HISTORY

Built in Camden in 1907 for the US Lighthouse Service, the Ambrose first took her station off the coast of Sandy Hook in 1908 and maintained her position marking the entrance to New York harbor until 1932 when she was replaced by a newer vessel. Shifting between Relief Station and Scotland Station off the coast of New Jersey and Vineyard Sound off Massachusetts for the next 34 years, the Ambrose served the Lighthouse Service and the US Coast Guard for a total 59 years before she was deactivated on March 4th, 1966.

The venerable lightship was formally donated to the South Street Seaport Museum in 1968 and was deemed a National Historic Landmark in 1989 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The South Street Seaport Museum announced on her 100th birthday in 2007 that the Ambrose would receive an extensive overhaul and further restoration to keep her floating and in excellent condition as a museum ship.