1913 - Niagara's hull is raised; she is rebuilt for the Centennial of the Battle of Lake Erie, and tours the Great Lakes.
1820 - Niagara is scuttled in Misery Bay.
1817 - Niagara is disarmed under the Rush-Bagot Treaty.
1813 - Niagara is built and is key to Perry's victory in the Battle of Lake Erie.
War of 1812
Niagara has been present along the Great Lakes Seaway Trail in some form for 200 years.
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