Snapshots of the Past: A Pictorial History of SCI

The Seamen’s Church Institute’s Anniversary Archive Project 175 Years of Serving the Maritime Community Snapshots of the Past: A Pictorial History of SCI

Reverend Smythe Pyne
President of the Young Men’s Church Missionary Society, 1842. He led the group in applying for and receiving a charter on April 12, 1844, as Protestant Episcopal Church Missionary Society for Seamen, which became the Seamen's Church Institute.

Over the years three floating chapels were located at Pike Street and Dey Street. The Floating Chapel of Our Saviour was moored at Pike Street from 1844-1866. A second Floating Chapel of Our Saviour was built to replace the unseaworthy first chapel, and it was also moored at Pike Street. In 1910, it was taken to Staten Island, where it was put ashore and renamed All Saint’s Episcopal Church. It remained there and in use until it burned down December 26, 1958.

The floating chapel moored at Dey Street from 1846-1868 was called the Floating Chapel of the Holy Comforter. When it was deemed to be unseaworthy in 1868, it was closed and was not replaced. SCI began to realize the need to take care of more than just the seaman’s soul, and steps were taken to put this into action.

Reverend Benjamin Clarke Cutler Parker
First Missionary of the Society in charge of the East River Station and of the First Floating Chapel of Our Saviour 1843-1859. At his first service at SCI on July 17, 1843, about 100 people attended, 15 or 20 of them sailors, according to his journal.

Reverend Robert J. Walker
Fourth Chaplain of the Floating Chapel of Our Saviour,1872-1890.

Snug Harbor . Built in 1801 on the former estate of Captain Robert Richard Randall on Staten Island as a retirement home for seafarers. It provided housing and medical services as well as financial support. Snug Harbor moved to North Carolina in 1976.

Reverend Archibald Romaine Mansfield
Mansfield was the director of SCI from 1896 to 1934, originally hired to run the East River Station. He became active in many areas of SCI’s work. He fought for waterfront reforms against the crimps—coercive men who employed techniques such as violence, intimidation, or trickery to take advantage of the seaman—which led to the building of 25 South Street.

25 South Street
Opened in 1913. It was a safe place for sailors to go when in port. It had hotel rooms, a bank, a post office, club rooms, navigational school training, baggage storage, a restaurant, an employment bureau, and of course a chapel. Because the building was popular among seafarers, it was expanded in 1926.

The expansion of 25 South Street took place in 1926. Shown here is the dedication and blessing of the cornerstone.

During times of crisis, such as the World Wars and the Depression, SCI often became a shelter for stranded mariners who were victims of wartime attacks or who had fallen on hard times.

J. Augustus Johnson
Johnson served on the Board of Managers from 1892-1914, as well being the Chairman of the Committee of Legislation. He advocated strongly for seamen's rights. He lobbied in Congress for the passing of crucial legislation and was instrumental in starting the Seamen’s Branch of the Legal Aid Society.

The auditorium at 25 South Street was used often for movies, dances, club events, celebrations, and other forms of entertainment for seamen in port.

The auditorium was also used for religious services, as seen here in 1920. At times it also became a makeshift dormitory.

25 South Street had a baggage room, which allowed sailors to check their belongings in a safe, secure place for up to a year.

Another feature of 25 South Street were two clinics, a medical and a dental clinic, which were open to all seamen.

The Cafeteria at 25 South Street was popular, offering quality meals for low prices. During the Great Depression, meals were 10 cents.

Edmund Baylies
Board of Managers 1885-1932, First Lay President 1905-1932, chose the land for 25 South Street Building, supervised construction of the Annex building, created ‘rivalry’ in fundraising between J.P. Morgan and John D. Rockefeller.

Each holiday season everyone lodging at SCI would receive an invitation to the Christmas dinner and a meal coupon. In 1917 seamen enjoyed soup, turkey, vegetable, cranberry sauce, pie, and coffee with real cream. 1,300 men had to be turned away that year because the building was filled to capacity.

