A maritime expert is set to examine a Nantucket beach following a powerful nor’easter that revealed weathered wooden beams, potentially remnants of a 19th-century shipwreck. The Egan Maritime Institute’s exhibits and collections manager will assess the site and report findings to state underwater archaeologists, who will collaborate with the institute to identify the origin of the wreckage. The exposed timbers, bound by rusted iron, were found near an area previously associated with the Warren Sawyer, a wooden schooner that sank in 1884.
The recent nor’easter caused significant damage along the Northeast coast, resulting in flooding and power outages for over 100,000 residents. Concerns about coastal erosion arose as waves battered beaches and seawalls. The Warren Sawyer ran aground while transporting cotton and scrap iron from New Orleans to Boston, and its crew was rescued. The ship remained on Miacomet Beach for two weeks, allowing locals to salvage some cargo before another storm scattered its remains along the shore.
Local residents discovered the beams at a beach area known as the “Sewer Beds,” which had previously been driven over by beachgoers. The discovery has sparked curiosity about the ship’s history and the fate of its crew. State archaeologists had previously identified a section of the hull believed to belong to the Warren Sawyer, with additional remnants surfacing in recent years. Nantucket is recognized as a maritime graveyard, housing over 750 shipwrecks in its waters. Visitors are urged not to disturb the newly revealed wreckage, as Massachusetts law protects underwater archaeological resources.
