[Illustration: _U.S.S._ Cassin Young _at Pier 1_.]
The Yard Today
The yard offers the visitor a captivating glimpse into the activities
that for nearly two centuries supported the United States Navy. Here on
the home front, thousands of civilian workers and navy personnel built,
repaired, and supplied warships from the majestic sailing vessels of the
early 19th century to the powerful steel navy of the 20th century. In
1974, the year of its closing, 30 acres of the historic yard were set
aside for the National Park Service as a living museum of the Navy’s
activities here. The remaining 100 acres continue to be developed as
part of the revitalization of Boston’s waterfront.
Nineteenth-century buildings, docks, and piers reflect the yard’s
174-year history. The commandant’s 1805 hilltop mansion overlooked the
activities below. Within view are Dry Dock 1, used by U.S.S.
_Constitution_ as early as 1833 and as late as 1995, the 1842 Carpenter
Shop, the 1852 Pitch House (Building 10) for caulking wooden vessels,
the 1833 Officers’ Quarters, the 1813 Navy Stores (Building 5), and the
1811 Marine Barracks.
Two venerable warships, the 1797 frigate U.S.S. _Constitution_ and the
powerful 1943 destroyer, U.S.S. _Cassin Young_, float alongside the
working piers, illustrating the changing United States Navy. Both the
_Constitution_, an active duty Navy warship, and _Cassin Young_,
maintained by National Park Service rangers and volunteers, offer free
tours daily.
[Illustration: Tours of the yard]
A National Park Service exhibit, “Serving the Fleet,” and tours of the
yard (_above_) provide visitors with opportunities to explore the
history of the site. The USS Constitution Museum offers a rich
collection of artifacts, paintings, and models relating to the history
of “Old Ironsides.” The museum, located inside the Dry Dock 1 Pumphouse,
is open daily to visitors.
[Illustration: Key to map]
Historic structure
Historic building name
Historic building letter or number
Non-historic structure
Freedom Trail (route subject to change)
National Park Service boundary
Public open space
Parking
[Illustration: CHARLESTOWN NAVY YARD]
Charlestown Navy Yard’s buildings reflect the range of architectural
styles employed over its long history. These structures served a variety
of functions within the working yard, which was home to naval officers
and their families as well as an industrial work place.
Beginning in 1853, the civilian shipyard workers living in surrounding
communities, primarily Charlestown, assembled each morning to the
ringing of the bell atop the octagonal Muster House. For most of the
19th century, the workers mustered there three times daily, in the
morning at sunrise, at lunch, and once more in the evening before
retiring to their homes at sunset.
[Illustration: Muster House]
Directing the activities was the shipyard commandant, who lived with his
family and personal staff in the impressive mansion constructed in 1805.
Built on the yard’s high ground, the Commandant’s House provided a
bird’s-eye view of the construction and repair activities going on
below.
[Illustration: Commandant’s House]
Today the house is open to the public for special tours, and numerous
activities, such as historical military encampments, take place on the
expansive lawn through the summer months.
[Illustration: Historical military encampments]
[Illustration: The Chain Forge houses the massive hammers once used
to forge die-lock chain, a unique process developed here in 1926.]
[Illustration: The country’s only remaining full-length ropewalk was
for more than 130 years the sole facility in the Navy manufacturing
rope for U.S. warships. Both buildings (not open to the public)
await restoration and preservation work as part of the National Park
Service’s ongoing efforts to preserve the significant industrial
heritage of the Charlestown Navy Yard.]
The Ships at Charlestown
The Navy’s oldest commissioned warship, United States Ship
_Constitution_ and the Charlestown Navy Yard share a long history.
Constructed in Boston between 1794 and 1797, “Old Ironsides” was
repaired and supplied here many times during its active career. U.S.S.
_Constitution_ was permanently berthed in Charlestown in 1897 and has
since been open to the public for tours. Like all wooden vessels,
_Constitution_ needs constant attention. In the 1920s, a major overhaul
was capped with a nationwide tour. Between 1992 and 1995, _Constitution_
underwent the most significant restoration to date in the yard’s Dry
Dock 1. Newly discovered drawings and descriptions were used to help
skilled naval shipwrights restore the vessel to its original appearance.
[Illustration: _Constitution_ settles on dry dock blocks in
preparation for its 1990s restoration.]
[Illustration: A view off the bow of the venerable warship.]
