The hulking and historic SS United States, a thousand-foot-long ocean liner tied for 28 years to Pier 82 behind a South Philly Ikea, will need to find a new home by Sept. 12, a federal judge ruled this month. The ruling follows a yearslong court dispute over the vessel's berth after landlord Penn Warehousing first told the ship to leave the Port of Philadelphia in 2022.

If the ship can't find a new home, say its stewards, the nonprofit SS United States Conservancy, the historic ship will risk being lost forever…

An irreplaceable historic symbol could soon be homeless and face destruction. The SS United States, the only vessel to the bear the name of our nation, is in an intense race against time to remain safely afloat. The ship’s owner and caretaker, the national nonprofit SS United States Conservancy has launched an urgent effort to raise $500,000 to help cover the costs of the ship’s potential relocation and other critical expenses.