The remains of a shipwreck from the 19th century have surfaced from the sands of a beach in New Jersey.
This discovery took place at Island Beach State Park, located on a slender barrier island along the Jersey Shore in Ocean County.
A Facebook post from the park on January 22 identified the wreck as the Lawrence N. McKenzie, a freighter that was built in 1883.
The 98.2-foot schooner ran aground off the coast of New Jersey on March 21, 1890, while traveling from Puerto Rico to New York City. It hailed from Provincetown, Massachusetts.
While the ship and its cargo of oranges sank, thankfully, all eight crew members aboard survived.
Officials noted that rough seas and powerful winds in recent weeks caused the shipwreck to be exposed.
Interestingly, the wreck didn’t wash ashore; rather, it emerged as the sand levels shifted over time.
The coastline of New Jersey is always in flux, which led a spokesperson from New Jersey State Parks to mention that the area is shaped by wave activity, revealing long-buried artifacts.
According to officials, several historic shipwrecks have been revealed at Island Beach State Park over the years.
“Violators will be subject to fines by the New Jersey State Park Police.”
“Lawrence N. McKenzie has been visible before, but it hasn’t appeared in over a decade.”
It’s worth noting that coastal erosion tends to be especially noticeable during winter months.
Officials are advising beachgoers not to disturb or touch the shipwreck to preserve it for the future.
There’s a strict rule: the State Parks Code prohibits removing any natural or historic resources from land managed by New Jersey State Parks.
“Violators will be subject to fines by the New Jersey State Park Police,” reiterated officials.
This shipwreck isn’t the only one capturing attention along the Jersey Shore. In recent months, attention has also been drawn to other 19th-century remains.
For example, last May, researchers identified mysterious bones found on an Atlantic County beach back in the 1990s. Furthermore, in 2013, additional remains were discovered in Ocean County, which belonged to Captain Henry Goodsell of another 19th-century schooner.