[Illustration: Caulkers use traditional caulking hammers to seal the
gun decks.]
The World War II destroyer U.S.S. _Cassin Young_ (DD-793) reflects a
very different kind of sea power than does _Constitution_. Yet both
warships, constructed 150 years apart, served much the same purpose.
Like frigates, destroyers (known as the workhorses of the modern navy)
are smaller and less powerful than the heaviest warships, but they are
fast and remarkably versatile. Boasting five 5-inch guns and made of
steel, _Cassin Young_ was built on the West Coast in 1943 and took part
in major Pacific engagements, including the Saipan landing and the
Battle of Leyte Gulf, where its crew rescued over 100 sailors from the
attack on U.S.S. _Princeton_.
[Illustration: Free tours let visitors see where the “tin can
sailors” lived during their long months at sea.]
[Illustration: Aboard _Cassin Young_, “Rosie the Riveter” programs
introduce visitors to the work and lives of the women who wielded
rivet guns and welding rods during World War II.]
[Illustration: _Cassin Young’s_ bow offers views of the historic
yard and harbor.]
The Exhibits
Today, exhibits and educational activities help bring alive the navy
yard and Boston’s maritime history. At the USS Constitution Museum,
located in the historic Dry Dock 1 Pumphouse and adjacent buildings,
hands-on activities help visitors to appreciate the skills of a
19th-century seaman and get a sense of his life aboard a sailing
warship. Load and fire a replica cannon, try out a sailor’s sleeping
quarters, take a turn at the great wheel of a square-rigger, or command
U.S.S. _Constitution_ in battle on a computer screen.
The museum houses the frigate’s logs, weapons, documents, charts,
journals, decorative arts, and other items illustrating the epic role of
“Old Ironsides” in U.S. history. Skilled craftsmen demonstrate ship
model building, while films and special programs provide greater insight
into the ship’s story. A museum store offers other items relating to
_Constitution’s_ history and to the nation’s maritime heritage.
[Illustration: USS Constitution Museum]
[Illustration: USS Constitution Museum]
[Illustration: A permanent exhibit, “Serving the Fleet,” which
focuses on the history of the navy yard, is open to the public on a
seasonal basis in the navy yard’s Paint Shop (Building 125).]
Index
_Numbers in italics refer to photographs, illustrations, or maps._
A
“ABCD ships” 50, 54
Aircraft carrier 51, 60, _66_, 72
B
Bainbridge, William 11, _12_, 13, 15, 17
Barbary States 9, 14, 15-16
Battleship 11, 47, 49, 51, 57
Brig-of-war _14_
British Navy 11, 13, 15, 16
Burroughs, George W. _46_
C
Chain 50, _60-61_, 70, _83_
Charlestown Navy Yard: annexes 64;
and Boston Harbor _4-5_, 13, 15, 16, _64_;
and NPS _78-79_, 80-86;
Civil War _28-29_, 29-31, 34, 36-37;
founding 16;
improvements 17, 34, 46-47;
map _64_, _81_;
mission 16, 45, 47, 50, 63;
post-Civil War 37, 39;
post-WW I 57;
post-WW II 71-72, _76-77_;
Spanish-American War 46, 49, 51;
South Boston Annex 57, 65, 70;
view _back cover_;
War of 1812 11-15, 16;
WW I 46-49, 57;
WW II 62, 63-71, 73, _74-75_
Coaling plant 47
C.S.S. (Confederate States Ship): _Virginia_ _28_, 29-31, 34, 36,
_43_, 73
Conversion, ship 72, _76-77_
Cruiser 47, 50, 51, _66_
D
Dahlgren, John 36
Daniels, Josephus 49
Decatur, Stephen 15
Destroyer escort 70, 72, 75
Destroyer 47, 51, 57, 63, 65, 67, 72, _73_, _74-75_
Dry dock: #1 4, 17, _23_, 34, 39, _40-41_, 45, 50, _56_, 63, 64;
#2 47, 51, 57, 63, 64, 65, 67
E
