Here in Louisville we have two mayors. One is inevitably a self important blowhard and the other is a National Historic Landmark. Still not sure how it is a 'landmark' when it is very obviously in the water...
If you're unsure how a mayor could be a landmark, meet the Mayor Andrew Broaddus, formerly Life Saving Station #10 of the United States Life-Saving Service. She also happens to be the only surviving floating life saving station.
Never heard of the United States Life-Saving Service? Me neither, until an improbable sequence of Wikipedia rabbit holes led me to the good mayor. The Life-Saving Service was a predecessor to the Coast Guard that grew out of volunteer efforts to save shipwrecked sailors. Louisville is a long ways from the coast, but the Falls of the Ohio here is the most dangerous part of the entire Ohio River, which is how the first life saving station in 'western' waters came to Louisville.
Built in 1929, she stood watch until 1972, but has since retired from the life saving business. Nowadays she whiles away her golden years as office space for the Belle of Louisville docked behind her. The Belle is even older and still in operation but she's been through some things.
The Belle is also much more visible and well known (and accessible), but the history of the good mayor has piqued my interest. These photos are from two visits to the riverfront about three weeks apart, with a deluge in between. (Look at the differences in the heights of the concrete pillars they're tied up next to)
The city owns all three ships tied up at the wharf here, which could make getting access to the good mayor interesting. Really want to take photos from that lookout tower but that may require knowing somebody. Probably time for me to bail until that happens. Y'all stay dry out there.
For more on the Life-Saving Service, see here
For photos of the good mayor from 1971, see here