H.L. Hunley

The H.L. Hunley was privately built in 1863, made in part from a modified iron steam boiler. The 40-foot-long submarine was designed to be hand-powered by a crew of eight, including the skipper. On Aug. 12, 1863, it was launched in Charleston, South Carolina, with the goal of breaking the Union blockade. Two trial trips ended in disaster, with 13 crew members perishing, including builder H.L. Hunley. But on Feb. 17, 1864, the submarine sank the blockade ship USS Housatonic off South Carolina, making the Hunley the first combat submarine to ever sink an enemy warship. Soon after, for reasons not fully understood, the Hunley sank, drowning all eight of her crew. The wreck was discovered in 1995 four miles off the coast of Charleston, and raised in 2000. The vessel is currently undergoing conservation at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in Charleston, S.C..

William G. Thomas-Moore, a professional model shipwright with 50 years experience, offered to build and subsequently donate the 4-foot-long Hunley model to the Museum in 2010. Thomas-Moore has created and restored hundreds of models, from 6 inches long to 8 feet long for public and private collections. Thomas-Moore and partner Diane Scher owned and operated Ship Shapes Maritime Gallery in downtown Charleston.

For more information, e-mail collections@MarinersMuseum.org.