USS Monitor gun turret from Civil War on display at museum

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) — The ruddied brown of centuries-old iron serves as a constant source of excitement at the Mariners' Museum: a peek into history for casual visitors, an endless resource for Civil War buffs and a revolution in naval warfare that sits not half an hour away from Norfolk Naval Station.

Last Monday, the gun turret of the ironclad Monitor was drained for the first time in more than three years, allowing museum visitors to have a rare, close-up look.

Sprinklers dampened the 120-ton wrought-iron turret Tuesday to prevent rusting as historian John Quarstein described its place in the Battle of Hampton Roads.

"It's so revolutionary, this turret," said Quarstein, who easily recited names of sailors, major dates and direct quotes related to the vessel's history in the Civil War.

Quarstein is the chief development officer of the USS Monitor Foundation and has written three books about Civil War ironclads, as well as working on other topics and PBS documentaries.

On March 8 and 9, 1862, the Battle of Hampton Roads pitted the Union's Monitor against the Confederate ironclad Virginia, the first battle between ironclads. Though the battle was indecisive, the precedent was set for the transition from wood to iron.

The Monitor sank in December 1862, and its wreckage was found in 1973. More than 200 tons of materiel were raised and taken to the Mariners' Museum, where five years of excavation yielded artifacts, including human remains.

This week's draining was a first for conservator Kate Sullivan, who's been with the project for 2-1/2 years but had never seen the turret bare.

"I practically levitated yesterday," Sullivan said.

The turret is usually submerged in a 90,000-gallon treatment tank. While it's drained and conservators inspect its condition, the museum keeps it wet with periodic sprinkles of hyperpurified, reverse osmosed water, which guard against rust.

David Krop, director of the museum's USS Monitor Center, said while the first many years centered on recovering the turret's artifacts, the project now focuses more on the piece itself.

Conservators are using the time while the tank is drained to perform hands-on stabilization of the engine.

The USS Monitor Center opened in 2007 and includes the "Ironclad Revolution" exhibit, as well as an observation deck looking onto the gun turret.

Until Aug. 6, museum visitors also can get a behind-the-scenes look at the conservation process. After that, the turret will be submerged again.

It's clear Quarstein's passion for the Monitor's history is unyielding. He leads the way through various conservation labs and into the warehouselike room where the turret is housed.

Different-sized Dahlgren naval guns, also submerged for conservation, flank the larger turret tank.

Small artifacts float in plastic containers in the museum's wet lab, while dry artifacts lie in carefully molded holders upstairs. A stanchion, preserved coat, silver fork and Navy-issued mustard bottle are among them.

"We don't really know what this is," Quarstein says of another item. His favorite is a long thermometer, because it was "hot, hotter, hottest" aboard the Monitor in summer.

A red lantern sits as the focus of a sparse side-room tucked into the exhibit. It was the last thing seen when the ship went down - and the first to be discovered in the wreckage.

For Quarstein, it's a satisfying symbol of the ship's journey, full circle.

Quarstein said the USS Monitor Foundation aims to raise $5 million in two years to continue the project.

For a tour with Quarstein, visitors must book in advance by calling 591-7726 or emailing contact@ussmonitorfoundation.org. Donations of at least $100 are suggested.