St. Marys
USS St. Mary's (1875-1908)
The Original USS St. Mary’s, built in the Washington, D.C. Navy Yard in 1844, was named for the first colonial settlement in Maryland. She was 149 feet, 3 inches in length and had a tonnage of 766 and an original battery of twenty guns. Her main truck towered 150 feet above the spar deck. Following her commissioning as a naval vessel in 1844, she cruised with the Home Squadron and saw active service in the Mexican War taking part in the capture of Tampico in 1846 and later brought home trophies captured during the Mexican campaign. From 1848 to 1873, the St. Mary’s was attached to the Pacific and Asiatic Squadrons, and in 1860, her sailors and marines cooperated with the forces aboard H.B.M.S. Clio, in quelling insurrections at Panama. In 1873, upon arrival at Norfolk, Virginia the vessel was laid up in ordinary. 
The St. Mary’s was one of the fastest sailing ships of her time. She was one of the ships in Admiral Perry’s fleet which opened up Japan in 1850 and was a sister ship of the USS Saratoga which also took part in that historic voyage to the Japanese Empire.
The St Mary’s was commissioned as the training ship for the New York Nautical School in 1874 and served in this capacity until February, 1908. On November 14th of that year, the dismasted and dismantled hull was burned at Point of Pines, Massachusetts, for the purpose of getting the copper that was in her. Her history closely parallels that of the USS Saratoga which ended her active service about the same 
time after a colorful career.
The Forty-five ensign that flew at the gaff of the old St. Mary’s when she was decommissioned in 1908 is on display in the Museum. This very flag was flown by second USS St. Mary’s in Tokyo during the Japanese surrender. The Second USS St. Mary’s, under the command of Captain E. R. Glosten, class of 1908, and took an honored place in the hard hitting forces of Admiral Nimitz.