Ericsson, John 36
F
Farragut, David G. 34
Five-Power Treaty 57
FRAM (Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization) 72
Frigate _14_, 16, 17, _26-27_. See also U.S.S. ship names
Fuel 31, 37, 47, 51, 54, 57, 64
H
Hartt, Edmund 13
Hartt, Edward 13
H.M.S. (His Majesty’s Ship): _Dreadnought_ 51, 54;
_Java_ 11
Hull, Isaac 15, 18
Hull: iron 37, 39;
steel 37, 49-54, _58-59_;
wooden _24-25_, 34, 37, 39, 49
I
Ironclad _28-29_, 30-31, 34, 36, _42-43_
L
Launching 13, 15, 18, _32-33_, 63, 67, _73_
LCM (Landing Craft Mechanized) 70
LST (Landing Ship Tank) 64, 70, 71, 72, _75_;
_Suffolk County_ 72
M
Machinery 34, _52-53_, _54_
Machine shop _30_, 34, _52-53_
Mahan, Alfred Thayer 50
Manufacturing 39, 45, 50, 51, _60-61_
Marine railway 57, 64-65, 72
Monitor 36, _42-43_, 46
“Mosquito fleet” 51
O
“ordinary [in ...]” 2, _4_, 17-18
P
Propeller 31, 34, _35_, _37_
R
Radar 72, 77
Railway, yard 47
Receiving ship 2, _4_, 14, 37
Repair, ship 16, _23_, 39, 50, 51, 57, 63, _66_, 70
Roosevelt, Franklin D. 55, 57, 64, 67
Roosevelt, Theodore 46, 50
Ropewalk 17, _20-21_, 45, 49, 50, 67, 69, 72, _83_
S
Sail power 17, 18, _19_, _26-27_, 31, 34, 37, 50, 54
Shipbuilding _24-25_, 36, 54, _58-59_, 63
Shipbuilding ways _24-25_, 39, 46, _56_, 57, _58-59_, 64, 67
Shiphouse 13, 18, _32-33_, 39, 45, 46, _back cover_
Ship-of-the-line 11, _14_, 16-17, 18, 34. See also U.S.S. ship
names
Shipyards, naval _8-9_
Sidewheeler 17, 31, 34, _35_
Sloop-of-war _14_, 16, _23_, _28_, 29, 34. See also U.S.S. ship
names
Sonar 71-72, _76-77_
Steam propulsion 17, 31, 34, _35_, 37
Stoddert, Benjamin 16
Submarine 47, 51, 70, 71, 74
T
Tar house 17, 20
Taylor, Frederick W. 55
Taylorism 55, 57
Technology, naval 31, 34, 37, 51, 54, 63, 72, _76-77_
Torpedo 51
Trade shops 17, _30_, 34, 47, 49, 50
U
U.S. Marines 13, _38_
U.S. Navy 15-16, 18, 22, 31, 34, 36, 37, 39, 55;
policy 16, 37, 49-50, 65, 72
U.S.S. (United States Ship): _Adams_ 39;
_Atlanta_ 50;
_Boston_ 50;
_Brazos_ 47, 57;
_Bridge_ 57;
_Cassin Young_ 66, _85_;
_Chesapeake_ 12, 13;
_Chicago_ 50;
_Congress_ 30-31, 34;
_Constellation_ 16;
_Constitution_ _6-7_, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, _26-27_, 72,
_84_;
_Cumberland_ 16, 18, _28_, 29-31, 34, 73;
_Dolphin_ 50;
_Forrest_ _73_;
_Fulton II_ 17;
_Guest_ _73_;
_Gyatt_ 72, 77;
_Hartford_ 31, 34, 39;
_Independence_ _10_, 12, 13, _14_, 15, 17, 18, 37;
_Intrepid_ 39;
_MacDonough_ 63, 64;
_Macon_ _66_;
_Maine_ _44_, 46;
_Merrimack_ 29-31, _32-33_, _35_, 59, 73 (See also C.S.S.
_Virginia_);
_Monadnock_ 36, _42-43_;
_Monaghan_ 63;
_Monitor_ 36, 42, _43_;
_New Hampshire_ 18;
_New Ironsides_ 36;
_Pentucket_ 54;
_Princeton_ 31, 34, 35;
_Talapoosa_ 45;
_United States_ 16;
_Vandalia_ 39, 63;
_Vermont_ 17, 18;
_Virginia_ 17, 18, 45, 46;
_Wasp_ _66_;
_Whitney_ _54_, _56_, 57
V
Von Meyer, George 65
W
Workforce: African Americans 67;
management 55, 57;
size 18, 25, 46, 51, 57, 64, 65, 67;
skills 18, 34, 36, 39, 47, 58;
women 47, _48_, 67, _68-69_;
work conditions 18, 22, 37, 65, 67, 71;
workers _19-21_, _23_, _38_, _46_, _48_, _52-53_, _54_, _56_,
_60-61_, _62-63_, _77_
National Park Service
The National Park Service is indebted to all those persons who made the
production of this book possible. The text greatly benefited from
suggestions by naval architect and historian John G. Arrison and
historian Frederick R. Black. The primary source for the yard history
was the National Park Service report, _The Charlestown Navy Yard
1800-1973_ (_1800-1842_ by Edwin C. Bearss; _1842-1890_ by Edwin C.
