Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NY ship lovers make last-ditch appeal to Trump to save historic ocean liner
By
Liam Quigley
Published Mar 4, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Okaloosa County
By
Liam Quigley
Published Mar 4, 2025
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
New York City preservationists’ dream of docking an historic ocean liner on the Brooklyn waterfront appears all but sunk — but they’re making a last-ditch appeal to President Donald Trump to make the ship great again.
The S.S. United States reached Mobile, Alabama, on Monday after it was towed from Philadelphia over a two-week journey. The majestic 990-foot vessel will be stripped at the Port of Mobile and scuttled off the coast of Okaloosa County in Florida, where officials say it will become the world's largest artificial reef.
The ship's 1,800-nautical-mile trip from its berth in the City of Brotherly Love appeared to represent the death knell of preservationists’ dream to convert it into a floating museum and business hub docked in Red Hook. But they are not yet giving up on the vessel, which set the transatlantic speed record in 1952.
“The SSUS could become among the greatest economic and cultural sites in Brooklyn,” the New York Coalition to Save the Steam Ship United States wrote in a letter to Trump. “As we stand at the crossroads of the preservation [versus] Destruction of a monument to American innovation, it is imperative that we acknowledge the gravity of inaction."
"The SSUS, an iconic and irreplaceable testament to American achievement, is on the brink of being lost forever," the group added. "This is not just a matter of preserving a historic vessel: it is about honoring the legacy of American greatness. We implore you take prompt executive action by ordering the taking of this precious symbol of American engineering and shipbuilding for public use and with just compensation to Okaloosa County.”
The White House did not immediately respond to an inquiry.
Dan McSweeney, founder of the S.S. United States Conservancy, said he’s going to keep fighting for the ship as long as it's still floating.
“ I think we'll attract financial investors that can help make this a reality. So we're not giving up,” said McSweeney, who is no longer with the conservancy.
The S.S. United States in New York Harbor in 1952.
NYC Municipal Archives
The coalition to save the ship has the backing of Brooklyn businessman John Quadrozzi Jr., who said he was ready for the S.S. United States to be moored at waterfront property he owns in Gowanus Bay. Quadrozzi is among the local ship lovers who floated the idea of using the ocean liner as an event space and incubator for small businesses focused on sustainability.
In its heyday, the S.S. United States was one of the most famous ships in the world. Celebrities who set sail on the ship include Marilyn Monroe and Marlon Brando. The ship’s historic journey between England and New York City, which set the transatlantic speed record, concluded with a ticker-tape parade. A recent blog post by the city’s Department of Records noted that the superliner’s captain appeared on the cover of Time Magazine.
The ship was retired in 1969. It berthed in Philadelphia in 1996, where it fell into further disrepair until Florida's Okaloosa County bought it for $1 million, with plans to turn it into a diving attraction.
“Okaloosa County fully intends to deploy the S.S. United States at the world’s largest artificial reef,” said Nick Tomecek, a county spokesperson.
McSweeney, the conservancy founder, acknowledged that towing the ship back to New York Harbor would be a herculean task.
“In some ways, it's a Hail Mary. But you know what? That ship deserves it,” he said.
Tagged
florida
new york city
ships
brooklyn
transportation
historic preservation
Liam Quigley
Liam Quigley is a reporter covering parks & sanitation for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Hochul names NY AG James as special prosecutor on alleged rape case at Cornell University
The governor said she does not have faith that the police and the Tompkins County DA effectively investigated the case.
By
Jon Campbell
Published Oct 1, 2026 at 9:04 p.m. ET
Founder of NYC LGBTQ therapy practice charged with rape after alleged sexual assaults
Joseph LoGiudice is the second therapist at Liberation Psychotherapy to be accused of sexually abusing a patient.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
Founder of NYC LGBTQ therapy practice charged with rape after alleged sexual assaults
Joseph LoGiudice is the second therapist at Liberation Psychotherapy to be accused of sexually abusing a patient.
By
Giulia Heyward
US judge in NY indefinitely blocks ICE from making arrests at immigration courthouses
By
Arya Sundaram
Lawyer challenging NYC rent freeze releases Mamdani officials’ emails and text messages
By
David Brand
Push to strengthen NY sexual assault laws gathers steam after Cornell rape allegations
By
Walter Wuthmann
and
Jon Campbell
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .