18th Century Ship A Finalist In Endangered Artifacts Competition

ALEXANDRIA, VA—The conservation of the 18th century ship discovered in Alexandria could get a boost if it wins a grant in a new statewide competition.

The ship is a finalist in the Top 10 Endangered Artifacts Competition, which will award several winners grants of up to $5,000. Artifacts are from the 18th to 20th century. Alexandria's ship is the oldest and largest among the 10 artifacts.

The two artifacts garnering the most votes receive awards of $5,000 and $4,000 for conservation efforts. The public can vote for their choice once per day through Jan. 24. The winners will be announced Feb. 6 and recognized at Virginia Museums Advocacy Day on Feb. 21.

The top 10 finalists are:

• Excavated 18th century merchant ship: Alexandria, 1750s to 1800
• Audio Disc of Rare Radio Performance by the Stanley Brothers with the Clinch Mountain Boys, Bristol, 1940s to 1950s
• Young Woman's 1864 Diary, Lynchburg, 1864
• Segregation era "colored" Sink, Portsmouth
• Paris Peace Conference Parade Flag, Staunton, 1919
• Odd Fellows ceremonial collar, Blacksburg, early 1900s
• James C. Foltz Distillery still, Winchester, early 1900s
• D-Day Order of the Day, Bedford, June 6, 1944
• Prince William County poll books, Dumfries, 1902
• Electric car driver's permit for first woman in Washington, DC, Wytheville, Sept. 7, 1904

See more information about the competition and vote here.

The historic Alexandria ship had been discovered in late 2015 as construction began for the waterfront Hotel Indigo. Currently it is undergoing a conservation process at Texas A&M University's Conservation Research Laboratory. Conservation will take a few years before the ship returns to Alexandria for an exhibit. You can track the ship's progress here.

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Image via City of Alexandria