Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard | |
---|---|
Kittery, Maine | |
Coordinates | 43°4′44″N 70°44′3″W / 43.07889°N 70.73417°W |
Type | Shipyard |
Site information | |
Controlled by | United States Navy |
Open to the public | No |
Site history | |
Built | 1800 |
In use | 1800–Present |
Battles/wars | |
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard | |
Location | Seavey Island, Kittery, Maine |
Area | 54 acres (22 ha) |
Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Greek Revival |
NRHP reference No. | 77000141[1] |
Added to NRHP | November 17, 1977 |
Garrison information | |
Current commander | Capt. Michael Oberdorf (February 22 -present) |
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard on Seavey's Island in Kittery, Maine, bordering Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The naval yard lies along the southern boundary of Maine on the Piscataqua River.
Founded in 1800, PNS is U.S. Navy's oldest continuously operating shipyard. Today, most of its work concerns the overhaul, repair, and modernization of submarines.[2]
As of November 2021, the shipyard employed more than 6,500 federal employees.[3] As well, some of the work is performed by private corporations (e.g., Delphinius Engineering of Eddystone, Pennsylvania; Oceaneering International of Chesapeake, Virginia; Orbis Sibro of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina; and Q.E.D. Systems Inc. of Virginia Beach, Virginia).[4]
History
The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was established on June 12, 1800, during the administration of President John Adams. It sits on a cluster of conjoined islands called Seavey's Island in the Piscataqua River, whose swift tidal current prevents ice from blocking navigation to the Atlantic Ocean.[5]
The area has a long tradition of
In the 1790s,
Commodore
During World War I, the shipyard began constructing submarines, with L-8 being the first ever built by a U. S. navy yard. Meanwhile, the base continued to overhaul and repair surface vessels. Consequently, the workforce grew to nearly 5,000 civilians. It grew to almost 25,000 civilians in World War II when over 70 submarines were constructed at the yard, with a record of 4 launched in a single day. When the war ended, the shipyard became the Navy's center for submarine design and development. In 1953, Albacore revolutionized submarine design around the world with its teardrop hull and round cross-section. It is now a museum and tourist attraction in Portsmouth. Swordfish, the first nuclear-powered submarine built at the base, was launched in 1957. The last submarine built here was Sand Lance, launched in 1969. Today the shipyard provides overhaul, refueling, and modernization work.[7]
In 1965, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara ordered the closure of 95 military bases which included the Portsmouth Naval Yard, but Portsmouth received a ten-year extension before the order to close was ultimately rescinded by President Richard Nixon in 1971.[10][11]
In the early years of submarine construction, the wood from lignum vitae tree logs was used for propeller shaft bearings. A small pond at Portsmouth, near the Naval Prison, was used to keep the lignum vitae logs submerged in water in order to prevent the wood from cracking. Although the use of wood was discontinued as construction techniques improved, many of the logs were still present during the construction of USS Jack between 1963 and 1967.[citation needed]
The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure Commission placed the yard on a list for base closures, effective by 2008. Employees organized the Save Our Shipyard campaign to influence the committee to reverse its decision. On 24 August 2005, the base was taken off the list and continues operating under its motto, "From Sails to Atoms."[5]
The shipyard earned the Meritorious Unit Commendation in 2005. The MUC recognized the shipyard for meritorious service from September 11, 2001, to August 30, 2004. Portsmouth Naval Shipyard accomplishments achieved during that period included completion of six major submarine availabilities early, exceeding Net Operation Results financial goals, reducing injuries by more than 50 percent, and exceeding the Secretary of Defense's Fiscal Year 2006 Stretch Goal for lost workday compensation rates two years early.
