“Oldest Grill” Found on a Revolutionary War-era Shipwreck!
At the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, our maritime archaeologists excavated around 600 artifacts from a 1782 British Loyalist Ship – including a Grid Iron (a grill cooking grate.)
These artifacts were found on a Revolutionary War-era shipwreck we called, “The Storm Wreck”. This site consists of up to sixteen ships that wrecked on a sand bar trying to enter the St Augustine harbor in December 1782 around New Year’s Eve. These were part of a larger fleet that helped evacuate British Loyalists from Charleston, South Carolina, as it was falling into the hands of the Continental Army formed to protect the original 13 colonies.
The “Oldest Grill” is hand-made of wrought iron and was a common household possession that originally had 3 legs and was used over open coals. This Grid Iron is on display at the Museum with many other artifacts that were excavated from the ship, such as a cannon, carronade (the 2nd oldest known to exist), ship’s bell, guns, cauldrons, silverware, shoe buckles, buttons, plates, and many other personal belongings.
The British Loyalists grabbed their important possessions and tried to escape to areas still in British control. If you had to evacuate, what would you bring?
The “Oldest Grill” is on display in the “Wrecked! Exhibit,” which is located in the Keepers’ House of the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum.
UPDATE: Watch Jessica Clark’s news story about the “Oldest Grill” by clicking here!
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