The John Wanamaker, in its heyday, was a well-appointed vessel owned by the City of Philadelphia, catering to the well-connected citizenry. The city sold the John Wanamaker in the 1950s to a private owner who relocated the tug to New England. From 1994 to 2002, the Tug was docked at One Harbor Place in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, serving as a portside restaurant. The tug was later taken to New Bedford, Massachusetts.