In addition to the Navy presence, the United States Army New England Recruiting Battalion moved to PNSY in June 2010 from the closed
PNS is undergoing substantial construction and infrastructure upgrades. In fiscal 2020, Navy contracts were issued to renovate the communications building,[13] build a super flood basin and extend crane rails in Dry Dock 1,[14][15] upgrade crane rails in Dry Dock 2,[16] renovate Building 2,[17] and implement sundry waterfront projects.[18]
The summer of 2021 saw an uptick in construction contracts issued for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, including purchase and installation of three 12,000-gallon-per-minute dewatering pumps for the Dry Dock 1 extension,[19] ongoing construction of the Dry Dock 2 complex,[20] commencement of construction on the Virginia-class submarine waterfront support facility (Building 178),[21] and a $1.73 billion contract for building a dry dock for maintenance and upgrade of Virginia-class submarines.[22]
Superfund site
In 1994, the shipyard was placed on the
Boundary dispute
New Hampshire laid claim to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard until the
Safety concerns
A CDC / NIOSH study released in 2005 examined the cases of 115 employees at the shipyard who had died of leukemia between 1952 and 1992. The results suggested that leukemia mortality risk increased with increasing cumulative occupational ionizing radiation dose among PNS workers.[26]
Dry docks and slipways
Dock No. | Material of which dock is constructed | Length | Width | Depth | Date Completed | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Concrete | 435 feet 3 inches (132.66 m) | 104 feet (32 m) | 25 feet (7.6 m) | 1942 | [27] |
2 | Concrete and granite | 686 feet 5 inches (209.22 m) | 129 feet (39 m) | 30 feet 4 inches (9.25 m) | 1905 | |
3 | Concrete | 486 feet (148 m) | 71 feet (22 m) | 37 feet (11 m) | 1962 |
January 1, 1946 | |||
---|---|---|---|
Shipbuilding ways | Width | Length | Source |
1 | 48 feet (15 m) | 369 feet (112 m) | [28] |
2 | 46 feet 6 inches (14.17 m) | 369 feet (112 m) | |
3 | 46 feet 6 inches (14.17 m) | 369 feet (112 m) | |
4 | 52 feet (16 m) | 369 feet (112 m) | |
5 | ..... | 324 feet (99 m) |
Notable ships built at shipyard predecessors
- 1690 — HMS Falkland - (50-gun fourth-rate)[29]
- 1696 — HMS Bedford Galley - (32-gun fifth-rate)[29]
- 1749 — HMS America - (60-gun fourth-rate)[29]
- 1776 — Raleigh - (32-gun frigate)[29]
- 1777 — Ranger - (18-gun sloop-of-war)[29]
- 1782 — America - (74-gun ship of the line)[29]
- 1791 — revenue cutter)[29]
- 1797 — Crescent - (36-gun frigate)[29]
- 1798 — Portsmouth - (24-gun sloop-of-war)[29]
- 1799 — Congress - (38-gun frigate)[29]
- 1814 — Washington - (74-gun ship of the line)[29]
- 1820 — Porpoise - (11-gun schooner)[29]
- 1828 — Concord - (24-gun sloop-of-war)[29]
- 1839 — Preble - (20-gun sloop-of-war)[29]
- 1841 — Congress - (50-gun frigate)[29]
- 1842 — Saratoga - (24-gun sloop-of-war)[29]
- 1843 — Portsmouth - (24-gun sloop-of-war)[29]
- 1848 — Saranac - (steam sloop)[29]
- 1855 — Santee - (44-gun frigate)[29]
- 1855 — LV-1 - Lightship Nantucket[29]
- 1859 — Mohican - (steam sloop)[29]
- 1861 — Kearsarge - (steam sloop)[29]
- 1861 — Ossipee - (steam sloop)[29]
- 1861 — Sebago - (side-wheel steam gunboat)[29]
- 1861 — Mahaska - (side-wheel steam gunboat)[29]
- 1862 — Sonoma - (side-wheel steam gunboat)[29]
- 1862 — Conemaugh - (side-wheel steam gunboat)[29]
- 1862 — Sassacus - (side-wheel steam gunboat)[29]
- 1862 — Sacramento - (steam sloop)[29]
- 1863 — Nipsic - (steam gunboat)[29]
- 1863 — Shawmut - (steam gunboat)[29]
- 1863 — Agamenticus - (Miantonomoh-class monitor)[29]
- 1864 — New Hampshire - (74-gun ship of the line)[29]
- 1864 — Contoocook - (steam sloop)[29]
- 1864 — Franklin - (steam frigate)[29]
- 1864 — Pawtuxet - (side-wheel steam gunboat)[31]
- 1864 — Blue Light - (tugboat)[29]
- 1864 — Port Fire - (tugboat)[29]
- 1865 — Resaca - (steam gunboat)[29]
- 1866 — Piscataqua - (steam frigate)[29]
- 1867 — Minnetonka - (steam frigate)[29]
- 1868 — Benicia - (steam sloop)[29]
- 1874 — Enterprise - (steam sloop)[29]
- 1905 — Boxer - (training brigantine)[29]
- 1908 — Patapsco - (tugboat)[29]
- 1917 — L-8 - (United States L-class submarine)[29]
- 1918 — O-1 - (United States O-class submarine)[29]
- 1918 — S-3 - (United States S-class submarine)[29]
- 1919 — S-4 - (United States S-class submarine)[29]
- 1919 — S-5 - (United States S-class submarine)[29]
- 1919 — S-6 - (United States S-class submarine)[29]
- 1920 — S-7 - (United States S-class submarine)[29]
- 1920 — S-8 - (United States S-class submarine)[29]
- 1920 — S-9 - (United States S-class submarine)[29]
- 1920 — S-10 - (United States S-class submarine)[29]
- 1921 — S-11 - (United States S-class submarine)[29]
- 1921 — S-12 - (United States S-class submarine)[29]
- 1921 — S-13 - (United States S-class submarine)[29]
- 1924 — Barracuda - (diesel submarine)[29]
- 1924 — Bass - (diesel submarine)[29]
- 1924 — Bonita - (diesel submarine)[29]
- 1928 — Pacific patrols[32]
- 1929 — Pacific patrols[32]
- 1932 — Pacific patrols[32]
- 1933 — Pacific patrols[32]
- 1934 — Hudson - (USCG Calumet-class harbor tug)[33]
- 4 of 10 United States Porpoise-class submarines [29][32]
- 1935 — Pacificpatrols
- 1935 — Pacificpatrols
- 1936 — Pacificpatrols
- 1936 — Pacificpatrols
- 1935 —
- 2 of 6 Salmon-class submarines
- 1937 — Pacificpatrols
- 1937 — Pacificpatrols
- 1937 —
- 4 of 10 Sargo-class submarines [29][32]
- 1938 — Pacificpatrols
- 1939 — Pacificpatrols
- 1939 — Pacificpatrols
- 1939 — Pacificpatrols
- 1938 —
- 4 of 12 Tambor-class submarines [29][32]
- 1940 — Pacificpatrols
- 1940 — Pacificpatrols
- 1940 — Pacificpatrols
- 1940 — Pacificpatrols
- 1940 —
- 1 of 2 Mackerel-class submarines [32]
- 1941 — Marlin
- 14 of 77 Gato-class submarines [29][32]
- 1941 — Pacificpatrols
- 1941 — Pacificpatrols
- 1941 — Pacificpatrols
- 1941 — Pacificpatrols
- 1941 — Pacificpatrols
- 1942 — Pacific World War IIpatrols
- 1942 — Pacificpatrols
- 1942 — Pacificpatrols
- 1942 — Pacificpatrols
- 1942 — Pacificpatrols
- 1942 — Pacificpatrols
- 1942 — Pacificpatrols
- 1942 — Pacificpatrols
- 1942 — Pacificpatrols
- 1941 —
- 42 of 120 Balao-class submarines [29][34][32]
- 1942 — Pacificpatrols
- 1942 — Pacificpatrols
- 1942 — Pacificpatrols
- 1942 — Pacificpatrols
- 1942 — Pacificpatrol
- 1942 — Pacificpatrol
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1942 —
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1943 —
- 24 of 29 Tench-class submarines [34][32]
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrol
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Pacificpatrol
- 1944 — Pacificpatrol
- 1944 — Pacificpatrols
- 1944 — Conger
- 1944 — Pacificpatrol
- 1944 — Pacificpatrol
- 1944 — Medregal
- 1945 — Requin
- 1945 — Irex
- 1945 — Sea Leopard
- 1945 — Odax
- 1945 — Sirago
- 1945 — Pomodon
- 1945 — Remora
- 1945 — Sarda
- 1945 — Spinax
- 1945 — Volador
- 1944 —
- 1951 — Tang - (diesel submarine)[34]
- 1951 — Wahoo - (diesel submarine)[34]
- 1951 — Gudgeon - (diesel submarine)[34]
- 1953 — Albacore - (experimental diesel submarine)[34]
- 1955 — Sailfish - (RADAR picket submarine)[34]
- 1956 — Salmon - (RADAR picket submarine)[34]
- 1958 — Growler - (guided missile diesel submarine)[34]
- 1958 — Swordfish - (nuclear submarine)[34]
- 1958 — Barbel - (fast diesel submarine)[34]
- 1958 — Seadragon - (nuclear submarine)[34]
- 1960 — nuclear fast attack submarine)[34]
- 1960 — Abraham Lincoln - (nuclear ballistic missile submarine)[34]
- 1963 — Jack - (nuclear fast attack submarine)[34]
- 1961 — Tinosa - (nuclear fast attack submarine)[34]
- 1963 — John Adams - (nuclear ballistic missile submarine)[34]
- 1964 — Nathanael Greene - (nuclear ballistic missile submarine)[34]
- 1967 — Grayling - (nuclear fast attack submarine)[36]
- 1968 — Dolphin - (experimental diesel submarine)[37]
- 1969 — Sand Lance - (nuclear fast attack submarine)[36]
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ Home - Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Navsea.navy.mil (1939-05-23). Retrieved on 2014-05-24.
