{"nrhp_refnum":"91000565","name":"FROLIC (brig)","other_names":["Shipwreck Site and Remains, FROLIC"],"category":"site","location":{"address":"NE of Pt. Cabrillo","address_restricted":false,"city":"Caspar","county":"Mendocino County","state":"CA","lat":39.35493908800004,"lon":-123.82192394299994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1991-05-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Historic - Aboriginal","Commerce","Historic - Non-Aboriginal","Transportation","Maritime History"],"significance_levels":["national"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Shipwreck site of the brig Frolic, an American-built opium clipper launched in Baltimore in 1844 and wrecked in 1850, lying in a small cove between Point Cabrillo and Caspar Anchorage near Caspar, Mendocino County, California.","why_significant":"The wreck is argued to be of national significance for its link to the California Gold Rush and the American China Trade, including the Opium Trade. It is described as the only known American-built opium clipper available for study and the only known assemblage of Gold Rush China trade goods. Its wreck also led to exploration and settlement of the Mendocino coast, and its cargo was partly salvaged by the local Mitom Pomo.","narrative":"Beneath 15 to 25 feet of water in a small cove near Caspar, on the Mendocino coast, lie the remains of the brig Frolic. Built in Baltimore in 1844 by W. & G. Gardner, she served as an opium clipper for Russell and Company, running between Bombay and Chinese ports. In 1850 she was sent to California to take advantage of Gold Rush demand and was wrecked on July 26 while bound for San Francisco with Chinese trade goods. The site is marked by a mound of pig iron ballast, three anchors, a small cannon and scattered ceramics. The nomination describes her as the only known surviving American-built opium clipper available for study. Local Mitom Pomo people salvaged parts of her cargo, and news of the wreck drew Jerome B. Ford up the coast in 1851, leading to the first lumber mill and town at Big River, now Mendocino. Archaeologists see strong potential for learning about ship construction, shipboard life and Gold Rush trade.","period_of_significance":"1844-1850","architect_builder":"W. & G. Gardner (Builders), Baltimore","architectural_style":null,"criteria":["A","C","D"],"status_note":"Wreck site lies in 15 to 25 feet of water within 150 feet of shore; current function listed as vacant, not in use. Sport divers have removed some loose items, but no major subsurface disturbance is reported.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:54:28.112485-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/91000565.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/91000565/962bacafeb-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/91000565/962bacafeb-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 4.0","author":"Missvain","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Point_Cabrillo_Light_Station_State_Historic_Park_-_August_2022_-_Sarah_Stierch_01.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Missvain</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Point_Cabrillo_Light_Station_State_Historic_Park_-_August_2022_-_Sarah_Stierch_01.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123859795","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frolic_(brig)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q85762197"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/mendocino-county/frolic-brig-91000565/"}