Official Site of The State of New Jersey

The Battleship New Jersey, in commission from 1941 to 1991, is this country’s most decorated, longest and fastest battleship, serving in World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War and providing a shield in El Salvador and Lebanon in the late 20th century. As one of four Iowa-class battleships, the USS New Jersey spans over 887 feet in length and houses approximately 1,100 individual compartments.  The ship is a product of the local shipbuilding and technology industries in Camden and the Greater Philadelphia area.  It was decommissioned and authorized for use as a museum ship in 1999.  The applicant, the Home Port Alliance for the USS New Jersey, Inc. (HPA), was formed soon after, awarded the contract in 2000, and opened the museum in 2001. 

In the 1980s, the Navy patched the teak decking with an unsuccessful combination of Douglas fir and a top layer of teak. The Douglas fir had deteriorated faster than the teak, trapping moisture against the metal fasteners and the steel decking underneath.  Solid teak is both prohibitively expensive and environmentally unsustainable.  As a result, the Home Port Alliance for the USS New Jersey Inc. developed a process to replace the teak deck with a combination of teak and marine grade plywood (laminated together), which has been approved by the Navy and the New Jersey Historic Preservation Office.  The innovative deck replacement method has inspired museum ships around the country with similar deck issues to reach out to the U.S.S. New Jersey for guidance.

The 2025 Trust grant will help fund teak deck replacement and ballast tank restoration. The 2024 Trust grant will help fund teak deck replacement.  

The 2023 Trust grant helped fund the dry docking of the U.S.S. New Jersey. The 2008, 2020, 2021, and 2022 Trust grants helped fund the multiple phases of the teak deck replacement to ensure the walking safety of tour groups and to protect the steel under the deck. A 2005 Trust grant helped fund safety and accessibility plans that allowed a new below-deck tour route to open for public tours.

For more information, visit: http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/