Pennsylvania's Ship Building History
Most people don't think of Pennsylvania as being a center of ship building. Philadelphia and Erie were known as ship building centers of the United States. The United States Navy built vessels in both Pennsylvania cities from the country's early days.
Philadelphia and Erie were known as ship building centers of the United States. The United States Navy built vessels in both Pennsylvania cities from the country's early days. Out of the two places, Philadelphia's naval ship building lasted longer, until the 1970's.
Most people don't think of Pennsylvania as being a center of ship building. It looks landlocked on a map, but we do access the Great Lakes in the north west and the Atlantic in the south east, via the Delaware River. Tens of thousands of people were employed at the docks of Erie and Philadelphia and their history is mostly forgotten.
When researching ancestors who had ties to Pennsylvania's ship-building past, I use the following resources:
Philadelphia Ship Yards
The US Navy built ships in the Philadelphia Naval Yard until the 1970's. Records exist of both the ships constructed and the people who built them. Scroll down for the links to the National Archive records. A short history of the Naval Yard is here.
Cramp Shipyard was by far the largest private employer for ship building. There have been many histories written of William Cramp & Sons and a list of every ship built 1826–1945 shows their power.
The fastest passenger ship in the world, the SS United States was built in Philadelphia. It is currently docked in a Delaware River port awaiting restoration. This presentation covers the SS United States history in many never-before-seen photographs.
Other ship builders in Philadelphia include:
American Shipbuilding, 1883–1884: built only 16 passenger ships and cargo ships
Birely, Hillman & Streaker, 1853–1899: passenger ships and cargo ships
Neafie & Levy, 1844–1907: tug boats and some passenger ships
Philadelphia Naval Ship Yard, 1841–1970: various ships for the United States Navy
Philly Shipyard, 2003–present: container ships, product carriers, and tankers
Erie Ship Yards
Erie's history of naval ship building begins in the early 1800's. A replica of the famous flagship the USS Niagara is part of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC).
Besides the US Navy, other ship builders in Erie include:
Donjon Shipbuilding, the current ship builder and repair company in Erie.
Erie Concrete & Supply, 1941–1945: a short-lived ship builder for the war effort.
Nolan & Son, J. W., 1946–1980's: fishing vessels and small passenger ships.
Archive Collections on Philadelphia and Erie Shipyards and Shipbuilders
If you want to do deeper research into your ancestor's shipbuilding past, these archival collections are a place to start:
Camden Shipyard and Maritime Museum in New Jersey has some photos and history of Philadelphia's shipyards.
US National Archives has details of the naval ships built in Record Groups 19 and 71, and the employees of the naval shipyard in Record Group 45. Service member records for Navy enlisted and officers are in different collections, based on when they enrolled. Check the NARA catalog for guidance.
The Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia has the J. Welles Henderson Research Center with archival collections of business records, ship building plans, and some employement records.
The Erie Maritime Museum has over 3,000 items in its collection. Ships' logs, plans, and business records give researchers a wonderful historical view. But the best thing is being able to sail on the US Brig Niagara and re-live the past!
And like with most things Pennsylvania, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania has collections on people related to shipbuilding. Make sure to email or chat with them to narrow down your search before you go.
When researching your Pennsylvania ancestors, you'll want to include the state's ship building past in your research.
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