A nor'easter that pounded the Northeast over the weekend appears to have uncovered the remains of a 19th-century shipwreck on Nantucket's south shore. The fragment is believed to be part of the schooner Warren Sawyer, which ran aground near Miacomet Beach on Dec. 22, 1884, according to local reports.
The wreckage was spotted Saturday by a Nantucket resident. The Warren Sawyer was en route from New Orleans to Boston with a cargo of cotton and scrap iron when gale-force winds pushed it off course. The captain and crew were rescued within hours, but the vessel remained stranded on the beach for about two weeks before another storm in January 1885 broke it apart, scattering debris along the coast.
The recent discovery occurred in the same area where sections of the Warren Sawyer were found in 2022 and 2023, the Nantucket Current reported. The identity of the ship is still under investigation, but the location and historical records strongly suggest a connection to the 1884 wreck.
Haley Nelson, director of community relations and visitor experience at the Eagan Maritime Institute in Nantucket, told Nexstar's WPRI that the piece will be surveyed to confirm its origin. "We will work with the state as research continues to identify the wreck, but until then, we cannot confirm the ship's identity with certainty," Nelson said.
She added that the re-emergence of shipwrecks along Nantucket's coast highlights the region's maritime heritage. "Nantucket is one of the 'graveyards of the Atlantic,' with more than 750 wrecks estimated in the surrounding waters," Nelson said. "The public's fascination with these vessels speaks to the importance of our maritime heritage."
The nor'easter that exposed the wreck was part of a larger storm system that also prompted emergency declarations in New York and New Jersey, as governors in both states declared emergencies. The same system, alongside Hurricane Nolo, had threatened the East Coast and Hawaii, as forecasters warned of dangerous conditions.
Under Massachusetts law, it is illegal to remove, displace, damage, or destroy underwater archaeological resources. Nelson reminded the public to respect these protections as research continues.
The Warren Sawyer is one of hundreds of vessels lost in the waters around Nantucket, a island that was once a global hub of the whaling industry. Its shipwrecks are a testament to the perils of 19th-century maritime commerce and the powerful storms that still shape the region's coastline.
