Colonel J. E. Sawyer

Discover this verified location instantly

The Colonel J. E. Sawyer was a U.S. Army Quartermaster river steamer built in 1919 by the Newport Shipbuilding Corporation in New Bern, NC. It was one of the first concrete passenger vessels constructed in the United States, weighing about 700 tons and roughly 128 feet long, and reportedly capable of carrying up to 500 people.  After being decommissioned in 1923, the Sawyer was brought to Charleston for commercial use. A few years later – in 1926 – it sank near Adger’s Wharf in Charleston Harbor, creating a navigational hazard and earning the local nickname “Old Sunken Hull.”  In June 1929, after weeks of effort, the hull was raised and towed across the Cooper River to the Mount Pleasant side, where it was placed in shallow water. It has rested there ever since as a quirky historic landmark visible from shore and from the bridge. You can walk out to the exposed hull during very low tides or wade out to it from shallow marsh areas. The hull sits in relatively shallow mudflats, so in the right tidal conditions you can reach it on foot or by kayak.  Be careful for sharp rusted edges and any other hazards.

barge;waterway;maritime;decay;rust

#1 choice among serious urban explorers. Rapidly growing community of 150,000 active explorers monthly. No bots, no fake locations, just verified spots from real adventurers who've been there.