{"nrhp_refnum":"00000576","name":"JOHN J. HARVEY (fireboat)","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"Pier 63, North R.","address_restricted":false,"city":"New York","county":"Manhattan","state":"NY","lat":40.75239111700006,"lon":-74.00991627399998,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2000-06-15","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Maritime History","Engineering"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 130-foot steel fireboat, built in 1931 by Todd Shipbuilding and Drydock Corporation in Brooklyn to plans by naval architect Henry J. Gielow, now berthed at Pier 63 on the North River in Manhattan.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the vessel is a highly intact, representative example of the large fireboat type used in major American harbors after 1930 (Criterion C). It is also significant for her long service protecting New York Harbor, including World War II duty and major pier and ship fires (Criterion A). She is described as the first modern fireboat and a prototype for later large fireboats, marking the move away from steam.","narrative":"Launched in 1931, John J. Harvey is a 130-foot riveted steel fireboat built in Brooklyn for the New York City Fire Department and now berthed at Pier 63 on Manhattan's West Side. She was named for a fireboat pilot killed in the 1930 explosion of the liner Muenchen. Her eight deck pipes could discharge 18,000 gallons per minute, and she exceeded her design speed and pumping capacity in trials. Originally powered by five gasoline engines, she was refitted in 1957 with diesel engines, leaving her original electrical system and pumping arrangement unchanged. She served at major waterfront emergencies, including the 1942 Normandie fire and the 1943 El Estero incident, for which her crew received valor awards. She remained in service until 1994. The nomination values her as an intact example of the large fireboats that protected major harbors and as the prototype of the modern fireboat that replaced steam.","period_of_significance":"1931-1957","architect_builder":"Gielow, Henry J., naval architect; Todd Shipbuilding and Drydock Corp., Brooklyn, NY, builder","architectural_style":"OTHER: fireboat","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Retired from active service in 1994 and auctioned to her current owners in 1999; described as fully operational and restored to working condition, with fuller restoration planned.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:51:51.161265-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/00000576.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/00000576/6a824adca2-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/00000576/6a824adca2-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 2.0","author":"Shinya Suzuki from New York, U.S.A.","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fireboat_John_J._Harvey_-b.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Shinya Suzuki from New York, U.S.A.</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 2.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fireboat_John_J._Harvey_-b.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/75319656","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_J._Harvey","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6241091"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/new-york/manhattan/john-j-harvey-fireboat-00000576/"}