1984
January 30
On the anniversary of the designation of the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, ceremonies are held at the U.S. Naval Academy, where the red signal lantern recovered in 1977 is displayed for the first time. The lantern is currently part of a permanent Monitor exhibit at The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia.
1986
June
The wreck of the USS Monitor is designated a National Historic Landmark by the Department of the Interior's National Park Service.
July 24
After undergoing almost three years of conservation, the Monitor's anchor is unveiled during ceremonies at East Carolina University. The anchor is now permanently displayed at The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, Virginia.
1987
March 9
The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Virginia, is designated the principal museum for the Monitor collection of artifacts and historical and scientific data.
1998
April 1998
Charting a New Course for the Monitor, NOAA’s long range management plan is approved.
May 24 – June 25, 1998
The 1998 research expedition to the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary was extremely successful. The primary purpose of this expedition was to complete numerous tasks that must necessarily precede the stabilization of the hull and recovery of hull components. The highlight of the 1998 expedition was the successful recovery of the Monitor’s 9 foot cast iron propeller and 11 feet of shaft on June 5th.
1999
June 6 – 28, 1999
NOAA and the US Navy returned to the wreck site for a data gathering expedition aboard the USS Grasp to pave the way for hull stabilization and engine recovery.
August 3- 17, 1999
The second research expedition in the Monitor Sanctuary got underwater on August 3 with an expedition sponsored by NOAA, the Cambrian Foundation and the National Undersea Research Center/University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Detailed measurements were made along the port side between the raised armor belt and the sea bed.
2000
April 3 – May 12
Teams from NOAA, the Cambrian Foundation and the National Undersea Research Center/University of North Carolina at Wilmington (NURC), and East Carolina University (ECU) began survey and small artifact recovery operations on April 30.
June 21- July 2
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute returned to the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary to conduct submersible operations with NOAA.
June 30 – July 28
NOAA/NAVY
The main goals of the expedition were to place grout bags under the raised are of the port armor belt and to position the Engine Recovery System (ERS) over the stern of the wreck.
Navy divers also recovered an additional segment of the Monitor’s propeller shaft and the stuffing box and on July 28, the last day of the NOAA/Navy expedition, the rudder support skeg was recovered.
July 17 – Aug. 10: NOAA/NURC/ECU/Cambrian Foundation
The main goal for this phase of the expedition was the final archaeological mapping of the engine in situ. Divers recorded all areas of the engine and remaining structure of the engine room.
March 25 – August 17, 2001 Engine Recovery
NOAA/USN/NURC/ECU/Cambrian Foundation/The Mariners’ Museum
March 25 – April 11: NOAA/NURC/ECU/Cambrian Foundation
The main goals of this expedition were to make an assessment of the work site for any potential issues that might have occurred since the Engine Recovery System (ERS) was placed over the wreck in July 2000. Divers recovered a variety of artifacts from two concentrated areas that were going to be impacted by the work on the engine.
April 22 – May 7
NOAA/USN
Working off of the USS Grapple Navy divers install the final components on the Engine Recovery System (ERS) and replace the lifting chains.
June 17- August
The D/B Wotan arrives in the Monitor National Marine Sanctuary and is positioned in an 8 point moor. Step one was to expose the engine by removing the remaining exterior hull plating.
An incredible variety of artifacts were encountered during the excavations around the engine including several fragile glass pieces including a working engine room thermometer.
July 16
At 11:56 am on July 16, less than a month after they began, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists and scores of U.S. Navy divers raised the 30-ton steam engine from the wreck of the USS Monitor
The engine was loaded onto a transport barge and taken back to Virginia to be placed in a conservation tank at The Mariners’ Museum.
July 17
The NOAA/NURC/ECU dive team returns to the Sanctuary. To assist the Navy and to document the changes that are being made to the wreck site.
Navy dive operations regroup after engine recovery to cutting through the Monitor’s armor belt over top of the turret. Divers begin removing an area of 5 layers of 1-inch thick armor plating to gain access to the wood backing in the armor belt.
July 18
The Monitor’s steam engine arrives at the Northrop Grumman Newport News shipyard and is transferred to conservators at The Mariners’ Museum.
July 26 – August 17
The Navy Phase of the expedition ends but the NOAA dive team continues working on site. Divers survey the engine hole for additional artifacts and begin mapping the area to document the site changes.
June- August 2002
Turret Recovery
NOAA/NAVY/NURC/ECU/HOBI/TMM
June 26
The D/B Wotan arrives in the Sanctuary on and establishes an 8 point moor over the wreck site. Dive stations are set up and diving begins at first light on the morning of the 27th.
The first task was to clear the debris on the deck covering the turret. Surface supplied divers began removing tons of coal and debris depositing it in salvage baskets for removal from the work area. Saturation divers began working on the cutting the armor belt away from over the turret.
July 5
The work of clearing the decking and removing a 45-foot long section of armor belt was completed, completely exposing the turret. Divers begin clearing debris from around the outside of the turret and excavating the inside the turret to expose the cannons and carriages.
July 12
Excavations in the turret expose the inverted gun carriages and gun muzzles.
July 26
At 9 AM, bones proving to be human were encountered adjacent to the starboard cannon. Operations ceased until archaeologist surmised the site and were able to direct the safe removal the remains from the gun turret.
August 5
After waiting out a bout of bad weather and swift Hatteras currents, the Monitor’s rotating gun turret was safely lifted to the surface and landed on the deck of the D/B Wotan at 5:47 PM.
August 9
The derrick barge Wotan escorted by the USS Chinook, NOAA Research Vessel Ronald Brown, and a host of pleasure craft. As the small flotilla passes Ft. Monroe, the US Army fires a 21-gun salute with field cannons.
The barge pulls into the city docks at approximately 9:30 am and a crowd of over 1,000 was there to greet the turret.
August 10
The turret arrives at The Mariners’ Museum. An estimated crowd of over two thousand watch as the turret slowly comes up river to be landed on the beach and trucked up to the Museum and placed into a specially made conservation tank.
August 17
The field work for 2002 is completed. Divers from NOAA, NURC and ECU had been working cooperatively with the Navy during turret recovery and remained after the barge departed to perform a site assessment and document the changes made to the wreck site.
August 23 - December 13
Once the turret was safely in its tank at The Mariners’ Museum and the NOAA phase of the field expedition ended. The archaeology team regrouped and began completing the interior excavation of the gun turret. The turret excavations revealed many unknown details and an abundance of artifacts many of which are already conserved and currently on display at The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Virginia.
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