While some services of SCI changed over the years, SCI’s focus on faith remained constant. Chaplains always made themselves available and were never pushy. Some seamen commented that while it was a religious institution, it was “good but not goody-goody.”

A decline in shipping business after WWI and a union strike stranded many sailors on shore without jobs. SCI opened an emergency shelter at a ferry building. From November of 1921 to April of 1922, SCI provided 45,000 seamen with lodging.

Mother Roper, on right, shown bowling with some of the seamen using the game rooms at 25 South Street.

A bank window at SCI became a place where seamen could safely deposit their money. Before the opening of 25 South Street, a seafarer often drank or gambled his money away, if it was not stolen from him.

The Cross on the roof of 25 South Street was illuminated at night and could be seen 30 miles out at sea. It was often on navigational maps because it was a fixed point.

Danish Sailors, shown here, felt right at home at SCI. Because there were so many Danes, they had their own club room at 25 South Street.

The Sentinel took seamen from their ships directly to SCI, avoiding the crimps, who often took advantage of them when they first arrived on shore.

Dr. Mansfield, on left, is shown here with Bishop Davenport promoting the work of SCI at the Tri- Annual Convention of the Episcopal Church.

The main doors of 25 South Street with the ship figure head of Sir Galahad.

Club rooms became lively places where impromptu concerts would begin after a seaman would start playing popular songs or songs of his native land.

ANGRYA, the International Society for the Aid of Greek Seamen, had their offices in SCI at 25 South Street. ANGYRA was formed to “assist all Greek seamen who may be in need, without regard to their political views, religious preference, or individual beliefs.”

SCI had prominent Board members, including John D. Rockefeller, J. P. Morgan, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. Roosevelt remained on SCI’s Board during his presidency, serving from 1908 until his death in 1945. SCI was one of the few boards he remained on while President. (Photo courtesy of the FDR Presidential Library, Hyde Park NY.)

The medical office staff during the Spanish Flu epidemic.

One of the cars used to transport seamen from the docks to the main building.

The S.S. Normandie , which on Feb 9, 1942, caught fire, sparking one of the largest blazes in New York history. Her bell is in the front hall of SCI at Water Street.

SCI’s auditorium, shown here in 1917, was also used to keep seamen in the Merchant Marine in top shape while waiting to ship out.

The J. Hooker Hamersley, was used for hands-on Navigational Training as well as excursions for the seamen to places like Coney Island.

A sailor heads to SCI to get a room for the night. During 1930, 486,219 men stayed at 25 South Street. Demand for the beds often exceeded supply, and a line often formed at the doors in the morning.

When 25 South Street first opened, dormitory beds were 15 cents a night and rooms were 25 cents a night.

At 25 South Street, men shared the bathrooms and women were not allowed. When SCI moved to 15 State Street, rooms with private baths became available and seamen’s wives were allowed to stay with them.

The Titanic Lighthouse, dedicated to the memory of the lives lost in the sinking of the Titanic, stood on the roof of the building at 25 South Street. The lighthouse could be seen 12 miles off shore. It featured a time ball that dropped every day at noon, helping seamen to tell the time.

The Government of Sweden provided funding for the Swedish Reading Room at SCI, building comradery among the many Swedish seamen at SCI.

The Employment Bureau of SCI operated as a free service. It posted flyers on bulletin boards announcing openings for various jobs on ships.

The mural in the lobby of 25 South Street was dedicated to the efforts of those who served in the Merchant Marine during both World Wars.

Janet Roper
Roper worked at SCI from 1915-1943. Originally hired as house mother, she opened the Missing Seamen’s Bureau that located thousands of missing seamen. A good listener, she became a strong female influence on the lives of many seamen, believing that these men could always use a mom away from mom.

