Volunteers in Oswego are working on a project that’s decades in the making: creating an 1850s schooner.

In 1988, a committee of people started fundraising and building a recreation of a historic vessel. They got as far as putting it in the water a decade ago, but now they want to raise the vessel to a higher standard. And that will take a lot of work.

“We can become the destination, on eastern Lake Ontario. And there are no tall ships on the U.S. side. We’ll be the first one to be back on,” said Robert Morgan, vice president of the H. Lee White Maritime Museum.

What You Need To Know

  • The project began in 1988, and while the boat was in the water a decade ago they are working to raise the standard of the vessel

  • The 1850s-style schooner will eventually host programming for all ages

  • Officials expect another $100,000 will be needed to complete the project

Oswegonians are building a future based on the past. The existing boat outside the museum will eventually be a fully functional 1850s-style schooner complete with beds and bathrooms and ready to sail on Lake Ontario.

Morgan says their refitting plans are Coast Guard-approved to produce an inspected vessel. An undertaking like this, though, isn’t cheap. Morgan says so far, $200,000 has been raised, but officials likely have another $100,000 to go.

“It'll be an economic boom for the area as well. When we get to tall ship events, just another reason to get up here and it's going to help us expand our museum. But it's for everybody. It's the museum’s sailing boat. But it's for everybody in our community,” said Morgan.

He’s optimistic for the schooner’s future, as well as the outlook for Oswego. Recently, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration designated part of Lake Ontario as a marine sanctuary, and there’s talk of Fort Ontario being added to the national parks system.

“It's also a lot of fun working with the group of retired people that we have. We're from all walks of life. And we just have a passion about the lake, passionate about our community and things that can lead it forward long after we're gone. That's what we like to work on. That's what retirement is for, in my mind,” said Morgan.

They hope to have the ship back in the water by 2026. They say they are always open to more donations and volunteers to make it happen. The ship is owned by the museum, and the team is planning to host programs for all ages once it is fully refitted.