USS Contoocook (1864)

USS Worcester, one of Contocook's sister ships as a frigate
History
NameUSS Contoocook
BuilderPortsmouth Navy Yard
Launched3 December 1864
Commissioned14 March 1868
Decommissioned7 January 1870
RenamedAlbany on 15 May 1869
FateSold on 12 December 1872
General characteristics
TypeSloop-of-war
Displacement2,348 tons
Length296 ft (90 m)
Draft9 ft 9 in (2.97 m)
Armament
  • 8 × 9" guns
  • 1 × 60-pounder gun
  • 4 × 24-pounder guns
  • 2 × 12-pounder guns

USS Contoocook was the lead Contoocook-class sloop of the United States Navy. She was laid down during the American Civil War to deter British intervention in 1864, although timber shortages and a rushed construction delayed progress. Launched in 1864 and commissioned in 1868, her design was criticized and green wood limited her service life. While build as a sloop, modifications in 1869 enlarged her armament and converted her into a frigate. That year, she was renamed Albany as part of a new Navy-wide naming standard. She preformed two sailings to the East Indies between 1868 and 1869 as part of a mission to protect American interests. In 1870, she was decommissioned and used as a quarantine ship in New York City. Redundant after new quarantine sites were finished, she was sold off in late 1872.