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)
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 Niagra [sic] at the battle of Lake Erie and won the battle as a result 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)