.gif)
USCGC Greenbrier (WAGL-214)
Encyclopedia
The USCGC Greenbrier was a stern paddlewheel steamer that was used as a river tender, first by the United States Lighthouse Service
and then by the United States Coast Guard
.
The Greenbrier was built by Charles Ward Engineering Works
of Charleston, West Virginia
, with a steel hull topped by a composite superstructure. She entered service with the Lighthouse Service on 20 June 1924
Her top speed was 10 knots, with an economic cruising speed of 7 knots. Five percent of her space was allotted to buoy
tending equipment with the remaining space was made up of "hotel features." Greenbrier was based at Cincinnati, Ohio
and serviced aids to navigation for 443 miles on the Ohio
and Kanawah Rivers. She was transferred to the Coast Guard in 1939 along with the rest of the Lighthouse Service and remained in commission until 19 September 1947. She was then sold on 19 April 1948.
United States Lighthouse Service
The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 until 1939...
and then by the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
.
The Greenbrier was built by Charles Ward Engineering Works
Charles Ward Engineering Works
The Charles Ward Engineering Works, Charleston, W. Va. was an iron and steel fabricator and shipyard founded by Charles Ward in 1872. They produced shallow draught boats at a plant on the south bank of the Kanawha River. It remained in operation until 1931 headed by the founder’s son Charles E...
of Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
, with a steel hull topped by a composite superstructure. She entered service with the Lighthouse Service on 20 June 1924
Her top speed was 10 knots, with an economic cruising speed of 7 knots. Five percent of her space was allotted to buoy
Buoy
A buoy is a floating device that can have many different purposes. It can be anchored or allowed to drift. The word, of Old French or Middle Dutch origin, is now most commonly in UK English, although some orthoepists have traditionally prescribed the pronunciation...
tending equipment with the remaining space was made up of "hotel features." Greenbrier was based at Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and serviced aids to navigation for 443 miles on the Ohio
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
and Kanawah Rivers. She was transferred to the Coast Guard in 1939 along with the rest of the Lighthouse Service and remained in commission until 19 September 1947. She was then sold on 19 April 1948.