Steamship Historical Society
Through recording, preserving, and educating, our mission is to share the impact of engine-powered vessels, their crews, and their passengers with future generations. Find out about programs, membership, and free educational materials at sshsa.org.
- On January 24, our Development Coordinator Sydney and our Membership Coordinator Amy attended the 2026 Amherst Railway Hobby Show to bridge the connection between rail and steamships. We were happy to see quite a few of our members in attendance!
- Are you interested in learning about the SSHSA's 2012 Ship of the Year, the historic NS SAVANNAH? Experience a time capsule of the atomic age – the world’s first nuclear-powered merchant ship. The Nuclear Ship SAVANNAH will host a public site visit February 21, 2026.
- Learn more at conta.cc/4rmfZZe & register at www.ns-savannah.com/event.../mar.... SAVANNAH was built as part of President Eisenhower’s Atoms for Peace program and served as a floating ambassador, promoting the safe and peaceful use of nuclear power from 1962 - 1970.
- You can experience its mid-century modern interiors with atomic motifs, engine and control rooms, and other spaces, just as passengers and visitors did during its operation. In addition, you can take a self-guided tour of the containment vessel, which housed the nuclear reactor!
- SAVANNAH is located at 4601 Newgate Avenue, Pier 13 Canton Marine Terminal. Images: NS SAVANNAH, SSHSA Archives; Painting illustrating a design for a lounge aboard a “nuclear powered passenger cargo ship” most likely the NS SAVANNAH. George G. Sharp Collection, SSHSA Archives.
- It's #BlackHistoryMonth! Visit shiphistory.org/category/bla... to find free, standards-aligned lesson plans. #MaritimeHistory #shiphistory #blackhistory
- Full sheet of US Postage stamps commemorating the four chaplains who sacrificed their lives in the sinking of the SS DORCHESTER #OnThisDay in 1943. D. Jordan Berson Collection, SSHSA Archives. #MaritimeHistory
- Portraits of the chaplains George L. Fox, Clark V. Poling, John P. Washington, and Alexander D. Goode are inset above a rendering the sinking ship in the central design.
- The 3 represented Protestant, Catholic, & Jewish faiths, gave up their life preservers to other crew members, & went down with the ship. The SS DORCHESTER, an aging liner that had been converted for troop transport, was sailing from NY to Greenland when it was sunk by a German U-boat's torpedo.
- Stay warm with our winter issue of PowerShips! Get your copy at shiphistory.org/shop. #maritmehistory
