H.L. Hunley
One of the primary projects at the Clemson Conservation Center is the conservation and restoration of the H.L. Hunley submarine. This submarine was the first submarine in history to sink an enemy ship in combat. It was found about a mile off-shore in Charleston Harbor after missing for over 130 years.
The archeological and conservation teams are working hard to excavate, restore, and preserve all the items that were found in the submarine and the actual submarine itself.
This includes the eight men that were aboard when it sank. With these findings they are practicing and developing archeological and conservation skills for future projects and also attempting to solve the mystery of how the submarine sank on its way back from the battle.
The remains of the eight men have been removed and buried at Magnolia Cemetery. The cemetery is linked to another project that Clemson University is working on involving the restoration and conservation of the iron work from the cemetery.
