Mount Pleasant in Charleston County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Old Sunken Hull / BG James Estcourt Sawyer
Photographed By Charles Wright, August 5, 2022
1. Old Sunken Hull Marker (front)
Inscription.
Old Sunken Hull, also, BG James Estcourt Sawyer. .
Old Sunken Hull. Commissioned on Oct 18, 1919, the Army Quartermaster River Steamer Col. J. E. Sawyer was the first concrete passenger vessel made in America. The 700-ton, 128.5-foot ship, able to carry 500 people, was one of nine built from 1919-1920 by the Newport Shipbuilding Corp. of New Bern, N.C. Made of steel and ferrocement, these vessels were named after esteemed deceased army quartermaster. In 1923, Joseph Sable brought the decommissioned Sawyer and an identical ship the Maj. Archibald Butt to Charleston for commercial use. In 1926, the Sawyer sank near Adger's Wharf creating long-term problems for port authorities who dubbed her the "old sunken hull.” As thousands cheered, the Sawyer was raised on June 22, 1929, after weeks of frustrating yet amusing attempts. The old hull was towed to this site and remains an iconic fixture. Local lore named this steamer the Archibald Butt; however, that vessel was relocated to Miami in 1925.,
BG James Estcourt Sawyer. Brigadier General James Estcourt Sawyer, born in New York in 1846, was of distinguished military lineage. His ancestors served at Ticonderoga in 1758 and Bunker Hill in 1775. Sawyer entered the military at age 19. By 1884, he was Acting Judge Advocate of the Division of the Atlantic and Department of the East. Sawyer served as Aide de Camp to Gen. Schofield who commanded the Department of the Atlantic. Sawyer transferred to the Quartermaster Department in 1893. During the Spanish-American War, he was Chief Quartermaster at Camp Wyckoff, N.Y., Camp Meade, PA, and Augusta, GA. Sawyer served as Special Disbursing Officer to the Philippine Commission and as a member of the Spanish War Claims Board in Washington, D.C. Promoted quickly, he retired as Brigadier General and Chief Quartermaster at the Department of Dakota in 1910. He died on May 29, 1914, in New York and is buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Burlington, VT.
Old Sunken Hull
Commissioned on Oct 18, 1919, the Army Quartermaster River Steamer Col. J. E. Sawyer was the first concrete passenger vessel made in America. The 700-ton, 128.5-foot ship, able to carry 500 people, was one of nine built from 1919-1920 by the Newport Shipbuilding Corp. of New Bern, N.C. Made of steel and ferrocement, these vessels were named after esteemed deceased army quartermaster. In 1923, Joseph Sable brought the decommissioned Sawyer and an identical ship the Maj. Archibald Butt to Charleston for commercial use. In 1926, the Sawyer sank near Adger's Wharf creating long-term problems for port authorities who dubbed her the "old sunken hull.” As thousands cheered, the Sawyer was raised on June 22, 1929, after weeks of frustrating yet amusing attempts. The old hull was towed to this site and remains an iconic fixture. Local lore named this steamer the Archibald Butt; however, that vessel was relocated to Miami in 1925.
BG James Estcourt Sawyer
Brigadier General James Estcourt Sawyer, born in New York in 1846, was of distinguished military lineage. His ancestors served at Ticonderoga in 1758 and Bunker Hill in 1775. Sawyer entered the military at age 19. By 1884, he was Acting Judge Advocate of the Division of the Atlantic and
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Department of the East. Sawyer served as Aide de Camp to Gen. Schofield who commanded the Department of the Atlantic. Sawyer transferred to the Quartermaster Department in 1893. During the Spanish-American War, he was Chief Quartermaster at Camp Wyckoff, N.Y., Camp Meade, PA, and Augusta, GA. Sawyer served as Special Disbursing Officer to the Philippine Commission and as a member of the Spanish War Claims Board in Washington, D.C. Promoted quickly, he retired as Brigadier General and Chief Quartermaster at the Department of Dakota in 1910. He died on May 29, 1914, in New York and is buried at Lakeview Cemetery in Burlington, VT.
Erected 2012 by Mount Pleasant Historical Commission.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: War, Spanish-American • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is October 18, 1929.
Location. 32° 48.117′ N, 79° 54.336′ W. Marker is in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, in Charleston County. Marker can be reached from Harry M Hallman Jr Boulevard, 0.1 miles south of Cooper River Drive, on the right when traveling south. Located at the Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park which is under the Arthur Ravnel Jr Bridge. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 99 Harry M Hallman Jr Blvd, Mount Pleasant SC 29464, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this
View of Old Sunken Hull as seen in the Cooper River, with the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier in the background.
Photographed By Charles Wright, August 5, 2022
4. Old Sunken Hull Marker
Photographed By Charles Wright, August 5, 2022
5. Old Sunken Hull/BG James Estcourt Sawyer Marker
View away from the marker looking toward the Cooper River and the Remley's Point Public Boat Landing in Mount Pleasant.
Photographed By Charles Wright, August 5, 2022
6. Old Sunken Hull / BG James Estcourt Sawyer Marker
View of the hull with the Charleston skyline in the background.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 6, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 5, 2022, by Charles Wright of Surfside Beach, South Carolina. This page has been viewed 295 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 5, 2022, by Charles Wright of Surfside Beach, South Carolina. 6. submitted on August 6, 2022, by Charles Wright of Surfside Beach, South Carolina. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