- ^ "Nearly 2,000 Portsmouth Naval Shipyard workers are not vaccinated as federal mandate deadline arrives". Maine Public. November 22, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
- ^ "Contracts". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ a b "History of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
- ^ A. J. Coolidge & J. B. Mansfield, A History and Description of New England; Boston, Massachusetts 1859
- ^ a b Brief History of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
- ^ Sloat to A.P.Upshur, 2 November 1842,pp.1-2, Letters Received by the Secretary of the Navy From Captains ("Captains Letters") 1805-1861, Volume 295, 1 Nov 1842 - 30 Nov 1842, Letter Number 21, RG 260, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C.
- ^ Treaty of Portsmouth -- U.S. Department of State
- ^ "Historic Portsmouth: Shipyard closure 'irrevocable' in 1964".
- ^ "Case not closed yet: Yard has fought off closure before".
- ^ "USCGC RELIANCE". U.S. Coast Guard. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
- ^ "Contracts for September 21, 2020". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for November 21, 2019". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for December 27, 2019". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for June 24, 2020". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for November 20, 2019". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for September 1, 2020". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for July 9, 2021". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for August 30, 2021". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for August 5, 2021". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ "Contracts for August 13, 2021". U.S. Department of Defense. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ Bouchard, Kelly (February 17, 2024). "Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery no longer listed as contaminated Superfund site". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
- ^ Yard in Maine, Portsmouth Herald, 30 May 2001. "Portsmouth Herald Local News: Yard in Maine". Archived from the original on March 27, 2005. Retrieved November 15, 2006.
- ^ hjr 0001
- ^ "A Nested Case-Control Study of Leukemia and Ionizing Radiation at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (2005-104)". CDC - NIOSH Publications and Products -. June 6, 2014. Retrieved July 15, 2016.
- ^ "Drydocking Facilities Characteristics" (PDF).
- ^ Gardiner Fassett, Frederick (1948). The Shipbuilding Business in the United States of America. Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. p. 177.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp bq Alden 1964 p. 92
- ^ "Launching of the USS Washington". Historic New England. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
- ^ "Pawtuxet". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved September 6, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Blair(1975)pp.875-957
- ^ Fahey 1941 p. 43
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Alden 1964 p. 93
- ^ Alden 1964 p. 93
- ^ a b Blackman 1970-71 p. 466
- ^ Blackman 1970-71 p. 476
Sources
- Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum & Research Library (Building 31)
- Alden, John, CDR USN (November 1964). Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. United States Naval Institute Proceedings.
{{cite conference}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Blackman, Raymond V.B. (1970–71). Jane's Fighting Ships. Jane's Yearbooks.
- Blair, Clay Jr. (1975). Silent Victory volume 2. J.B. Lippincott.
- Fahey, James C. (1941). The Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, Two-Ocean Fleet Edition. Ships and Aircraft.
- Switzer, David C. (November 1964). Down-East Ships of the Union Navy. United States Naval Institute Proceedings.
- Watterson, Rodney K. (2011). 32 in '44: Building the Portsmouth Submarine Fleet in World War II. Naval Institute Press. p. 208. ISBN 978-1591149538.