Philadelphia Naval Shipyard

Infobox Military Structure
name= Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
location= Philadelphia, Pennsylvania


caption= Reserve Fleet in Philadelphia in 1955
type= Shipyard
built= 1917 (League Island Facility)
materials=
used= 1801 — 1995
controlledby= United States Navy
garrison=
commanders=
battles= Infobox_nrhp | name =Philadelphia Naval Shipyard Historic District
nrhp_type =


caption =
location= S. Broad St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
locmapin = Pennsylvania
area =
built =1903
architect= Robert E. Peary; Karcher & Smith
architecture= Modern Movement, Late Victorian
added = 22 December 1999
governing_body = DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
refnum=99001579cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service] Infobox_nrhp | name =Commandant's Quarters
nrhp_type =


caption =
location= Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
lat_degrees = 39
lat_minutes = 53
lat_seconds = 48
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 75
long_minutes = 10
long_seconds = 38
long_direction = W
locmapin = Pennsylvania
area =
built =1874
architect= US Department of the Navy
architecture= Italian Villa
added = 03 June 1976
governing_body = DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY
refnum=76001661cite web|url=http://www.nr.nps.gov/|title=National Register Information System|date=2007-01-23|work=National Register of Historic Places|publisher=National Park Service] The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, formerly Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The site's role as a U.S. Navy facility ended on 30 September, 1995. Soon after, the West end of the site became a commercial shipyard, currently called the Aker Philadelphia Shipyard. The Navy still maintains a presence at the location, especially via Naval Surface Warfare Center Ship Systems Engineering Station, and the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility (NIMSF), which continues to store decommissioned and mothballed ships

History

The yard originated on Front Street in Philadelphia in 1776. It became an official United States Navy site in 1801. With the advent of ironclad warships the site became obsolete and new facilities were built on League Island at the confluence of the Delaware River and Schuylkill River in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Naval Aircraft Factory was established at the League Island site in 1917. Just after World War I, a 350-ton capacity Hammerhead Crane was ordered for the yard and for many years it was the largest crane in the US Navy.

Its greatest period came in World War II, when the yard employed 40,000 people on the construction of 53 ships and the repair of 574. During this period, the yard built the famed USS "New Jersey" and its forty-five thousand ton sister ship, the USS "Wisconsin".After the war, the workforce dropped to 12,000, and in the 1960s new ships began to be contracted out to private companies. The last new ship constructed was the command ship USS "Blue Ridge", in 1970.

The yard's closure was originally recommended in 1991 by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission, as a result of foreign competition and reduced needs due to the end of the Cold War. Although local politicians tried to keep the Yard open, it finally closed in 1995 with a loss of 7,000 jobs. Senator Arlen Specter charged that the Department of Defense did not disclose the official report on the closing. This resulted in a controversy that led to further legal disputes to no avail. Since its transfer from the government, the West end of property has been leased to Aker Kværner, a tanker and commercial shipbuilding firm.

The memorial to the Four Chaplains currently resides on the grounds of the shipyard.

Clothing manufacterer Urban Outfitters consolidated its Philadelphia Headquarters on the Yard. The Yard is home to several companies as the site continues to expand and develop.

Notable projects

* USS "Indiana": Battleship No. 1 of the Navy, fitted out from 28 February 1893, commissioned 20 November 1895
* USS "New Jersey"
* USS "Wisconsin": Last keel laid for a completed battleship of the United States Navy, 25 January 1941 [BB-64 was launched and commissioned before BB-63, in spite of a later keel laying.]
* The final ships built were LST-1179, LST-1180 & LST-1181 starting In 1969 and completed In early 1971.
* Philadelphia Experiment: supposed site of the Philadelphia Experiment.

References

External links

* [http://www.cnrma.navy.mil/nsamechphila/PNBC.htm Philadelphia Naval Business Center official site]
* Barry Yeoman, [http://www.barryyeoman.com/articles/subsidies.html Subsidies at Sea,] "Mother Jones"