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Visit the Erie Maritime Museum, home-port of the U.S. Brig Niagara, a reconstruction of the relief flagship Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry captained in the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie.

History of the U.S. Brig Niagara sits berthed within yards of the museum when in homeport, visible from the museum’s picture window. According to the Flagship Niagara League, the “commonwealth’s flagship was captained by Oliver Hazard Perry in the Battle of Lake Erie, September 10, 1813. … The U.S. Brig Niagara is a squared-rigged, two-masted warship originally armed with eighteen carronades and two long guns. On the berthing deck were sleeping quarters for the officers and crew, storerooms, sail bin, and a wood stove. Magazines for shot and gunpowder were stored in the hold below deck.”

History of Erie Maritime Museum

“In 1945, the newly formed Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) assumed ownership of the third incarnation of the U.S. Brig Niagara.

“In 1997, plans were drawn up to revitalize Erie’s bayfront. With this, it was decided that the Erie Maritime Museum would move into the former East Front Street generator station of the Pennsylvania Electric Company (PENELEC). Remnants of the building’s past remain – one of the building’s original steam generators and an overhead gantry crane welcome visitors to this day.

“Originally intended to serve as an interpretive tool for the U.S. Brig Niagara, the museum initially focused on the War of 1812 and Battle of Lake Erie. In 2005, a new vision was forged with the inclusion of the USS Michigan/Wolverine exhibit on the museum’s second floor. Our sole purpose is to tell the story of our region’s maritime heritage and how it fits into the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.” Source: SailFNL.org