Exhibitions

In 2010, archaeologists excavating the World Trade Center site made an extraordinary discovery: the remains of an 18th-century wooden gunboat buried deep beneath Manhattan’s historic landfill. Likely built near Philadelphia in the early 1770s, this Revolutionary War-era vessel once patrolled shallow waterways before being abandoned along the Hudson River. Preserved for over 200 years in oxygen-poor soil, the ship measured about 50 feet long and featured a raised deck.

More than 600 pieces of timber and 2,000 artifacts—including musket balls, buttons, and ceramic tankards—were recovered from the site. Evidence suggests the vessel was likely captured by the British and traveled south, perhaps as far as the Caribbean, before arriving in New York. How it ended up buried in New York City remains a fascinating mystery.

Stabilized and studied for over a decade under the direction of Dr. Peter Fix, Associate Research Scientist of Archaeological Watercraft and Aircraft Conservation at Texas A&M University, the ship returned to New York in the spring of 2025. It is now being reconstructed for permanent display at the New York State Museum by Dr. Fix and his team. 

Visitors are invited to experience history in the making as they watch the weeks-long reconstruction of the ship and explore a curated selection of artifacts recovered from the site. As one of the few documented American-built Revolutionary War vessels, the gunboat offers a rare, tangible link to the nation's fight for independence and highlights New York's enduring role in shaping American history.