The ''Brown Smith Jones'' was a patrol boat of the Maryland State Fishery Police which also served in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

as a

patrol vessel A patrol boat (also referred to as a patrol craft, patrol ship, or patrol vessel) is a relatively small naval vessel generally designed for coastal defence, border security, or law enforcement. There are many designs for patrol boats, and they ...

from 1917 to 1918. It was built in 1894 and took its name from the last names respectively of the governor, the state comptroller, and the state treasurer. The design was that of a

Chesapeake Bay The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the ...

bugeye The bugeye is a type of sailboat developed in the Chesapeake Bay for oyster dredging. The predecessor of the skipjack, it was superseded by the latter as oyster harvests dropped. Origins Between 1820 and 1865, the state of Maryland banned th ...

, a type of oyster-dredging boat, but with an enlarged cabin replacing the equipment for handling the dredge. She was equipped with a one-pound repeating rifle mounted before the foremast. The U.S. Navy acquired her on 24 August 1917 for

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

service as a patrol vessel and she was commissioned the same day as the USS ''Dorchester'' (SP-1509).. She served in the

5th Naval District The naval district was a U.S. Navy military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were disestablished and renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command ...

for the remainder of World War I, patrolling waters in

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

and

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

. The Navy decommissioned her and returned her to the state on 26 November 1918. In the early 1930s the ship was sold to H. K. Rigg and converted to a

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

References

*
Department of the Navy: Naval Historical Center Online Library of Selected Images: U.S. Navy Ships: USS Dorchester (ID # 1509), 1917-1918
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown Smith Jones Patrol vessels of the United States Navy World War I patrol vessels of the United States Schooners of the United States Navy 1893 ships