Bearss and Frederick R. Black; _1890-1973_ by Frederick R. Black). Other
important sources were Kenneth J. Hagan’s _This People’s Navy: The
Making of American Sea Power_, 1991; Howard I. Chapelle’s _The History
of the American Sailing Navy_, 1949; and Donald L. Canney’s _The Old
Steam Navy_, 1990. The handbook was produced by the staff of the
Division of Publications, National Park Service: Susan Barkus, designer;
William Gordon, editor; Nancy Morbeck Haack, cartographer, assisted by
the staff of Boston National Historical Park.
_All photos not credited are from the files of Boston National
Historical Park._
Mary Altier 84 (bottom left)
John Batchelor 24-25, 26-27, 40-41, 42-43, 58-59, 60, 74-75
_Battles and Leaders of the Civil War_ 43 (top)
Boston Athenaeum 4-5, 30, 32-33
The Bostonian Society/Old State House 10-11, 46
George Eastman House 23
Louis Glanzman 19
Greg Harlin 21 (right)
James Higgins 66 (top), 78-79, 82-83, 84 (bottom right), 85, 86 (top,
bottom)
_The Kedge-Anchor_, by William N. Brady 14 (bottom)
Mariner’s Museum back cover
James McFalls cover, 2-3
National Archives 14 (top; painting by Rear Admiral J.W. Schmidt), 35
(top), 69 (bottom)
Jack Pare 84 (top)
The Paul Revere Life Insurance Co. 6-7 (painting by A. Lassell Ripley)
Robert Tope 8-9
U.S. Marine Corps Museum 28-29
U.S. Naval Academy 44-45 (painting by Frank Christian Muller)
USS Constitution Museum 86 (center; photo by Jerry Margolycz)
U.S. Department of the Interior
As the nation’s principal conservation agency, the department of the
Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally-owned public
lands and natural resources. This includes fostering the wisest use of
our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife,
preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks
and historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through
outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral
resources to ensure that their development is in the best interest of
all our people. The Department also has a major responsibility for
American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in
island territories under U.S. administration.
National Park Handbooks are published to promote understanding and
enjoyment of more than 360 National Park System sites representing our
natural and cultural heritage. The handbooks are sold at parks and can
be purchased by mail from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.
_Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data_
Charlestown Navy Yard: Boston National Historical Park, Massachusetts.
p. cm.—(Official National Park handbook; 152)
Includes index.
Supt. of Docs. no.: I29.9/5:152
ISBN 0-912627-60-3
1. Boston Naval Shipyard (Boston, Mass.)—History.
2. Charlestown Navy Yard (Mass.)—History. I. United States. National
Park Service. Division of Publications. II. Series: Handbook
(United States. National Park Service. Division of
Publications); 152.
VA70.B68C48 1995
359.7’09744’61—dc20 95-12868 CIP
[Illustration: _1840 view of Charlestown Navy Yard by George Curtis
depicts the shiphouses that covered four of the yard’s shipbuilding
ways during the 19th century._]
_For 174 years, the U.S. Naval Shipyard at Boston, now called
Charlestown Navy Yard, played a significant role in the creation and
growth of the U.S. Navy. By the time it closed in 1974, it had built
more than 200 warships and repaired thousands. Historic black and white
photographs, color photos and illustrations, and detailed diagrams tell
the story of evolving technology and naval policy and how they affected
the fortunes of the yard and its workers._
Transcriber’s Notes
—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
is public-domain in the country of publication.
—Relocated all image captions to be immediately under the corresponding
images, removing redundant references like ”preceding page”.
—Silently corrected a few palpable typos.
—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
_underscores_.
End of Project Gutenberg's Charlestown Navy Yard, by National Park Service