Historic milestones are on the horizon this year at The Mariners’ Museum and Park, and the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Hampton Roads marks a monumental one.
The Newport News museum will commemorate the famous Civil War battle on Saturday, March 12, with engaging activities, immersive lectures, and encounters with the museum’s conservation and education teams in the USS Monitor Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In addition to the battle’s commemoration, this year marks 20 years since the recovery of Monitor’s turret from the Atlantic Ocean and the 50th anniversary of the creation of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s first national marine sanctuary, the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary.
“The Mariners’ Museum is in a unique position to share all of the complexity of this historic event,” President and CEO Howard Hoege III said. “The Monitor story is about technology and innovation that you continue to see today in the work that our Conservation team does to save elements of the ship for generations to come. More importantly, the story of the ‘Little Ship that Saved the Nation’ is a powerful human drama of people from all walks who bond together as a crew, united by the common purpose of saving our country. The Monitor story is a powerful example for us today,” said Hoege.
The stage for an iron-on-iron fight was set on March 8, 1862, when USS Monitor steamed into Hampton Roads to provide support to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and its flagship USS Minnesota which had run aground. Earlier that day, Minnesota had fought alongside USS Cumberland and USS Congress with both Union frigates now destroyed by the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia. In the early hours of March 9, Monitor and Virginia squared off in an epic showdown battling relentlessly for hours. While each side declared victory, the clash between the ironclads changed the course of naval warfare forever.
Author, historian and director emeritus of the USS Monitor Center John V. Quarstein will kick off the commemoration at noon on Wednesday, March 9. In partnership with NOAA and the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology, Quarstein will give a virtual presentation, “Who Won the Battle of Hampton Roads?” The lecture is free, and part of the Submerged N.C. Webinar Series. Advance registration is required.
On March 12, there will be fun activities and exciting presentations at the museum to entertain and captivate Mariners of all ages. The museum’s education team is hosting a hands-on, STEM activity where kids can roll up their sleeves and learn about gun boring excavation. Guests will have the opportunity to meet the conservation team in the USS Monitor Center and Batten Conservation Complex, and ask questions about Monitor artifacts on display.
For more information about the Battle of Hampton Roads commemoration, visit MarinersMuseum.org/BOHR.