SS United States (former site)

USA / New Jersey / Gloucester City /
 ship, historic landmark, historical layer / disappeared object
The SS United States is seen in this outdated aerial photo. It was docked here for 29 years, from 1996-2025. It was towed away on 2/19/25.

The SS United States is a trans-Atlantic passenger liner built for the United States Lines that, since 1996, has been docked at Pier 82 on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. Laid down in February 1950 and christened in 1952 after a $78 million construction, the SS United States was designed ostensibly to capture the trans-Atlantic speed record, or Blue Riband, but also to serve as a high speed Troop Transport for Naval service in the event that the Cold War went hot.

Departing on her maiden voyage to England on July 4th, 1952, the United States broke the transatlantic speed record held by RMS Queen Mary for the previous 14 years by over 10 hours, making the maiden crossing from the Ambrose lightship at New York Harbor to Bishop Rock off Cornwall, UK in 3 days, 10 hours, 40 minutes at an average speed of 35.59 knots (40.96 mph). On her return trip, she broke the westbound crossing record by returning to America in 3 days 12 hours and 12 minutes at an average speed of 34.51 knots (39.71 mph). Immensely popular with celebrities and the rich and famous, the United States enjoyed 17 years of regular trans-Atlantic service before the increasing reliability of air travel began to eat away at her customer base and made operating the fuel-hungry ship uneconomical.

Deactivated from the United States Lines after a 1969 drydocking, the United States sat idle in Norfolk form 1970-1989 and then in Newport News from 1989-1992. She was sold by the United States Lines to the US Maritime Administration in 1973, and then to Seattle developer Richard Hadley, who announced plans for her conversion to a cruise ship, which never came to fruition. Her internal decor was sold at auction in 1984. She was eventually towed to Turkey in 1992 for stripping of its asbestos insulation before again being offered for sale. Towed to Philadelphia in 1996 for another period of layup, the ship was eventually purchased by Norwegian Cruise Lines in 2003 which announced plans to finally recondition the ship for revenue service; however the financial downturn of 2008 led to these plans being shelved and the ships future in doubt.

With Norwegian Cruise Lines publicly seeking scrapping or sale bids for the SS United States in 2009, the SS United States Conservancy stepped up their efforts to preserve the historic liner, and after a $5.8 million pledge from Philadelphia philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest was received in July 2010, the Conservancy purchased the ship outright from NCL. Given 20 months to maintain her at her current berth while redevelopment plans are made and funds for her restoration are raised, the group is presently working to conduct important structural and remediation work on the vessel and begin planning for the development of a world-class museum and multi-use waterfront development with the United States as its centerpiece.

Still the holder of the Westbound Blue Riband and Eastbound Crossing record for a passenger vessel, the United States, the largest ocean liner built entirely in the United States.

On February 4, 2016 Crystal Cruises announced an exclusive purchase option for the SS United States, valid for nine months and pending a feasibility study, to restore the ship to its former grandeur at an estimated cost of $700-800 million. The proposal would have maintained some of the ship's features of yore, such as its red smokestacks and the promenade, but it was to be completely transformed to accommodate 400 luxury suites for 800 passengers. The plans eventually collapsed.

www.usmaritimecommission.de/pictures.php?code=A2917a
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_United_States
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   39°55'6"N   75°8'11"W

Comments

  • The SS United States is the largest ocean liner ever constructed in the United States and the fastest merchant vessel ever built. On her maiden voyage in 1952 she smashed the 14-year-old North Atlantic crossing time held by Cunard's Queen Mary by over 10 hours, traveling from New York City to Europe in 3 days, 10 hours 40 minutes at an average speed of 35.59 knots. The ship ended her service career prematurely in 1969 and has been laid up since then under a variety of owners. She has berthed in Philadelphia since 1996 and was purchased by Norwegian Cruise Line in 2003 with the intent of returning her to American-flagged passenger service. More information may be found at www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.org
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_%28ocean_liner%29
  • Check out http://www.planphilly.com/node/1559 for a first hand report on the current condition of the ship{interior has been stripped bare!}. This story dates from April 2007 and follows a PBS film crew doing a documentary set for early 2008 release.
  • Great background can be found at www.planphilly.com/node/1328 - you will find links to all sorts of photos and even a recording of the steam whistle from the ship. Also in this article the current{2007} condition of the SS Norway aka SS France. Sadly beached in India valued only as scrap metal!
  • hope they do something with her, it would be a shame to see it scrapped.
  • She may have been saved from the whims of NCL, but she's by no means safe from the scrappers torch yet. Be sure to visit the Conservancy's website!
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This article was last modified 14 days ago