Description

USS NIAGRA (1813) SNOW-BRIG TALL SAILING SHIP

FULLY BUILT AND READY TO DISPLAY MUSEUM QUALITY SHIP MODEL

Dimension approx.: 33″L x 10″W x 28″H
The model is already built. THIS IS NOT A MODEL SHIP KIT

Perry’s Second Wind on Lake Erie

Built in the winter of 1812–1813 at Presque Isle Bay in Erie, Pennsylvania, the USS Niagara was one of the small but determined fleet of wooden-hulled brigs constructed to secure American control of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Designed as a snow‑brig, she carried a compact but powerful broadside and was built for the close‑quarters fighting typical of Great Lakes warfare. Her purpose was simple: defend the frontier and challenge British dominance on the inland seas.

That purpose reached its defining moment on 10 September 1813, at the Battle of Lake Erie. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, commanding from the battered USS Lawrence, found his flagship shattered under British fire. Refusing defeat, Perry climbed into a small boat and rowed through shot‑torn waters to the Niagara. As your source recounts, “Perry transferred his flag from the damaged USS Lawrence to the Niagara… and directed devastating broadsides that destroyed three British vessels.” With fresh sails and unbroken guns, Niagara surged forward, unleashing a crushing broadside that broke the British line and secured one of the most decisive American naval victories of the war. Perry’s famous message—“We have met the enemy and they are ours”—was written in the aftermath of Niagara’s thunderous charge.

Her wartime service continued into 1814, when she helped destroy the British schooner HMS Nancy and supported operations on Lake Huron, including the attack on the blockhouse at Nallawassag. But with peace came quiet. After the war, Niagara was laid up at Presque Isle and eventually sunk in Misery Bay in 1820 to preserve her timbers—a common practice of the era.

For nearly a century she rested beneath the waters of Presque Isle Bay. Then, in 1913, the Perry Centennial Commission raised her for the 100th anniversary of the battle. She was restored—though imperfectly—and displayed as a symbol of American naval heritage. Another restoration began in the 1930s but stalled during the Great Depression. By the 1960s, she was again deteriorating, prompting a more thorough rebuild in 1963.

The most significant reconstruction came in 1988, when the brig underwent a near-total rebuild to return her to sailing condition. Much of the original fabric was lost to time, but the spirit and form of the historic vessel were preserved. Today’s Niagara is a faithful reconstruction built upon surviving timbers and historical plans, carrying forward the legacy of the original warship.

Now homeported at the Erie Maritime Museum, the SSV Niagara serves as both a museum ship and an active sail training vessel. She is the official state ship of Pennsylvania, a National Historic Landmark, and the last vessel afloat from the War of 1812. Each summer she sails the Great Lakes, teaching seamanship, hosting historical programs, and appearing at tall ship festivals—her masts and rigging a living reminder of America’s early naval struggles.

From her pivotal role in the Battle of Lake Erie to her long sleep in Misery Bay, and from her resurrection to her modern life as a sailing ambassador, USS Niagara remains one of the most enduring symbols of American naval heritage. She is a vessel that has lived multiple lives—warship, relic, restoration project, and now a proud representative of the nation’s maritime past.