The curious case of the Archibald Butt

A Google Maps satellite image of the Archibald Butt's hull.

The Post and Courier has a great piece on the Archibald Butt, an 80-year-old vessel that can be seen stranded in the shallow waters near the base of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge.

The vessel is named in the honor Major Archibald Butt, a top military aide to two U.S. Presidents who met his doom aboard the Titanic in 1912. The ship, made of ferrocement, has a history of being used to ferry soldiers and goods between Charleston and Fort Moultrie, a floating gas station, a houseboat, and perhaps as the first boat to ever be left at Patriots Point.

One part landmark and one part urban legend, the Archibald Butt has been a Lowcountry resident for over 80 years. Here's hoping for 80 more.

Hop over to The Post and Courier's article to learn more.

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The Boat in question is not

The Boat in question is not the Archibald Butt, but The Col. J. E. Sawyer. The Butt was a sister ship (9 were built) that was sold and transported to Miami in the 1920s. The Col. J. E. Sawyer was the first concrete passenger vessel made in America. The 700-ton, 128.5-foot ship, able to carry 500 people, was one of nine built from 1919-1920 by the Newport Shipbuilding Corp. of New Bern, N.C.