The ''Mary Murray'' was a long

Staten Island Ferry The Staten Island Ferry is a fare-free passenger ferry route operated by the New York City Department of Transportation. The ferry's single route runs through New York Harbor between the Boroughs of New York City, New York City boroughs of Manh ...

vessel launched in 1937. She was decommissioned in 1975, and sold at auction with her new owner intending to turn it into a restaurant or museum. She sat tied up at a creek on the

Raritan River The Raritan River is a river of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its Drainage basin, watershed drains much of the mountainous areas in the North Jersey, northern and Central Jersey, central sections of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay near ...

within view of the

New Jersey Turnpike The New Jersey Turnpike (NJTP) is a system of controlled-access highway, controlled-access toll roads in the U.S. state of New Jersey. The turnpike is maintained by the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA).The Garden State Parkway, although ma ...

until she was dismantled for scrap in 2008–2012.

History

The ''Mary Murray'' was named for the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

figure Mary Lindley Murray. The vessel was built and launched from the United Dry Docks on Staten Island in 1937 during a grand ceremony with Mayor

Fiorello La Guardia Fiorello Henry La Guardia (born Fiorello Raffaele Enrico La Guardia; December 11, 1882September 20, 1947) was an American attorney and politician who represented New York in the U.S. House of Representatives and served as the 99th mayor of New Yo ...

and 500 other spectators in attendance. The ship, part of the ''Miss New York'' ferryboat class, cost $912,000 to build. The ''Mary Murray'' was retired in 1974 and sold at auction. From 1982 through the mid-2000s, she sat as a floating wreck on the

within view of the

. Her owner was George Searle, a former merchant mariner, who had intentions of turning it into a restaurant or museum. Shortly after purchasing the ''Mary Murray'', Searle had the vessel towed to a spot near his marina on the south side of the

. The state sued Searle in 1981 because the boat was docked in the middle of the river. In 1982 he moved the vessel to his property on the side of the river, tying her to the bank partially up "No-Name Creek", where she stayed until she was dismantled. The location contained other vessels and barges purchased by Searle including a ship purported to be owned by a former

Shah of Iran The monarchs of Iran ruled for over two and a half millennia, beginning as early as the 7th century BC and enduring until the 20th century AD. The earliest Iranian king is generally considered to have been either Deioces of the Median dynasty () ...

. Historically, prefixes for civilian vessels often identified the vessel's mode of propulsion, such as, "SS" (screw steamer), "MV" (motor vessel). The ''Mary Murray'' was powered by a 4,000 horsepower double compound steam engine.

Dismantling

In March 2008 it was announced that the ferry would be dismantled and used for scrap metal. Aerial images show the ferry's superstructure half removed by October 2008, dismantled all the way down to the hull in by 2010, and ferry as well as all the other barge and boat hulls totally gone by 2012.

Notes

External links

Photos of a trip to the Mary Murray

Exploring The Mary Murray
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mary Murray Ferries of New Jersey Raritan River Staten Island Ferry vessels