A colonial-era ship hull was discovered during excavation at the World Trade Center site in New York City. Researchers at Columbia University traced the white oak used in the ship's frame back to colonial-era Philadelphia, with trees likely cut around 1773. The ship, believed to be a Hudson River sloop, which researchers say was designed by the Dutch to carry passengers and cargo over the river’s rocky shallows. It was found nearly 22 feet below ground, south of the former World Trade Center towers. It was not detected during earlier construction.
After being in use for 20 to 30 years, the ship is believed to have sailed to lower Manhattan, where it was eventually sunk, either deliberately or by accident. It was buried by trash and fill materials used to extend Manhattan’s shoreline.
Abundant fill materials such as rocks, earth, and refuse were placed behind wooden barriers or within wood structures to create new land. Earlier wharfs and abandoned merchant ships were often a component of the fill in newly constructed land
The ship’s remains, now stored at Texas A&M University, are under consideration for preservation. This discovery provided valuable data for future research on past climate change and forest ecology through dendrochronology, offering insights into the region's history and environmental conditions.
