Military
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The Durham boat was a large flat-bottom vessel of the mid-18th century, reputedly designed in prototype form as early as 1757 by Robert Durham, an engineer at the Durham Iron Works in nearby Reiglesville, Pennsylvania. These long-run cargo boats operated along the entire length of the Delaware River, carrying ore, fir, timber, and produce downstream to Philadelphia’s thriving markets. The largest, measuring up to 65 feet long with an 8-foot beam, could carry 20 tons of iron or 150 barrels of flour. Durham boats also played an important role in George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River on December 25, 1776, after he directed Governor Livingston of New Jersey to secure boats and craft, particularly Durham boats, for the anticipated crossing and planned attack on Trenton. Though built for cargo, they successfully carried Washington’s troops across the icy river in the early morning before the attack.
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Pennsylvania · United States
