Lightships were used to mark the entrances to major US ports
or to mark dangers to navigation
The first US lightship location was Willoughby Spit in 1820
The last station to be discontinued was Nantucket Shoals
The last US lightship left station in 1983
Over the years 4 lightships were lost to storms
and one was rammed by RMS Olympic
One was lost to a German U-boat in WWI
Model: Yes
| Designation | Name | Class | Hull | Service | Comments | Pictures |
| LV A | 1820 – 1852 | Early lightships were controlled by the Lighthouse Establishment. A list of these vessels can be found at this Link. They are Lightships A through ZZ |
Yes | |||
| USLHT | LV-1 | LV | 1 | 1852 – 1939 | In 1852 the Lighthouse Service was established replacing the Lighthouse Establishment The Service began numbering lightships from LV-1 A complete list of these vessels can be found at this Link |
Yes |