Lightship Ambrose
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| Career (United States Coast Guard) |  |
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| Name: | Lightship Ambrose |
| Launched: | August 4, 1952 |
| Commissioned: | September 12, 1952 |
| Decommissioned: | December 20, 1983 |
| Fate: | Museum ship |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement: | 130 tons |
| Length: | 128 ft (39 m) |
| Beam: | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Draft: | 11 (3.3 m) |
| Propulsion: | Detroit - Quad, 550 Hp |
| Speed: | 9 knots (17 km/h) |
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| (U.S. National Historic Landmark) | |
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| Location: | Manhattan, New York City, New York |
| Coordinates: | Coordinates: |
| Built/Founded: | 1907[1] |
| Designated as NHL: | April 11, 1989 [2] |
| Added to NRHP: | September 7, 1984 [3] |
| NRHP Reference#: | 84002758 |
Lightship Ambrose served as the sentinel beacon marking Ambrose Channel, the main shipping channel for New York Harbor, from 1823 until the station was replaced by Ambrose Lightstation, a Texas Tower, in 1967. Between 1823 and 1967, several ships were commissioned Lightship Ambrose and served at the station.
The Lightship Ambrose (LV87), built 1908, served her station until 1933 when she was reassigned to serve as the Lightship Scotland, a station much closer to Sandy Hook, New Jersey. In 1968, the United States Coast Guard donated the ship to the South Street Seaport Museum in New York City where she remains berthed and can be visited by the public.
In 1952, the Lightship Ambrose (WLV 613) was commissioned and became the last lightship to mark the Ambrose Channel when she was replaced by a Texas Tower lightstation on August 24, 1967. She was reassigned as a relief ship on the Massachusetts coastline from 1967–75. And finally, after being renamed Nantucket II, she was reassigned to Nantucket Shoals, where she alternated with her sister ship, the Lightship Nantucket (WLV 612), relieving each other approximately every 21 days, until 1983. This vessel is now a museum ship in Boston Harbor.
She moved around to various stations, but has kept the name of her most famous station, Ambrose. In 1964, she was retired from the Coast Guard and in 1968, was sold to the South Street Seaport Museum.[4]
In 1989, the lightship was declared a National Historic Landmark.[2][5]
LV 87 is now owned by South Street Seaport Museum in Lower Manhattan, and moored at Pier 16 on the East River and is scheduled to undergo further restoration in 2007.
[edit] External links
- South Street Seaport Museum - Current location of the Lightship Ambrose (LV87)
- South Street Seaport Interactive Map
- Ambrose Lightship at Nightbeacon.com
- U.S. Coast Guard - Information on lightships
- Last of the Lightships: Ambrose
- Info and reviews of book "Lightship" featuring AMBROSE
[edit] References
- ^ NHL Writeup
- ^ a b LIGHTSHIP NO. 87 "AMBROSE". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service (2007-09-14).
- ^ National Register Information System. National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service (2007-01-23).
- ^ NHL Detailed Description
- ^ Kevin Foster (August 5, 1988), National Register of Historic Places Registration: Lightship No. 87 "Ambrose"PDF (651 KiB), National Park Service and Accompanying 5 photos, exterior and interior, from 1908-1988PDF (540 KiB)
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