{"nrhp_refnum":"08001082","name":"FORWARD shipwreck site (motor launch)","other_names":[],"category":"site","location":{"address":"Lake George (submerged) near Diamond Island","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lake George","county":"Warren County","state":"NY","lat":43.46043755900007,"lon":-73.67070954699994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2008-11-21","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Transportation","Entertainment/Recreation"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A submerged wreck site of a 45-foot wooden, twin-screw gasoline-powered motor launch built in 1906, lying in 37-42 feet of water in Lake George, Warren County, New York, in the Town of Queensbury. It is now an underwater dive preserve.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the wreck is a rare, well-preserved example of a first-generation gasoline-powered launch, linked to Lake George's era as a summer resort. It was built for industrialist William K. Bixby and later used as an excursion boat. The submerged remains may also yield information on hull design, propulsion technology and abandonment of watercraft.","narrative":"Resting upright on the bed of Lake George in 37 to 42 feet of water, the Forward is the wreck of a 45-foot wooden motor launch built in 1906 by the Gas Engine & Power Co. and Charles L. Seabury & Co. in New York. Cold, dark water has kept roughly half of the hull intact, including its two 30 horsepower gasoline engines. Built for William K. Bixby, a St. Louis industrialist with a summer home at Bolton Landing, it served as a family excursion boat, raced in the 1906 Hague Regatta, and later carried sightseers. In 1929 it helped rescue passengers from the burning Miss Lake George. The launch sank or was abandoned in the 1930s. Listed for its association with Lake George's resort era, its rare early gasoline-powered design, and its research potential, the wreck is now a dive preserve with an underwater trail and information stations for scuba divers.","period_of_significance":"1906","architect_builder":"Gas Engine & Power Co. - Chas. Seabury & Co., New York, NY","architectural_style":"OTHER: motor launch wreck","criteria":["A","C","D"],"status_note":"Submerged wreck, about 40-50% of the hull intact, serving as the 'Forward Underwater Classroom' dive preserve in the state's Submerged Heritage Preserves.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:53.30458-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/08001082.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75322774","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forward_shipwreck_site","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5473292"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/warren-county/forward-shipwreck-site-motor-launch-08001082/"}