One year after Alexandria re-sunk historic ships into the pond at Ben Brenman Park, City Archeologist Eleanor Breen said studies show the unconventional preservation project is working as intended.
Back in 2018 during work on the Robinson Landing project, a group of somewhat intact hulls were discovered underground. They’d been scuttled beneath the ground, likely as part of the foundation of the new waterline.
Without proper water treatment, the water-logged timbers would grow damaged after being exposed to the surface. If they dry out, the wood will warp, shrink and crack. So while one of the ships was sent to Texas A&M for study, the city opted to send the other three back to Davy Jones’ Locker — specifically in Ben Brenman Pond.
While re-submerging ships to preserve has been done before, Breen said Alexandria’s project was still at a unique scale within the United States.
“It’s definitely an innovative storage solution,” Breen said. “It’s one they do in Europe often but not quite as frequently in the United States. There were similar ones in Maryland and Ohio, but this is far larger… One may be the largest 18th-century merchant ship that’s been excavated.”
Recently, Breen said divers went back to the wrecks in Ben Brenman Pond to see if the preservation methods have been working.
“They unwrapped them and checked on them with archeologists and conservators,” Breen said. “They did that detailed process and found that overall the plan is working as intended. They’re in stable condition… Everything is going as expected and the best news is a blanket of silt has started to accumulate on top of the timbers, replicating the original burial environment.”
Divers are scheduled to go back down for another check on the ships in Ben Brenman Pond in spring 2028.
Meanwhile, Breen said the ship at Texas A&M will likely remain there for another two and a half years undergoing conservation efforts before returning to Alexandria.
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If you had a chance to enhance a child’s future with a time commitment of less than 2 hours a week, how would you respond? You have that opportunity right now to join over 200 Alexandrians as a reading tutor volunteer with the Alexandria Tutoring Consortium (ATC).
ATC tutors work with one child in kindergarten, first, or second grade in Alexandria public schools who need extra help with reading. Tutors meet with their Book Buddy 1-2 times each week for 30 minutes October-May at school, during school hours. Many struggling readers only receive one-on-one instruction through this program, and it makes all the difference. Last year, ATC served 195 children, of whom 82% ended the year reading on grade level and 96% made substantial reading gains. But the need is great, and we are still seeing learning lags from the pandemic.
This year, ATC plans to significantly increase the size of the program to reach over 250 students and to serve every elementary school in Alexandria. This is very exciting news, but we will only succeed if we can recruit more tutors. ATC trains you, matches you with a child, and provides ongoing lesson materials and support.
If you have been thinking about buying your first home or haven’t owned one in the last three years, THIS IS FOR YOU!
In the DMV area, it can be difficult to save the downpayment necessary for you to get into your own home. We have a solution. The Funder’s Summit!
We have assembled a summit with different municipalities to tell you how to access their funds for your home purchase.
Family Fun Fall Fest
Mark your calendars and join us for the Family Fun Fall Fest on Saturday, October 7, 2023, from 11am – 2pm!
This FREE in-person event will be held at the Shoppes at Foxchase, located at 4641 Duke St, Alexandria, VA
2023 Alexandria Fall Festival
Food trucks, bounce houses, pony rides, magic shows and more at the 2023 Alexandria Fall Festival, an Alexandria Living event presented by The Patterson Group. Join us at River Farm on Sunday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
