18th Century Ship: Behind-the-Scenes Tours Scheduled in April

PHOTO of unearthed 18th-century ship in the City of Alexandria courtesy of City. The hull was unearthed during excavation for a new waterfront hotel; $10 donations are being accepted for the tours, to help save the ship.

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ALEXANDRIA, VA -- Special behind-the-scenes tours are being offered of the City of Alexandria's recently discovered 18th-century ship, before it is moved to a conservation facility, the City announced this week.

See: Remains of 50-Foot 18th-Century Ship Discovered at Construction Site

“We had no idea it was there,” City Archaeologist Francine Bromberg said in January, after the find was announced. “We knew there was potential for ships to be there, but this is one of our most exciting finds.” Conservationists are in the process of dismantling the discovery for preservation.

Bromberg said it’s still a guessing game as to how the ship was used at the time. “It could have been used for trade, cargo — military use can’t be ruled out at this point. It could have been used in the Revolutionary War, but we really don’t know. It was used before 1798.”

Behind-the scenes tours

Tour participants will get a "rare and unique opportunity" to meet and observe the archaeologists and conservators, as they record the ship timbers. The ship is being temporarily housed at 116 S. Quaker Lane at the Old DASH bus barn facility.

Reservations for the 30-minute tours, set for Thursday, April 14 to Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., are required and available while time slots are still available by going to the following link: https://shop.alexandriava.gov/SelectEvent.aspx. Select Alexandria Archaeology Save our Ship Tours to make your reservation. Space is limited, according to the City.

Once reservations are completed, participants are asked to make a minimum donation of $10 to Save Our Ship through https://spring2action.razoo.com/Saveourship. All proceeds benefit the ship conservation fund.

Early Alexandrians sunk the ship in the Potomac mudflats more than 200 years ago. Archaeologists unearthed it, temporarily saving it from destruction. Now, the City is working to preserve this fragile vessel for future generations and is asking for citizens to help.

Watch a video below from the City about the discovery of the ship: