Identification & Site Information

  • Name: Sweet Home
  • Type: Two-masted Schooner-Barge (converted from fore-and-aft Schooner)
  • Year Built: August 1853
  • Builder: Savillon S. Little, Jordan, Ontario
  • Construction: Carvel-built wooden Hull, square Stern, single Deck
  • Length: 30.0 m (98.4 ft)
  • Beam: 6.4 m (20.9 ft)
  • Depth of Hold: 2.7 m (9.0 ft)
  • Original Tonnage: 40 tons
  • Rebuilt Tonnage: 151.5 tons (Old Measurement System)
  • Final Resting Place: Near Oswego, New York, Lake Ontario (east of the life-saving station)

Vessel Type Description

The Sweet Home was initially constructed as a small cargo Schooner for the booming mid-19th-century trade routes on the Great Lakes and upper St. Lawrence. Her design — carvel-planked Hull with square Stern and two masts — represented a typical working Schooner for the region. As commercial needs evolved, she was refitted as a Schooner-Barge to support Lighter towing operations, reflecting changes in propulsion and cargo management in the post-Civil War era.

History

From 1853 through 1878, Sweet Home served a vital role in regional trade, primarily from Ontario ports to Lake Erie and Lake Ontario destinations. Her long list of owners shows how vessels of her type were often sold between merchants and shippers across Ontario.

Ownership Timeline:

  • 1855: Edmund Boyle & Co., Kingston, ON
  • 1860: Hugh Ross (Kingston) & Thomas Bolley (Amherst Island)
  • 1861: Joshua J. Nichol & Soloman Sylvester, Toronto
  • 1865: Major repair and tonnage increase (144 tons gross)
  • 1866: J.J. Nichol, Kingston
  • 1871: Campbell, Kingston
  • 1872: Sank briefly near Wolfe Island; owned by McClelland et al.
  • 1874: Major Rebuild post-sinking
  • 1878: Purchased by J.H. Radford (Wolfe Island), then Benjamin Barney (Kingston)

Final Disposition

On either November 22 or 29, 1878, the Sweet Home came ashore near Oswego, New York, under unknown weather circumstances. Despite calm seas, the vessel grounded near the life-saving station and quickly began to break up. She was declared a Total Loss.

  • Cargo: Goods for E.W. Rathbun & Co. — uninsured
  • Loss Estimate: $1,000 (cargo); Vessel valued at $2,000
  • Classification: Rated B 2 — dash in shipping registry (likely indicating age and Hull condition)

No crew fatalities were reported. The vessel’s sudden breakup suggested structural fatigue likely compounded by repeated rebuilds and a 25-year service life.

Located By & Date Found

As of now, no verified underwater location for Sweet Home has been confirmed. There are no known sonar targets or diver-identified wreckage matching her construction dimensions or grounding coordinates off Oswego.

NOTMARs & Advisories

None noted. No obstructions or advisories are issued in modern marine charts related to the Sweet Home site near Oswego.

Resources & Links

Conclusion

The Sweet Home reflects the adaptability and limitations of mid-19th-century lake schooners. Her transition to a Barge reflects how Great Lakes shipping practices evolved with the advent of steam propulsion and the growing need for towable cargo hulls. Her wreck near Oswego — unremarkable at the time — now represents a lost piece of Ontario’s maritime trade history, a ghost vessel of wooden hulls and forgotten rigging, likely buried beneath sediment and time.

Keywords, Categories, Glossary Terms

Tags: Schooner-Barge, Wooden Shipwreck, Lake Ontario, Oswego, Jordan Ontario, 19th Century Shipbuilding, Abandoned Vessel, Canadian Maritime History, Ship Rebuilds, S.S. Little, Schooner Conversion, Historic Trade Routes, Great Lakes Sail Cargo

Let me know if you’d like me to construct a historical insurance profile or search NOAA/Canadian hydrographic surveys for unmarked sonar hits near Oswego.