Opened in 1920 by Janet Roper, the Missing Seamen’s Bureau located missing seamen for their families. The search took anywhere between a few hours to several years to locate a seaman and occurred mainly by word of mouth. Overall approximately 20,000 were located.

The flags on the roof of 25 South Street delivered messages to those at sea. When the building opened on May 28, 1913, SCI raised three flags of the international code of signals to spell out ‘Welcome.’

In addition to navigational training on ships, SCI offered classes that took place on the roof of 25 South Street. These classes often dealt with using equipment such as sextants to find fixed coordinates.

Clarence G. Michalis- Board member from 1924-1969, served as president from 1932-1957. He was also the chief executive of the Seaman’s Bank for Savings. He began SCI’s fine art collection and foresaw the change in shipping in the Port of New York. He urged SCI’s change in operations at Port Newark to better serve mariners.

25 South Street featured reading and writing rooms that provided quiet places to sit and read or write, especially useful on a cold or rainy day.

Navigational training began informally at SCI in 1899. It provided seamen an opportunity to advance in the ranks and obtain better jobs and pay. The Merchant Marine School opened formally at 25 South Street in 1914 after the New York Nautical College merged with SCI.

Classes at the Merchant Marine School were originally taught by Captain Huntington, a retired ship captain who had also run a navigational school in Boston. In 1917, 306 students had registered, and 24 received commissions in the Navy.

The school offered courses in gunnery, signaling, and ordnance as well as preparatory classes for admittance to Annapolis. In 1918 engineering courses were added, giving seamen the chance to advance in rank, and the ship’s bridge on the roof of 25 South Street was finished.

After completing their courses, seamen received graduation certificates.

The post office at 25 South Street was quite possibly the world’s most famous address at one time. Seamen often listed 25 South Street as their address, since they often did not have a home address. In 1925 alone over 325,000 men came to the post office to collect their mail. After spending months at sea, a letter from home was a morale booster.

Radio KDKF
The station began in November 1920, broadcasting medical advice aboard vessels before medical training was mandatory. The station became popular and operated 24 hours a day. RCA eventually took over the broadcasts using more powerful radio equipment, and more stations opened up and down the East Coast.

The money earned by seamen could be deposited at SCI and transferred to a bank account or wired home to relatives. SCI worked with three different banks to offer this service.

Seamen enjoyed a sense of comradery, especially in club rooms. They often could be overheard talking about their girlfriends or wives, their ships, and tall tales of adventures at sea.

The success of SCI was in part because its chaplains realized that “The old idea that sailors will become drunken wrecks unless eternally pursued with tracts and hymn books has been disproved and discarded. If a man wants religion he can have it, but it is never forced on him.”

Reverend Dr. Harold H. Kelley, on right, Director of SCI from 1934-1948. He led SCI through the tough Depression years and WWII. He was appointed an officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau by Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and made an honorary officer of the British Empire by King George VI for his aid to British and Dutch crews during WWII.

15 State Street
After SCI closed 25 South Street, it moved to 15 State Street, which had fewer hotel rooms and more floors devoted to navigational training.

SCI offered a wide variety of items for purchase including the Bibles shown here, available in 60 different languages.

The chapel at 15 State Street. In 1915, one could attend a chapel service in English, German, Danish, Lettish or Latvian, Swedish, and Spanish.

Reverend Raymond S. Hall
Director of SCI from 1948 to 1960. Served in the army during WWII as a Chaplain para-trooper. Very involved with the seamen and well respected by all.

Baptisms were often held in the Chapel at SCI. The baptismal font was made to look like a capstan and is still used today. It was created in 1845 and was used in the Floating Chapel.

Reverend Dr. John M. Mulligan, Director of SCI from 1960-1977. Helped to guide SCI through reorganization and consolidation when moving from 25 South Street to 15 State Street. Also helped to make the Port Newark location a possibility.

