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Archaeologist James Delgado, senior vice president at SEARCH, (left) takes the remains of a shoe uncovered in the 19th Century shipwreck in St. Augustine. | FDOT

19th century shipwreck extracted from ground in Downtown St. Augustine

Published on October 13, 2023 at 3:06 pm
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The wooden remains of a ship had sat about 8 feet under a landscaped approach to St. Augustine’s Bridge of Lions, forgotten since sinking about 140 years ago and the Matanzas River silted over its planking and curved hull.

The preserved remains of what appears to be a 19th century ship were found just over a week ago when a Florida Department of Transportation crew was digging to install ducts for a drainage improvement project where Avenida Menendez intersects Florida A1A, one of the busiest intersections in the historic tourist town.

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Archaeologists and FDOT staff worked to carefully remove remains of a 19th Century shipwreck uncovered during a drainage project in St. Augustine. | FDOT

FDOT had already sub-contracted with Southeastern Archaeological Research to help if something surfaced during the $4.2 million drainage pipe project that began this past spring. And sure enough, as crews dug in the mud behind a riverfront seawall, a timber section of the buried ship appeared near remains of an old dock.

“We believe the vessel may have sunk unexpectedly and, over time, was silted in. That is why it was preserved so well,” FDOT District 2 Secretary Greg Evans said in a statement. “It was encapsulated in soil and mud, so there was no air contact for it to decay. It’s truly an incredible find.”

What’s left of the buried shipwreck includes decking with 12 ribs connecting what’s left of a lower hull, says James Delgado, senior vice president at SEARCH, which led this week’s excavation and recovery of the remains.

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“We believe the vessel to be a small single-masted, shallow-draft sailing craft of the 19th century that was likely used to extract fish and shellfish from coastal waterways and directly offshore,” Delgado says. “With a dedicated team, including support from the local community and the on-site construction team, we were able to extract the vessel in order to allow the important work on the community’s infrastructure to continue.”

Archaeologists carefully remove parts of a 19th century shipwreck found in Downtown St. Augustine. | FDOT

The artifacts found with the wreck helped identify it as a possible fishing boat from the late 1800s.

Part of a kerosene lamp, black paint still evident, was also uncovered in the 19th century shipwreck in St. Augustine. | FDOT

The gently corroded wick and burner part of a kerosene lamp, most of its black paint intact. Two coconut shells, probably used as drinking cups. The remains of two leather shoes underneath the decking, probably a crew member’s, one with a button made from a seashell. And some coins, including an 1886 nickel and a Morgan silver dollar, which were minted from 1878 to 1904.

The items mean that the ship probably was in use when it sank, FDOT spokesman Hampton Ray says.

Parts of a pier pierce the 19th Century shipwreck uncovered during an FDOT drainage project in Downtown St. Augustine. | FDOT

After being removed earlier this week, the ship will be carefully conserved, FDOT says. And the state says there’s no delay in the project’s completion timeline because time was built in in case of issues like this one.


author image Reporter, WJCT News 89.9 email Dan Scanlan is a veteran journalist with almost 40 years of experience in radio, television, and print reporting. He has worked at various stations in the Northeast and Jacksonville. Prior to joining the WJCT News team, Dan spent 34 years at The Florida Times-Union as a police and current affairs reporter.

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