 Frying Pan on its last day at station (replaced by light tower) | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 United States | |
| Name | Frying Pan |
| Builder | Charleston Dry Dock and Machine Co. |
| Laid down | January 30, 1929[1] |
| Launched | August 30, 1929[1] |
| Acquired | April 8, 1930[1] |
| Status | Operational |
| General characteristics | |
| Displacement | 630 tons |
| Length | 133 ft 3 in (40.61 m)[1] |
| Beam | 30 ft (9.1 m)[1] |
| Installed power | General Electric generators and motors.[1] |
| Crew | 15 |
FRYING PAN SHOALS LIGHTSHIP NO. 115 | |
    | |
| Location | Pier 66a, formerlyPier 63,Chelsea,New York, New York |
| Coordinates | 40°44′59.57″N74°0′36.7″W / 40.7498806°N 74.010194°W /40.7498806; -74.010194 |
| Built | 1929 |
| Architect | Charleston Dry Dock and Machine Co. |
| NRHP reference No. | 98001615 |
| Added to NRHP | January 28, 1999[2] |
Frying Pan (LV-115) is alightvessel moored atPier 66a in theChelsea neighborhood ofManhattan inNew York City. It served atFrying Pan Shoals, offCape Fear inNorth Carolina, for over 30 years.
In 1854, because of complaints from mariners that the height of the existingBald Head Lighthouse was inadequate, and the light of its third-orderFresnel lens was not bright enough to warn mariners of the shallow waters of the treacherousFrying Pan Shoals off the coast ofCape Fear inNorth Carolina, United States, the first lightship was stationed on the shoals,[3] in lieu of a proposal to improve Bald Point Lighthouse. The Bald Point lighthouse, and others, were turned off during the Civil War to avoid aiding the Northern ships. Lightships remained on station for 110 years.
On July 29, 1944, Lieutenant (jg)Clarence Samuels,USCG, became the firstHispanic-American of African descent to command a lightship when he assumed command ofFrying Pan.[4]
The ship was replaced by a lighttower in 1964.[5] The lighttower, aTexas tower, was manned until 1979, is known as a diving spot and still stands.
Frying Pan was the last of nine ships that served in succession, with some alternation, at the Frying Pan Shoals station during and since the American Civil War.[6]
LV-115 was built in 1929–1930 byCharleston Drydock & Machine Co. for a contract price of $274,434.[7][8] The keel was laid January 30, 1929 with launch on August 30 and delivery on April 8, 1930.[1] In addition to the light, horn and manually operated bell the vessel was equipped with radio, radio-beacon andsubmarine signal bell when built.[6]
Frying Pan served at Frying Pan Shoals from 1930 to 1942, and again from 1945 to 1964. During World War II the ship was used as anexamination vessel, as part of training.
Frying Pan was retired from duty at Frying Pan Shoals in 1964. It served briefly as a relief ship atCape May, New Jersey, and then was decommissioned in 1965. The ship sank in 1986.[9] It was raised in 1987, then resold and eventually restoration began in 1988.[10] It was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places in 1999.
Frying Pan is one of about 13 surviving American lightships, out of about 100 built. Four other lightships,Ambrose atSouth Street Seaport,Nantucket atEast Boston, Massachusetts,Chesapeake atBaltimore Inner Harbor andSwiftsure atNorthwest Seaport became National Historic Landmarks and are open to the public asmuseum ships.[11]
Frying Pan can be rented for events and functions. It became known as a party site in New York.[12]
frying pan lightship.
Authority control databases: Geographic |
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