Our History

The SS United States Conservancy, an independent national non-profit organization, is dedicated to protecting, revitalizing and promoting America's flagship, the SS United States. The SS United States faces an uncertain future. Since her retirement in 1969, the ship has changed hands a number of times, but no plans for her refurbishment have come to fruition. As the current stewards of her historical legacy, the Conservancy is committed to working with developers to create a sustainable waterfront attraction in a major city that preserves the historic integrity of this unique national treasure. The dismantling and destruction of the SS United States would be a tragedy comparable to melting down national icons such as the Liberty Bell, the Spirit of St. Louis, or the Space Shuttle.

The SS United States Conservancy began as an initiative of the SS United States Preservation Society, a nonprofit 501(c) 3 organization incorporated in 1992.  Shortly after its founding, the Society helped secure Congressional attention to the plight of the SS United States and supported the introduction of the SS United States Preservation Act of 1992, legislation designed to protect the ship from destruction.  The Society continued its public and media outreach and scored a huge victory in 1999 when it played a lead role in securing a spot for the SS United States on the National Register of Historic Places.  The ship was added to the Register even though it was less than fifty years of age because the Society’s application made a convincing case that the ship had “compelling national significance,” a status earned by less than one percent of the Register’s 78,000 historic sites.

The SS United States Conservancy’s founding Board has compiled a long track record of accomplishments on behalf of the SS United States reaching back over twenty years.  The Conservancy’s leadership has published books and articles on the SS United States, organized educational meetings on the ship’s history that have drawn hundreds of participants, delivered lectures and presentations on the SS United States to diverse audiences throughout the nation, produced the award-winning documentary SS United States: Lady in Waiting, and engaged in ongoing outreach and advocacy on behalf of the ship’s preservation.

In 2004, Conservancy initiated a strategic partnership with Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), then current owner of the SS United States, which formed the focus of its short-term work.  In partnership with NCL, the Conservancy placed an informative sign at the ship’s current berth at Philadelphia’s Pier 82.  Having learned that the ship would be listed for sale in January 2009, the Conservancy launched the "Save Our Ship" campaign to raise awareness and funds in support of the vessel.

On July 1, 2010, the Conservancy announced that it had received a $5.8 million pledge from philanthropist Gerry Lenfest, enough money to purchase the SS United States and maintain her at her current berth while funds are raised for her redevelopment. With your help, the SS United States Conservancy can save our nation's flagship for future generations. With your generous donations, the Conservancy will conduct important structural and remediation work on the vessel, begin planning for the development of a world-class museum, and expand our ourtreach to a variety of important audiences. The SS United States Conservancy is a community that shares a vision of a successfully repurposed SS United States, providing jobs and important public amenities, while educating and inspiring future generations.

Images courtesy Katherine Fairhead (top) and Greg Shutters (bottom).