{"nrhp_refnum":"83004099","name":"LUNA (tugboat)","other_names":[],"category":"structure","location":{"address":"NDC Pier, Charles River","address_restricted":false,"city":"Boston","county":"Suffolk County","state":"MA","lat":42.38641955500003,"lon":-71.04172215499995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-10-06","is_nhl":true,"nhl_designated_date":"1989-04-11","areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Military","Engineering","Transportation","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["national","local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Luna is a 97-foot wooden, diesel-electric harbor tugboat designed by the John G. Alden Co. and built by M. M. Davis & Sons of Solomons, Maryland. She was launched in 1930 and is moored at Pier 10 in the Boston Marine Industrial Park, South Boston.","why_significant":"The nomination argues that Luna combined a traditional wooden tug appearance with the most innovative diesel-electric drive of her time, marking a transition in tugboat design. She was the first diesel-electric tug built for a commercial tug company and one of the last wooden-hulled tugs built. Her 41 years of service are tied to Boston Harbor's maritime history. The form cites Criteria A and C.","narrative":"Launched in 1930, Luna is a 97-foot wooden tugboat that worked Boston Harbor for 41 years. Designed by the John G. Alden Co. and built by M. M. Davis & Sons in Maryland for the Mystic Steamship Co., she was operated by the Boston Tow Boat Company. Her oak and yellow pine hull follows the classic steam-tug form, with an elliptical stern and straight stem. Beneath that look is a diesel-electric drive controlled from the bridge, which made her easier to maneuver and let her run with a smaller crew. She was the first tug of this type built for a commercial tug company and one of the last wooden-hulled tugs built. Her work included docking ships, towing the U.S.S. Constitution, fighting fires, rescue work and wartime duty at Boston-area naval yards. Retired in 1971, she has been under restoration by volunteers since 1979 as a living museum.","period_of_significance":"1930 (specific date); 1900-","architect_builder":"M. M. Davis & Sons/John G. Alden Co.","architectural_style":"Classic wood harbor tugboat with diesel-electric drive","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Tied up at Pier 10 in 1983 and being restored as a living museum; a captain and crew live aboard. Exterior and interior are basically unaltered.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:11:54.180136-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/opastorage/live/81/7966/63796681/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MA/83004099.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83004099/5119e1ca9d-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83004099/5119e1ca9d-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY 4.0","author":"Nkwoodward","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tugboat_Luna_1.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nkwoodward</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tugboat_Luna_1.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/63796681","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_(tugboat)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6703505"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/massachusetts/suffolk-county/luna-tugboat-83004099/"}