Typical rowboat based on a Whitehall rowboat, Whitehall rowboats (Whitehalls) are considered one of the most refined rowboats of the 19th century.[citation needed] The basic design is much older and of European ancestry. It strongly resembles a sailing ship's gig or a Thames river wherry used by watermen as a taxi service. They were first made in the U.S. at the foot of Whitehall Street in New York City to be used to ferry goods, services, and sailors on and off the boats coming into New York Harbor. The boats range from 14 to 22 ft in length, the larger requiring two people to row them.