Local history buffs may want to plan a trip to Ipswich this weekend. Part of the Ada K. Damon shipwreck of 1909 has become visible on Steep Hill Beach, but it’s unclear how long it will stay that way, according to the Trustees of Reservations.
Over the years, the wreck has been covered and uncovered by sand many times, becoming a popular local attraction when it made an appearance, according to the Trustees — Massachusetts’ largest preservation non-profit. But in 2020, Hurricane Teddy broke apart much of the 19th-century schooner’s remains and carried them out to sea.
A 53-foot-long section of the ship was washed ashore again in mid-February, according to NBC 10 Boston. But already, high winds and rough seas are beginning to shift the large piece of the schooner, the Trustees wrote on social media Tuesday.
The Ada K. Damon was 84 feet in length when it was finished in 1875, according to the Trustees. It wrecked on Dec. 26, 1909, during the “Great Christmas Snowstorm” after becoming stranded 3.5 miles south-southwest of the Plum Island Coast Guard station.
No one died in the wreck, but the ship was declared a total loss, according to the Trustees. After its owner failed to find a buyer, it was stripped and abandoned, leaving it to become a local landmark. Archival photos show people recreating around the wreck as early as 1911.
The non-profit will be hosting its Shipwreck Scholars program at the wreck on March 16, April 6 and April 15, during which the public will have an opportunity to make observations and measurements of the section of the Ada K. Damon that has washed ashore. You can register for the event — which is $10 for children and $25 for adults — on the Trustees website.
