Please join your fellow Preservation Alumni for the annual Fall Party on Thursday, September 19th on the historic Fireboat John J. Harvey. Enjoy food and drinks while reconnecting with your fellow HP alum and welcoming the new class of preservationists. In addition, the recipient of the 2019 Cleo and James Marston Fitch Prize will be announced. The boat will depart Pier 66 at 6:30PM for a lovely evening boat ride around Manhattan. Please be sure you’re on board by 6:15PM to join us!

We are thrilled to host our party on the Fireboat John J. Harvey. Fireboat John J. Harvey, launched in 1931, served the City of New York and New York Harbor until she retired in 1994.  She was a historic first; the first fireboat powered by internal combustion engines, the first that could pump and maneuver simultaneously, and was the largest, fastest fire fighting machine of her time, capable of pumping 18,000 gallons per minute.

In 1931 much was added to the New York scene, including John J. Harvey. She is in good company and shares a birthday with notable contemporaries like the Empire State Building and George Washington Bridge. To this day, she is the harbor’s fastest big fireboat and remains the senior in longevity. Saved from the scrap yard by a dedicated group of volunteers she is now moored at Pier 66 Maritime, at 26th St. and the Hudson River alongside the Frying Pan restaurant and the lightship Frying Pan.  The fireboat now serves as an operational museum and education center, offering free public trips to New Yorkers and visitors.