Skip to main content
Collections Menu
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
USS Macedonian
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.
Image courtesy of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

USS Macedonian

Artifact IDMO 1941.7.90
Object Type Model
Maker
Dateca. 1825
Mediumpaint, wood, string, fabric, metal
Dimensionsbase H 1 1/8 in x W 43 1/4 in x D 17 1/4 in (2.9 cm x 109.9 cm x 43.8 cm )
 overall (on cradle) H 34 in x W 41 in x D 15 in (86.4 cm x 104.1 cm x 38.1 cm )
Physical DescriptionA three-masted, square-rigged wooden model of the frigate, USS MACEDONIAN. The ship has a blue, black, and yellow hull, a simplified deck design, and is under full sail. The name of the ship is on the stern.

The model is accompanied by a wooden base (stored separately) to which is mounted a small gilt-painted wood plaque with the inscription: U. S. Frigate / Macedonian / 1812. The base has a perimeter groove for the placement of protective bonnet.
Historical NoteRoosevelt purchased this model at the sale of the Carey Collection at the Anderson Galleries in New York City in March 1922. He paid $210 for the model. He later displayed it in the family quarters in the White House before putting it on exhibit at the Roosevelt Library. Roosevelt believed the model dated to around 1825. Originally a British ship, the MACEDONIAN was captured by Commodore Stephen Decatur during the War of 1812 and refitted for service in the U.S. Navy. Roosevelt had a special interest in the MACEDONIAN and also collected a number of paintings and prints of the ship.
Additional Details
Custodial History NoteDeposited at the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum by Franklin D. Roosevelt before September 9, 1940. It was donated as a bequest of FDR to the Library in 1947.
Credit LineEstate of Franklin D. Roosevelt
National Archives Catalog CollectionFranklin D. Roosevelt Library Museum Collection (National Archives Identifier 735948)
National Archives Catalog SeriesShip Models (National Archives Identifier 782457)
Use Restriction StatusUnrestricted
CopyrightReproduction or other use of these holdings or images thereof is unrestricted.
In Collection(s)
Not on view
Related Links