In October of 2023, a petition was started by Kevin Castner Jr. ‘24 and distributed throughout campus and online in an effort to bring the SS Stevens anchor back to campus. The SS Stevens was a so-called “floating dormitory” at Stevens from 1967 to 1975, converted from a former attack transport vessel known as the USS Dauphin. After its removal, the Class of ’75 presented funds to have one of the ship’s anchors placed alongside Wittpenn Walk, overlooking its former mooring. Since that time, over 300 students have signed a petition supporting its installation, and it was decided in late December that the restoration of the anchor would be added to the Palmer Fountain project.
Unofficially, the anchor has been back on campus since January, occupying one of the parking spots by Palmer Circle overlooking the DeBaun Athletic Complex. The placement of the anchor was to coincide with the completion of the Palmer Fountain project, originally slated for March. However, between snow storms and torrential downpours, both projects saw delays due to suboptimal conditions for the pouring and curing of concrete foundations. Flags were staked off of Wittpenn Walk to mark the anchor’s intended location on February 29. In mid-March, an approximately 4-foot deep hole was dug in preparation for the anchor’s concrete base.
Finally, on April 5, Wittpenn Walk was partially closed, and the anchor was transported from its parking spot to its (hopefully) permanent site between the Howe Center and Harries Tower. Concrete was poured, and the anchor was placed with some additional supports to ensure that the concrete would cure properly before supporting the anchor’s full weight. The only notable interruption to construction was a brief earthquake that took place on April 5 and temporarily disrupted campus operations while the Stevens Emergency Management Team monitored for damage. While still fenced off at the time of writing, it’s anticipated that the anchor will be show-ready in time for the beginning of Admitted Student Weekend on April 13.
