People in 1907 Used This Brass Object Every Day—Now It’s a Forgotten Treasure
May 12, 2025
Source: Westmarine.com
There’s something undeniably magical about turning over the earth and revealing a piece of history. Yet that’s just what did happen on a serene property near the bay on Long Island, N.Y. About a foot and a half beneath the soil, in a yard, Kenstan had found a relic: a brass oar lock, which probably dated to the early 20th century. Finding such a brass oar lock on Long Island is remarkable.
A Coastal Clue from 1907
The community in question was established in 1907. At a time when row boats dotted the shores of Long Island. Before fiberglass hulls and outboard motors became the norm, plucky wooden boats roared across the water, obsolete and audacious. These ships ran on oar power — and those oars required a reliable lock.
That’s where oar locks like this one came in.
What Is an Oar Lock?
An oar lock is a U-shaped or ring-shaped or an open-sided socket through. In which an oar passes, either at the gunwale, at the thole pins, or at the rowlock. Its purpose? To restrain an oar by which to guide it for a return stroke. An apparently straightforward piece of technology, it was integral to seafaring, fishing and leisure in coastal communities such as Long Island.
The one you found is typically referred to as a round or ring oar lock. There is a circular hole maybe 25% of the circumference of the oar shaft. A brass oar lock like this was a crucial find on Long Island. It must have been fixed or attached in some way to the upper plank of a boat. To be used as an oar without danger of its loss. The non-magnetism pretty conclusively points to brass or bronze, metals that are often used in the marine environment due to their anti-corrosion properties.
More Than Just Metal
Although it may look like a rusty piece of old hardware, this brass oar lock from Long Island stands for something more. It’s a hint at a time when the water was not just beautiful but a necessity. Small boats crowded the docks, the boats used for oyster catching and Sunday outings on the bay. Each time anyone ventured out onto the water these oar locks were relied upon to steady the labor.
Gripping this artifact is like shaking hands with history, particularly when you find such a rare item as a brass oar lock.
You Are Living in a Seafaring’s Legacy
Long Island’s abundant maritime history can be found sprinkled throughout the region, lying under the earth, but seeming to whisper of the past. Artifacts like this oar lock are a reminder of the era when families rowed to their fishing grounds or ferried goods from one bay to another.
If you are lucky enough to live on the coast — especially in an older neighborhood — be on the lookout. And the past, as they say, may be under your feet, preserved in brass and buried by time.
A Living Connection
Today, such oar locks are still made (for traditional wood rowboats), with designs not very far from those of these vintage models. But none have that historical heft of a brass oar lock found on Long Island. Discovering one is to open a direct pipeline to the people who lived before: a hushed conversation across generations.
And for a piece of metal that’s been lying forgotten in the ground for more than 100 years, that’s quite a story to be able to tell.