SCI Port Newark, opened in 1961, in response to the changing industry. The International Seafarers’ Center is currently being renovated and offers internet and phone access, rides to shopping areas, pastoral services, relaxation, and more. The soccer field was one of its most popular features.

The Navigational School has moved from manual training on the roof of 25 South Street into simulators, shown here with early equipment in New York. SCI Houston and SCI Paducah both offer classes today using state-of-the-art technology.

From its opening in 1834 to present day, the Seamen’s Church Institute's Chapel has been used for a variety of services, including weddings.

Ship Visiting is another of the services still provided by SCI Chaplains and volunteers. Packages brought to the seafarers included books, magazines, razors, clothing, simple food items, and writing materials. This is also another way to monitor the medical and safety conditions aboard a vessel.

Posting a flyer about SCI on a ship, reminding the seamen of the various services that SCI’s provided.

An exhibit at the museum of SCI, showing some of the services provided. Sailor’s trinkets from around the world often ended up on display after their bags went unclaimed for more than a year and a half and all efforts made to contact the sailor failed.

An SCI volunteer handing out a Christmas at Sea package. Started in 1898, the Christmas at Sea program gives all mariners who visit the Port New York and Port Newark a package to make being away from home during the holidays a little easier. The mariners on inland rivers of the United States also receive packages through the Christmas on the River program.

Christmas at Sea packages wrapped and waiting to be distributed to seafarers. All packages included a hand knitted item such as gloves or a scarf, and other items such as nail clippers, a writing kit, hand lotion, or a sewing kit.

Each Christmas Eve, those staying at the hotel at SCI would receive a Christmas package. An elderly seaman once tried to return his, thinking that it was left in his room by mistake. Once the confusion cleared the man left with tears in his eyes, saying that he had not had a Christmas gift since he was very small.

M/V Fir Grove, sister ship of the M/V Pine Grove owned by Inui Steamship Company, Ltd., was found guilty by a federal judge for wage abuse and double bookkeeping. The charges were brought to light due in part to the Center for Seafarers Rights, founded in 1982. There was a 21 member Filipino crew who won 40 million dollars, the largest settlement ever granted.

241 Water Street, the current location of the Seamen’s Church Institute. It became SCI’s headquarters in 1991.

The Seamen’s Church Institute Founded in 1834 and affiliated with the Episcopal Church (though non-denominational in terms of its trustees, staff and service to mariners), the Seamen’s Church Institute of New York & New Jersey (SCI) is the largest, most comprehensive mariners’ agency in North America. Annually, its chaplains visit 3,400 vessels in the Port of New York and New Jersey and along 2,200 miles of America’s inland waterways. SCI’s maritime education facilities provide navigational training to nearly 1,600 mariners each year through simulator-based facilities located in Houston, TX and Paducah, KY. The Institute and its maritime attorneys are recognized as leading advocates for merchant mariners by the United States Government, including the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Homeland Security, as well as the United Nations, the International Maritime Organization, the International Labor Organization and maritime trade associations. Visit us on the Web at www.seamenschurch.org .

The Seamen’s Church Institute About the Anniversary Archive Project From April Hegner, SCI Archivist Greetings from the virtual, online museum of the Seamen’s Church Institute (SCI)—175 years old in the year 2009. My name is April Hegner, SCI’s archivist during its Anniversary celebration. This year I have the distinct privilege of working in and among the rich and fascinating annals of history at SCI, North America’s largest maritime service organization. I am pleased to share with you some of my findings in several short slideshow presentations as part of the Anniversary Archive Project. Throughout the year, I will be adding more. You can view them as they are compiled at SCI’s website at www.seamenschurch.org . I hope that you enjoy leafing through these pages of the organization’s history. If you have any questions about this project or any particular item displayed here, you may contact me at [email_address] .

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Snapshots of the Past: A Pictorial History of SCI

by Seamens Church on Jan 28, 2009

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Snapshots of the Past: A Pictorial History of SCI — Presentation Transcript