Award Recipients

Gerald Weinstein

Gerald Weinstein & Lilac Preservation Project

Award Year: 2013

NMHS New York Harbor Historic Ship Steward Award of Excellence

In 2013 the Society celebrated its 50th anniversary, and at that time honored eight pioneers with the NMHS New York Harbor Historic Ship Steward Award of Excellence. These forerunners identified important vessels in New York Harbor and with enormous sacrifice restored them and made them open to the public.

Gerry Weinstein has been working on restoring steam power to the tri-state waters since 1975 when he apprenticed on the lighter Aqua at South Street.  Though that vessel bit the dust he is storing its engine for eventual restoration.  He then was a trustee of Project Liberty Ship when the ship was in New York.  He was president of the Pegasus Preservation Project, an honorary steamer.  There was a stint working to save the Catawissa up in the canal.  In 2003 he became the president and major donor of the Lilac Preservation Project.  He reckons that the Ivy League education money of the 5 kids he didn’t have is floating at pier 25 on the Hudson right now.  He does get to shovel coal into the boiler of his 34 wooden steamboat the Hestia of Rondout.

Photo © 2015 Jonathan Atkin

Categories: