Charlestown, Massachusetts: Sawed-Off Head of Andrew Jackson
President Andrew Jackson's head was the figurehead on the USS Constitution -- until it was sawed off by a man who didn't like Jackson.
USS Constitution Museum
- Address:
- Baxter Rd, Charlestown, MA
- Directions:
- USS Constitution Museum. Building 22 in the Charlestown Navy Yard, at the corner of 1st Ave. and Baxter Rd.
- Hours:
- April-Oct. daily 9-6. Nov. Mar. 10-5 (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 617-426-1812
- Admission:
- Suggested donation: $5.
Visitor Tips and News About Sawed-Off Head of Andrew Jackson
Reports and tips from RoadsideAmerica.com visitors and Roadside America mobile tipsters. Some tips may not be verified. Submit your own tip.
In 1833 the ship USS Constitution was fitted with a figurehead of the sitting president, Andrew Jackson. That decision was largely unpopular with Bostonians, who tended to favor the opposing Whig Party. One man, Captain Samuel W. Dewey, had the gumption to address the issue. On the evening of July 2, 1834, in the midst of a thunderstorm, Dewey rowed out to "Old Ironsides" and sawed through the wooden president's head at its nose.
A friend of Dewey's made a plaster cast of the decapitated Democrat, which is now exhibited at the USS Constitution Museum. A portion of the lower part of the wooden head, long thought to be missing, was positively identified in 2010 on the PBS program "History Detectives." The original fragment is now displayed below the plaster cast.
[Kurt Deion, 01/26/2017]
Roadside Presidents App for iPhone. Find this attraction and more: museums, birthplaces, graves of the Chief Execs, first ladies, pets, assassins and wannabes. Prez bios and oddball trivia. Available on the App Store.
Nearby Offbeat Places
Great Molasses Flood of 1919 - Plaque, Boston, MA - < 1 mi.
The Skinny House, Boston, MA - < 1 mi.
All Saints Way - Wall of Saints, Boston, MA - < 1 mi.In the region:
Big Apple at Rest Stop, Lancaster, MA - 35 mi.
Latest Tips Across Roadside America
Catch up on the latest discoveries from the road.
Explore Thousands of Oddball Tourist Attractions!
Unique destinations in the U.S. and Canada are our special obsession. Use our attraction recommendation and maps to plan your next road trip.
