History of SS William Lawrence
SS William Lawrence, an iron hulled merchant ship, wrecked during an ice storm in February 1899 on the shoals of Port Royal Sound, South Carolina. It was bound for Savannah, Georgia. The ship was carrying a wide selection of consumer goods, ranging from furniture to South Carolina Dispensary items (SCIAA). SS William Lawrence was built in 1869 in Boston, Massachusetts for the Merchants and Miners Transportation Company, and traveled between Boston, Baltimore, and Savannah during its life as a merchant ship. It was the first steamer to be equipped with a surface condenser and was the Merchants and Miners Transportation Company’s first ship with an iron screw propeller (SCIAA). These distinctive qualities of the SS William Lawrence made it an attractive candidate for the National Register of Historic Places. It “embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction” (National Register of Historic Places Nomination 1992). The ship was 207.8 feet in length, and 25.1 feet in beam. Gross tonnage was 1,049 and the net register was 576 tons. The hold was 20 feet in depth. The distinctive hull shape was known as a chicken-beak bow design (National Register of Historic Places Nomination 1992).
In 1992, when SS William Lawrence was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, archaeologists from the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology assessing the site found the ship in 25 to 30 feet of water, with the iron superstructure lying on the edge of a sandbar. The upright portion of the hull, embedded in the sand, pointed north. This created a scouring effect on the starboard west side. This faced directly into oncoming waves, creating a large buildup of sand. The eastern port side is protected by the hull. At low tide, the SS William Lawrence’s boiler is visible on the surface, but becomes submerged again at high tide. The remaining stern section includes the propeller and rudder skeg, as well as other disarticulated components. Much of the cargo is stored in the forward section, which is protected by lasting deck beams. Artifacts that were exposed and have been recovered include South Carolina dispensary bottles, perfume bottles, relish and ketchup bottles, toys, stockings, and other food stuffs (National Register of Historic Places Nomination 1992).
Salvors used dynamite to open up the hull and gain access to the cargo. Some of the forward deck beams protecting the cargo have been torn off. Thereafter, Recreational divers in the area collected heavily from SS William Lawrence in the 1970s and 80s.Many divers collected glassware found at the top of the cargo hold, leaving more fragile items, such as fabric exposed (National Register of Historic Places Nomination 1992).
Soft corals and sponges cover the iron hull, often making it difficult to see fine construction details. Other species found on the site include tontate, black seabass, rock seabass, angel fish, sheepshead, and butterfly fish, as well as large quantities of jellyfish (National Register of Historic Places Nomination 1992).
William Lawrence NRHP Nomination PDF
Report on SS William Lawrence
https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1009&context=mrd_pubs