LILAC

The steamship Lilac, moored at Pier 25, holds the distinction of being the last surviving steam-powered lighthouse tender in the United States. Built in 1933, the vessel spent nearly four decades maintaining the navigational buoys and delivering vital supplies—including mail, fresh water, and library books—to remote lighthouse keepers along the Delaware River. Its riveted steel hull and traditional black workboat livery mark it as a relic of a bygone era of maritime labor. Today, it serves as a floating museum where visitors can explore its remarkably intact infrastructure, including the original piston-driven steam engines that once powered its long years of service.