U.S.S. Constellation
Last sail-only warship designed and built by the United States Navy in Baltimore (Independent City), Maryland. Added to the National Register in 1966, and a National Historic Landmark.




What it is
USS Constellation is a sloop-of-war, the last sail-only warship designed and built by the United States Navy. She was built at the Gosport Shipyard between 1853 and 1855. She was named for the earlier frigate of the same name that had been broken up in 1853. The sloop's primary armament was sixteen 8-inch (203 mm) shell-firing guns and four 32-pounder long guns, though she carried other guns as well, including two Parrott rifle chase guns. Constellation's career as a front-line unit was relatively short; after entering service in 1855, she served with the Mediterranean Squadron until 1858, and in 1859, she was assigned as the flagship of the Africa Squadron, where she served with the African Slave Trade Patrol. During the American Civil War (1861–1865), the ship returned to the Mediterranean to patrol for Confederate vessels. In late 1864, she returned to the United States to be decommissioned, as most of her crews' enlistments had expired. She spent the rest of the war out of service.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Structure |
| Address | Pier 4, Constellation Dock, Baltimore (Independent City), MD |
| Independent city | City of Baltimore |
| Listed | Oct 15, 1966 |
| Listed for | Military |
| Level of significance | National |
| Also known as | United States Frigate CONSTELLATION |
| Reference number | 66000918 |
| Type of place | ship, preserved watercraft |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 structure |
| Standing | Yes |
Visiting
| Address | Pier 4, Constellation Dock, Baltimore (Independent City), MD |
| Coordinates | 39.2850° N, 76.6118° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Baltimore (Independent City) | 282 listed places in Baltimore (Independent City) → · walking tours → |
| Nearest national park unit | Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail · under a mile · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | Greenbelt Campground 26 miles · Greenbelt Park Picnic Areas 26 miles · Greenbelt Park Ranger Station 26 miles |
Explore
Drawings & photographs
Measured drawings and photographs from the Library of Congress. Public domain. All 2 records ↗
Map
Nearby in City of Baltimore
Local history books for City of Baltimore
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Guidebooks to historic places in Maryland
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was U.S.S. Constellation listed on the National Register?
Oct 15, 1966. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
Where is U.S.S. Constellation?
Pier 4, Constellation Dock, Baltimore (Independent City), City of Baltimore, Maryland. The nearest national park unit is Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail, under a mile away.
Are there historic photographs or drawings of U.S.S. Constellation?
Yes. The Historic American Buildings Survey at the Library of Congress has drawings or photographs of it.
Source: Library of Congress
Are there campgrounds near U.S.S. Constellation?
Three federal campgrounds are within reach. The closest is Greenbelt Campground, 26 miles away. Greenbelt Park Picnic Areas is 26 miles away, and Greenbelt Park Ranger Station is 26 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Is there cell service at U.S.S. Constellation?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 66000918. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA. Drawings and photographs are Historic American Buildings Survey records at the Library of Congress, public domain.
