Niagra

Type

Brig

Period

19th Century

Nation

United States

Overview: The U.S. Brig Niagara is a two-masted, square-rigged snow-brig best known as Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's relief flagship at the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813, during the War of 1812. The vessel sailing today is the third major reconstruction of the original 1813 hull, built at Erie, Pennsylvania and launched in 1988, and is owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Specifications: As built in 1813, Niagara measured roughly 198 feet overall (about 111 feet at the waterline), with a 31-32 foot beam, around 295-297 tons displacement, and carried a crew of about 155. She was armed with eighteen 32-pounder carronades and two 12-pounder long guns; the modern vessel retains two carronades and two long guns for demonstration purposes and carries auxiliary diesel engines for maneuvering. Service History: After the decisive American victory at Lake Erie, Niagara served briefly as a receiving ship before being deliberately sunk for preservation in Misery Bay in 1820. She was raised in 1913 for the battle's centennial, rebuilt and toured the Great Lakes, then deteriorated again until a more complete reconstruction was finished in 1988 (entering service 1990-1992). She remains a certified U.S. Coast Guard sail training vessel (SSV Niagara) and is a National Historic Landmark. Notable Facts: Only a small amount of timber from the original hull survives in the current reconstruction, leading some historians to describe her as a replica rather than a true rebuild, though her operators call her a reconstruction. Niagara serves as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's flagship and goodwill ambassador, is homeported at the Erie Maritime Museum, and has appeared in documentaries standing in for other historic vessels such as the whaleship Essex. As of 2025-2026 she is undergoing a multi-million dollar refit at a Maine shipyard ahead of America's 250th anniversary commemorations.