James Rich Steers (October 15, 1808 – April 16, 1896) was an American yacht builder and politician.

His father, Henry Steers, was connected to the Construction Department of the Royal Naval Dockyards at Plymouth until 1815.

In 1826 Steers was involved with his father in partially successful efforts to recover items from the sunken British cruiser HMS Hussar in the Hell Gate area of New York Harbor.

[1] In 1850, he and his brother formed the firm George & James R. Steers, with shipyards at the foot of East Twelfth Street, where the yacht America was built for John C. Stevens, Edward A. Stevens, George Schuyler, Hamilton Wilkes, and J. Beekman Finley.

44 volunteer fire company founded by Jacob Bell, which operated out of quarters at the far east end of Houston Street near the waterfront and included many prominent shipbuilders among its members.