USS Trippe (Contractor) (1802)

Shotline Diving Wreck Profile

• Name: USS Trippe
• Type: Naval sloop
• Year Built: 1802–1803
• Builder: Porter, Barton & Co., Black Rock/Buffalo, New York
• Dimensions: Single-deck, shallow draft, single-masted fore-and-aft rig
• Registered Tonnage: 60–64 tons (Old Measurement)
• Location: Buffalo, New York, Lake Erie
• Official Number: None (pre-dates U.S. registry)
• Original Owners: Porter, Barton & Co.
• Number of Masts: Single-masted

Wreck Location Map

Vessel Type

• Hull: Wooden, shallow draft for harbor and coastal lake navigation
• Rigging: Single-masted sloop, fore-and-aft rig
• Armament: One long cannon (sources differ: 24-pounder vs. 32-pounder)
• Propulsion: Sail only; no auxiliary propulsion
• Crew: Approx. 35 officers and men
• Role: Patrol, supply, and light combat in support of larger brigs and gunboats

Description

The vessel was valued for maneuverability and shallow draft, allowing access to harbors and shoal areas where larger brigs and schooners could not operate.

History

1802–1812 – Contractor operated as a commercial sloop on the Niagara frontier, owned by Porter, Barton & Co. of Black Rock, NY.

1812 (May–June) – Purchased by the U.S. Navy for the War of 1812; refitted as a naval sloop and renamed USS Trippe in honor of Lt. John Trippe (1785–1810), a naval officer of Tripoli War fame. Command was given to Acting-Lieutenant Thomas Holdup Stevens.

1813 (Sept 10) – Participated in the Battle of Lake Erie as part of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s squadron at Put-in-Bay.

• Engaged in long-range exchanges with British schooners.
• Contributed to the American victory securing Lake Erie.

Post-Battle – Used for transport and patrol, ferrying supplies to U.S. positions along Lake Erie.

1813 (November–December) –

• Trippe went ashore near Buffalo and was laid up for winter repairs.
• 30 December 1813 – British forces raided Buffalo, burning the town and several U.S. vessels, including Trippe. No crew fatalities recorded.
• Vessel declared total constructive loss; struck from service.

Significant Incidents

• 30 December 1813 – Destroyed by fire during British raid on Buffalo.
• No salvage undertaken; no physical wreck remains have been conclusively identified.
• If fragments remain, they are likely buried along the Buffalo waterfront near former Black Rock harbor.

Final Disposition

• Destroyed by fire during British raid on Buffalo (30 Dec 1813).
• No salvage undertaken; no physical wreck remains have been conclusively identified.
• If fragments remain, they are likely buried along the Buffalo waterfront near former Black Rock harbor.

Current Condition & Accessibility

• No navigational warnings exist; the site is terrestrial and non-navigational.
• Historically significant as part of the Buffalo Shipyard burnings during the War of 1812.

Resources & Links

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The USS Trippe represents a critical yet vulnerable component of the U.S. Lake Erie Squadron during the War of 1812.

• Though small and lightly armed, she aided Perry’s victory at the Battle of Lake Erie.
• Her destruction at Buffalo highlights the vulnerability of early Great Lakes fleets to winter harbor raids.
• Today, no confirmed wreck survives, but the Buffalo-built replica preserves her legacy and educates the public on early naval history in the Great Lakes.