What the big chicken is to Marietta, Ga., Bruce Smith hopes the Water Witch will become to Columbus. The executive director of Port Columbus, the National Civil War Naval Museum, believes the full-scale battleship replica will become a local landmark.

When the museum first opened in 2001, the search began for an icon with a Georgia Civil War story. The first choice was the CSS Atlanta since the Museum already had its flag in their collection. A focus group changed the direction. “They said it looked like a fort,” Smith recalled and explained that the CSS Atlanta is very boxy and plain. Since the museum wanted a symbol that had a more naval appearance, the search resumed and the Water Witch surfaced.

Port Columbus had planned to build a replica of that ship in the back for educational purposes, but discovered there were many appealing reasons to move it to the forefront.

The Water Witch served off the coast of Georgia as a mail runner, re-supply ship and blockader…thus it has a Georgia connection.

It served under both the Union and Confederate navies and was involved in what Smith calls a “blood and thunder” story, which captivates the imagination. Confederate sailors boarded the ship on a moonless night and overcame the crew in hand-to-hand combat. Just six months later the ship was burned to prevent her from being captured by the advancing Union Army.

It has an African-American history component as well since two of those killed in the battle were black: one a boat pilot and one a slave.

In addition to the fascinating history, the Water Witch was a unique technological hybrid that used both steam and wind for power, thus providing further educational opportunities.

The museum is already home to the Water Witch‘s original bell as well as one of her flags.

Once the decision was made that she would serve as the museum’s image, several occurrences made the Water Witch an even more perfect choice. In 2007, the Georgia Departments of Transportation and Natural Resources discovered what they believe is the wreck of the Civil War
vessel off the coast of Savannah. Although money ran out before the remains could be explored, the placement and size make historians believe it is theWater Witch.

Shortly thereafter, when the Chattahoochee was nearly dry from the drought, Port Columbus staffers discovered an ammunition round near the old Navy yard. Smith says it appeared to be a 30-pound shell from a Parrott rifle used by Union forces. “1862 USN” and an anchor were clearly visible when the round was cleaned up. About that time, an inventory form was discovered that shows the cannon and ammunition from the Water Witch were in Columbus and could have ended up in the river.

Despite the slow economy, the project has captured the imagination of Columbus and about 250 donors have raised $1 million to construct the side-wheel steamer. It is a faithful replica, Smith asserts, based on original plans of the ship, photographs of similar crafts and lots of historical research. The construction challenge, he says, was “getting it exactly right,” while still meeting codes and making it easy to maintain.

Craig Popvitch, who runs Dark Horse Entertainment, the company constructing the ship, says his challenge has been to make sense of what he sees in old photographs and then nail down the details and how to make it work.

Although it looks like wood and steel, the ship is actually made of fiberglass. The masts are sunk 15 feet in the ground, which paddlewheels will also turn and churn the water in pools on both sides, and smoke will come from the stack. “We wanted it to be alive,” Smith explained.

TheWaterWitch not only will serve as a Gateway to South Columbus and the museum, according to Smith it also represents a major new educational platform. Visitors will be able to work the equipment and better understand the emerging technologies of the mid 19th century.

The eight years of effort is already beginning to pay off. Smith reports that despite the sour economy there was a 30-percent increase in visitors in November and December, and he attributes that to the ship that was taking shape out front.

All the construction is expected to be finished in time for the ribbon cutting on April 3 with the first CivilWar ship commissioning since 1865 staged on April 4. The public will have its chance to board April 4 and 5. Sailors in costume, mock battles, cannon firings and other Civil War enactments will be held all weekend.

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