SS William A. Irvin

SS William A. Irvin
SS William A. Irvin in Minnesota Slip
History
United States
OwnerUS Steel
BuilderAmerican Ship Building Company
Launched10 November 1937
Sponsored byGertrude Irvin
In service1938
Out of service1978
IdentificationIMO number5390137
StatusMuseum ship
General characteristics
TypeLaker
Tonnage8,240 gross; 6,072 net
Length610 ft 9.75 in (186.1757 m)
Beam60 ft (18 m)
Depth32 ft 6 in (9.91 m)
Installed powerDeLaval Cross steam turbine
Speed
  • 11.1 mph (9.6 kn; 17.9 km/h) (fully loaded)
  • 12.5 mph (10.9 kn; 20.1 km/h) (empty)
Capacity14,000 tons
William A. Irvin (freighter)
SS William A. Irvin is located in Duluth
SS William A. Irvin
SS William A. Irvin is located in Minnesota
SS William A. Irvin
SS William A. Irvin is located in the United States
SS William A. Irvin
LocationMinnesota Slip in Duluth Harbor, Duluth, Minnesota
Coordinates46°46′58″N 92°5′50″W / 46.78278°N 92.09722°W / 46.78278; -92.09722
AreaLess than one acre
Built1938
Built byAmerican Ship Building Company
Architectural styleSteel bulk freighter
NRHP reference No.89000858[1]
Added to NRHPJuly 13, 1989

SS William A. Irvin is a lake freighter, named for William A. Irvin, that sailed as a bulk freighter on the Great Lakes as part US Steel's lake fleet. She was flagship of the company fleet from her launch in the depths of the Great Depression in 1938 until 1975 and then was a general workhorse of the fleet until her retirement in 1978.

The ship was refurbished and is moored at Duluth, Minnesota, as a museum ship. SS William A. Irvin is a well-maintained example of a classic laker, and a prime example of a straight decker, as she has no self-unloading system.

The ship was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989 for her state-level significance in the themes of engineering, maritime history, and transportation.[2] She was nominated for her role in Great Lakes maritime commerce and for her innovative design features.[3]

The ship has a race named in her honor. Each year since 1994 during the Grandma's Marathon weekend, nearly 2,000 runners compete in the William A. Irvin 5K, which begins and ends at the iconic red hull of the ship.[4]

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ "William A. Irvin (Freighter)". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009. Retrieved 2018-06-16.
  3. ^ Michael Koop (February 8, 1989). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Freighter WILLIAM A. IRVIN". National Park Service. Retrieved March 29, 2018. With 10 photos (photos filed under wrong reference number, switched with photos for a different NRHP-listed site).
  4. ^ "William A. Irvin 5K". Grandma's Marathon. Retrieved June 26, 2019.