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St. Peter

Divers swim above the fallen main mast of the St. Peter.
NOAA divers examine the deck and fallen main mast of St. Peter. Photo: Phil Hartmeyer/NOAA.

Ship stats

Depth: 125 feet

Coordinates: To be announced

Vessel Type: Wooden three-masted schooner

Length: 135.7 feet Breadth: 26 feet

Gross Tonnage: 289.97 Cargo: Coal

Built: 1873 by David F. Edwards at Toledo, Ohio

Port of Registry: Toledo, Ohio

Owner at Loss: Josephine Griffin of Toledo, Ohio

Date Lost: October 26, 1898

Cause of Loss: Storm Loss of Life: 5 of 6

Wreck Site

A diver swims over the deck of the St. Peter. Below him is an open cargo hold.
Divers swim along the deck of St. Peter. Photo: Nick Zachar/NOAA.

St. Peter is one of Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary’s most popular and well-preserved shipwreck sites resting within recreational diving depths. St. Peter lies in 125 feet of water, making it a dive for experienced divers only. The remnants of St. Peter are largely intact, though portions of the stern sustained damage during the sinking. The bow and bowsprit remain intact and are the highlight of the dive. Other distinctive features at this dive site include the windlass, bilge pumps, a capstan, a winch, and the ship’s rudder.

St. Peter was discovered by Robert Bristol in 1971. Between 1971 and 1974, artifacts were recovered from the site under a permit from the New York State Museum. These artifacts are presently displayed by the Pultneyville Historical Society. In 2002, the Pultneyville Historical Society led efforts that resulted in the listing of St. Peter in the National Register of Historic Places, the only wreck within the sanctuary listed at the time of the designation in 2024.

Site photo model of St. Peter shipwreck. Photo: NOAA.

Historical Background

NOAA divers swim above the deck of St. Peter. The divers are in the distance with the deck extending towards the viewer. Two masts lie across the deck.
The deck of the three-masted schooner St. Peter looking toward the back of the ship from the left side. Photo: Nick Zachar/NOAA.

The three-masted canal schooner St. Peter was built in Toledo, Ohio, in 1873 by David F. Edwards. St. Peter was 136.7 feet long, with a 26-foot beam, and a 12-foot depth of hold, measuring 289.97 gross tons. St. Peter was registered by its original owners, the shipping firm Skidmore & Abair, at the port of Toledo and was assigned U.S. official number 115232.

Skidmore and Abair operated the schooner until 1894. In 1894, they sold St. Peter to Josephine Griffin of Toledo. Josephine Griffin’s husband, Captain John Griffin, would serve as its master for the next four years.

On October 26, 1898, St. Peter departed Oswego with 607 tons of coal. By that evening, St. Peter was approaching Niagara when it was struck by a westerly gale. St. Peter took in sail and ran with the wind. The schooner was sighted in distress off of Charlotte, and the tug William A. Proctor was dispatched to assist, but returned without having found the schooner. The Proctor was again dispatched after St. Peter was reported 10 miles to the east of Charlotte. While off Pultneyville, New York, and with the Proctor in sight, the schooner was struck by two successive waves, listing heavily to port, and righting, before foundering suddenly. The crew of four, as well as Josephine Griffin, perished in the sinking. The sole survivor, Captain John Griffin, was rescued by the Proctor after clinging to a topmast, which was protruding above the water.