Over the past 40 years the National Park Service, through the Maritime Initiative, the Maritime Heritage Program, and the History Division, has inventoried and evaluated historic Maritime resources across the US. These inventories have been published as reports and, in several cases, as National Historic Landmark Theme Studies. The publications include detailed information about the historic resources with evaluations of their condition at the time the inventories were completed.
To read the inventories and learn more about the history, evaluations, and conditions of these important maritime resources, see the publications and links below.
To read the inventories and learn more about the history, evaluations, and conditions of these important maritime resources, see the publications and links below.
Large Preserved Historic Vessels
The 1990 Inventory of Large Preserved Historic Vessels was prepared by the National Park Service to identify the number, types, and condition of the large preserved historic vessels in the United States as of the date of publication (1990). The inventory contains information on 244 large preserved historic vessels.
The definition of "large preserved historic vessels" that was used for this inventory was any vessel greater than 40 feet in length and/or 20 tons admeasurement.
To be considered historic, vessels had to be listed in, determined eligible for, or be likely to be considered eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
Lightships
In 1989, as part of the Large Preserved Historic Vessels inventory project, the National Park Service's Maritime Initiative wrote an historic context for Lightships in the U.S. Of the 22 surviving lightships inventoried as part of the historic context, eight were selected for study as potential National Historic Landmarks.
World War II Warships in the Pacific
In 1985, the National Park Service published the Warships Associated with World War II in the Pacific National Historic Landmark Theme Study. The purpose of the study was to inventory and evaluate surviving World War II warships in the Pacific to provide a basis for recommending some of them for designation as National Historic Landmarks.
More than 40 surviving warships and merchantmen were identified in the theme study. Among those were Aircraft Carriers, Battleships, Cruisers, Submarines, Minesweepers, Torpedo Boats, Liberty Ships, and Foreign Warships. Many of these are also included in the 1990 Inventory of Large Preserved Historic Vessels.
Historic Lighthouses and Light Stations
In 1994 the National Park Service Maritime Initiative published an inventory of the historic light stations across the United States. The Inventory of Historic Light Stations contains 611 historic light stations (as of 1994) encompassing 631 historic towers. The inventory includes both publicly owned and privately owned light stations.
In order to be included in the Inventory a light station had to be 50 or more years old (as of 1994), have been evaluated for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, and be still standing.
For up to date information about historic lighthouses and light stations in the U.S please visit:
Historic Life-Saving Stations
Assisting shipwrecked mariners from shore-based stations was first undertaken in the United States by volunteers, beginning with the Massachusetts Humane Society in 1786. The Federal government began to provide provisions and funds for life saving operations in 1848, and the United States Lifesaving Service was created in 1878. Stations were organized into three categories: lifesaving, lifeboat, and houses of refuge. Beginning in 1915, the U.S. Coast Guard operated and maintained active stations. Today, many historic stations that are no longer active have been re-purposed for museum or commercial activities.
To learn more about the history of life-saving stations, visit the U.S. Life-Saving Service Heritage Association.
To find up to date information about specific life saving stations visit the U.S. Life-Saving Service Heritage Association Locate a Station Site webpage.
Last updated: May 6, 2025