Save Our Seaport is a grassroots organization that began primarily among South Street Seaport Museum volunteers and former staff, including its founding President Peter Stanford. We came together in 2011 when it looked as though the Museum would shut its doors and divest itself of its collections and working vessels; we sought a new beginning for this unique and critical waterfront institution. We have rapidly grown to include a broad array of citizens concerned with the preservation of the Museum, the Seaport Historic District, New York and American maritime history, the Museum ships and waterfront, and the public markets.

We believe that the Museum and its fleet will thrive only if the inherent character and public purpose of the neighborhood around it is respected and safe from the usurpation of development interests. The destruction caused by Hurricane Sandy, the callous and insensitive threats to the District from Howard Hughes Corporation, and decisions by the NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC) have prompted us to build a broader coalition, citywide and beyond, of institutions, organizations, prominent individuals, and community groups to defend this fragile neighborhood and ensure its revitalization.