Penobscot Expedition Site facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Penobscot Expedition Site
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A cannon is salvaged from the river in 2000
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| Nearest city | Bangor and Brewer, Maine |
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| Area | 30 acres (12 ha) |
| Built | 1779 |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000140 |
| Added to NRHP | April 23, 1973 |
The Penobscot Expedition Site is a special underwater area in the Penobscot River in Maine. It's located between the cities of Bangor and Brewer, Maine. This spot is important because it's where many ships were lost during a big disaster in 1779. This disaster was part of the American Revolutionary War.
During the Penobscot Expedition, American forces lost an entire fleet of ships. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. People have been interested in finding things here, like old cannons and ship parts, since the early 1800s.
What Happened at the Penobscot Expedition?
The Penobscot River flows into Penobscot Bay, a large bay that almost cuts the state of Maine in half. At the end of the river, where ships can no longer travel, are the cities of Bangor and Brewer.
In June 1779, British forces took control of Castine. At that time, Maine was part of Massachusetts. Massachusetts decided to send a military group, called the Penobscot Expedition, to take Castine back.
This expedition faced many problems, especially with its leaders. Then, a British fleet arrived in the bay. This caused the American ships to scatter. All of the expedition's ships were either captured, sunk on purpose, burned, or simply left behind. Records show that nine armed ships and as many as 16 transport ships made it up the river as far as Bangor.
Discovering Sunken Ships and Artifacts
Not long after the expedition, the British Navy tried to get some materials from the abandoned ships. Local people also salvaged things from wrecks that were easy to reach. The state even allowed some official salvage operations, but we don't know much about what they found.
In 1809, a person named Ebenezer Clifford found 30 cannons and tons of cannonballs in the river. Later, more cannons were found in the Bangor-Brewer area in 1876, and again in 1954-1955.
Because of this long history and the many discoveries, the area was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. This was mainly because of the important historical items that might still be hidden there. These items could include military equipment, cargo, and other artifacts from the Revolutionary War.
Modern Underwater Exploration
Between 1994 and 1997, teams from the University of Maine searched the Penobscot River. They found several shipwrecks. They believe two of these might be the USS Warren and the transport ship Samuel.
In 1998, Brent Phinney, who owned a business by the river in Brewer, reported finding items from the Revolutionary War near his property. This area was right across from downtown Bangor.
These new finds led to more archaeological work. Teams from the United States Navy became involved because they are interested in military shipwrecks. They did initial searches in 1999. Then, they did more detailed work and dug up items in 2000 and 2001.
These searches showed that the "Phinney Site" on the Brewer side was a shipwreck. The "Shoreline Site" on the Bangor side had many scattered items, like cannons and other military gear. The ship found was likely a two-masted brig or schooner. It has been tentatively identified as the privateer ship Diligent.
