The tug Jupiter was built as hull #961, S. O. Company No. 14, in the Philadelphia shipyard of Neafie & Levy in 1902.[1] She was built for the Standard Oil of New York and christened Socony 14. From 1902 to 1939, she was in service in New York, towing Standard Oil fuel ships and barges. SOCONY 14 was involved in and photographed fighting the Cunard Lines pier fire in New York harbor. In 1939, she was purchased by Independent Pier Company to work in Philadelphia and during the war assisted in launching ships from area shipyards, including USS New Jersey. Jupiter took the first line from the battleship on launching.

After World War II Jupiter and another of the company's tugs, Saturn were converted from a steam diesel power using engines from two decommissioned Landing Ship, Tank (LST) the company had purchased. Some of the tug's postwar work included towing sections of tunnel for Baltimore and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel with activity continuing until purchase in 1999 by Penn’s Landing Corporation for preservation. After that purchase, on the return of the battleship New Jersey to Philadelphia, Jupiter carried passengers to welcome the ship to her birthplace