known as Old Ironsides
One of the first
Launched in 1797, it was 204 ft (62 m) long and usually carried more than 50 guns and a crew of over 450. It was the successful flagship of the Tripolitan War (1801–05), and in the War of 1812 it vanquished the British frigate Guerrière ; tradition holds that it was nicknamed by sailors who saw the British shot failing to penetrate its oak sides. It was condemned as unseaworthy in 1828, but {{link=Holmes, Oliver Wendell">Oliver Wendell Holmes 's poem "Old Ironsides" sparked a public preservation campaign. Restored in 1927–31, it is now berthed in Boston and open to the public.