USS Essex (1874) located on terrain feature Lake Superior
USS Essex today
The wreck of Essex lies on the shoreline of Lake Superior on Minnesota Point about one-third of a mile northwest of the Superior Harbor entrance. 50 feet (15 m) of Essex's hull bottom lies partially submerged in four feet (1.2 m) of water, with a very small piece of the wreck buried in sand. Her wreck consists of her hull bottom, her keelson, sister keelson, rider keelson, bits of her frame and some hull and ceiling planks. Remains of her engine mount are also present on the site. Essex is the only known surviving ship built by Donald McKay, though there are rumors that another one of his vessels lies in Australia.The USS Essex Shipwreck Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994 for its state-level significance in the themes of engineering, historic archaeology, and maritime history.