A model of the USS Niagara
The USS Niagara was a wooden Earth ship and brig operated by the United States Navy during the early-19th century.
Several sailing ship models were among the possessions in Admiral James T. Kirk's apartment in San Francisco in 2285, including a model of the Niagara. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)
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The designation of the Niagara being a model seen in Kirk's apartment was pointed out by film writer Harve Bennett, who used its' history to justify the destruction of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.
According to Bennett, "Oliver Hazard Perry of the U.S. Navy scuttled the Niagara at the battle of Lake Erie and won the battle as a result. He was rowed on a rowboat to another ship and took command." He added "Perry happens to be one of James T. Kirk's great heroes. So, the scuttling of the ship to achieve the greater good is a tactic." (Great Birds of the Galaxy: Gene Roddenberry and the Creators of Trek; The Trek 25th Anniversary Celebration, p. 95)