Castine museum exhibit highlights history of Revolutionary War ship

CASTINE, Maine (WABI) - The Wilson Museum in Castine has officially kicked off its 2026 summer season. To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the museum is featuring a new exhibit of an American ship during the Revolutionary War.

The Defense was contracted and built to be used in the Penobscot Expedition to reclaim control of mid-coast Maine from the British. Ultimately, the expedition resulted in a major American defeat. While it’s tied to an American loss; it remains an important part of both Maine and America’s Revolutionary War history.

“This particular ship tried to sneak across Castine Harbor and hide in Stockton Harbor, but the British found it, and the crew blew up the ammunition storage. I think what happened to it since then makes the story very unique, and that’s the way that it sank, and the mud had preserved the ship’s wood and the artifacts on it,” said Wilson Museum Executive Director Julia Gray.

After the ship sank in Stockton Harbor in 1779, it was rediscovered in 1972 by Maine Maritime Academy staff David Wyman and Don Small. Using what they uncovered, a 3D model was created, which now sits on display at the museum.

“It brings it into 3 dimensions and shows what really happened. Being able to see the ship, to see it in construction, and to see how things were working in 1779. You are able to look at this model and look out onto Castine Harbor where this interaction took place,” said Gray.

The new exhibit includes additional artifacts, photos and descriptions to heighten its importance to Castine’s maritime war history.

“It happened right here under our feet, and looking out onto the water, which is what I think makes Castine’s history so compelling because so much has really happened here,” said Gray.

The Wilson Museum opened for the season on Wednesday and will be open until September 30th.