National Historic Landmark · ship · Baltimore (Independent City), Maryland

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.

"USS Constellation 1926 Newport RI press photo.jpg""USS Constellation 1926 Newport RI.jpg"1910 Rhode Island souvenir playing card, Joker1948 Constellation and Constitution
Photos via Wikimedia Commons · 6 in the Commons category

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 typeStructure
AddressPier 4, Constellation Dock, Baltimore (Independent City), MD
Independent cityCity of Baltimore
ListedOct 15, 1966
Listed forMilitary
Level of significanceNational
Also known asUnited States Frigate CONSTELLATION
Reference number66000918
Type of placeship, preserved watercraft
DesignationsNational Historic Landmark
Contributing resources1 structure
StandingYes

Visiting

AddressPier 4, Constellation Dock, Baltimore (Independent City), MD
Coordinates39.2850° N, 76.6118° W · Directions ↗
Also in Baltimore (Independent City)282 listed places in Baltimore (Independent City) → · walking tours →
Nearest national park unitStar-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail · under a mile · on Park Atlas
Federal campgrounds nearbyGreenbelt Campground 26 miles · Greenbelt Park Picnic Areas 26 miles · Greenbelt Park Ranger Station 26 miles
Listing on the Register does not open the door. Unless a museum or park runs it, treat this as private property and see it from the sidewalk.

Explore

Drawings & photographs

Measured drawings and photographs from the Library of Congress. Public domain. All 2 records ↗

Map

Local history books for City of Baltimore

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

Guidebooks to historic places in Maryland

  • Slow Travels-Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia Edition
    Lyn Wilkerson, 2010
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Lost Baltimore
    Paul K. Williams, 2013
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • In full glory reflected
    Ralph E. Eshelman, 2012
    Find at Bookshop.org

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.

Source: Star-Spangled Banner National Historic Trail

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.