Dumbwaiters are devices that have been around pretty much since mankind stopped living in caves. They were used by the ancient Egyptians and were found in all castles during the Medieval Times. Today they are found in homes and businesses alike and are very popular. They are also very common on larger ships and this has been the case for some time, dating back hundreds of years. One ship that had a dumbwaiter was a steam yacht called the Marietta, which was built during 1893.

The Marietta was built for a man by the name of Harrison B. Moore, while relatively small, was a top grade steamer. It was designed by Henry J. Gielow, who was a well known and respected Naval Architect. The steel hull of the Marietta extended for 113 feet and a very powerful 500 horse power steam engine that allowed the Marietta to reach speeds of around 18 miles per hour. She was also fully rigged with sails.

Gielow cleverly made use of all of the space available and outfitted it with several large cabins. In addition to the large cabins, a saloon with sofas and a buffet was also added. Using curtains the saloon could be divided and the sofas turned into births to provide additional sleeping quarters.

The Marietta made use of several dumbwaiters to connect the saloon, pilothouse, and galley. These dumbwaiters made it much easier to service the boat and allowed for a smaller crew.