Charleston Naval Shipyard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Charleston Naval Shipyard |
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| North Charleston, South Carolina | |
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| Coordinates | 32°51′47″N 79°57′59″W / 32.86306°N 79.96639°W |
| Type | Shipyard |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | United States Navy |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1909 |
| In use | 1901–1996 - now as Detyens Shipyards |
| Battles/wars | |
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Charleston Navy Yard Historic District
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 Location in South Carolina
Location in the United States
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| Location | Roughly bounded by First St., Hobson Ave., Avenue D, Fourth and Fifth Sts., and the drydocks bet. First and Thirteenth S, North Charleston, South Carolina |
| Area | 145 acres (59 ha) |
| Built | 1903 |
| Architect | multiple |
| Architectural style | Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals, Modern Movement |
| NRHP reference No. | 06000699 |
| Added to NRHP | August 09, 2006 |
The Charleston Naval Shipyard was a major facility for the U.S. Navy in North Charleston, South Carolina. It was located along the Cooper River. This shipyard was a place where naval ships were built and repaired for many years.
Contents
History of the Shipyard
The Charleston Naval Shipyard started its work in 1901. It began as a drydock, which is like a special dock that can be drained of water. This allows workers to build or fix the bottom of ships. The shipyard kept operating as a Navy facility until 1996. It closed because of a government decision to reorganize military bases. After it closed, a company called Detyens Shipyards, Inc. leased the area.
This shipyard was very important to the local community and the whole state of South Carolina. It provided many jobs and helped the economy.
The first destroyer built here was the USS Tillman (DD-135). The shipyard started building more ships in the 1930s. In total, 21 destroyers were built at this naval facility.
In 1931, a large machine called the 20-inch cutter dredge Orion was delivered to the shipyard. This machine is still used today.
Some of the biggest ships ever built at the yard were two destroyer tenders. These are ships that support destroyers by providing repairs and supplies. Their names were USS Tidewater (AD-31) and USS Bryce Canyon (AD-36). They started being built in 1944 and 1945. At its busiest time in July 1943, the shipyard had almost 26,000 employees!
After World War II, the shipyard worked on repairing German submarines that had been captured. In 1948, the Navy decided that the Charleston Naval Shipyard would become a main place for overhauling submarines. An overhaul means taking a ship apart to inspect and repair all its parts.
The first submarine to arrive for an overhaul was the USS Conger (SS-477) in August 1948. The shipyard planned to overhaul about 132 ships that year. Its workforce grew to nearly 5,000 people.
When the Korean War started in June 1950, the shipyard's work increased again. By 1951, it had over 8,000 employees. During the Korean War, the shipyard prepared 44 vessels for active duty and changed 27 others for the fleet.
In the 1960s, the shipyard continued to build submarines and missiles. It also performed overhauls on nuclear submarines. This included the USS Scorpion (SSN-589) in 1962. In 1966, the shipyard finished the first ever refueling of a nuclear submarine, the USS Skipjack (SSN-585). It also started its first overhaul of a Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) submarine, the USS Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610). Captain Blake Wayne Van Leer helped expand Dry Dock No. 2 so it could handle these large FBM submarines and destroyers.
The shipyard remained a very important base during the Cold War. Many cruisers, destroyers, attack submarines, and support ships were based there. It finally closed in the 1990s after the Cold War ended.
Dry Docks and Ship-Building Areas
The shipyard had several large dry docks and areas for building ships. These were essential for constructing and repairing naval vessels.
| Dock Number | Material Used | Length | Width | Depth | Date Finished |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Concrete and granite | 622 feet (190 m) | 134 feet (41 m) | 34 feet 5 inches (10.49 m) | 1908 |
| 2 | Concrete | 596 feet 6 inches (181.81 m) | 114 feet (35 m) | 37 feet 6 inches (11.43 m) | 1968 |
| 3 | Concrete and sheet pile | 365 feet 10 inches (111.51 m) | 107 feet 4 inches (32.72 m) | 10 feet 7 inches (3.23 m) | 1943 |
| 4 | Concrete and sheet pile | 365 feet 10 inches (111.51 m) | 107 feet 4 inches (32.72 m) | 10 feet 7 inches (3.23 m) | 1943 |
| 5 | Concrete | 751 feet 5 inches (229.03 m) | 140 feet (43 m) | 37 feet (11 m) | 1984 |
The shipyard also had special areas called "shipbuilding ways" where ships were constructed. Here are some details from January 1, 1946:
| January 1, 1946 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Shipbuilding ways | Width | Length |
| 1 | 68 feet (21 m) | 350 feet (110 m) |
| 2 | 60 feet (18 m) | 350 feet (110 m) |
| 3 | 90 feet (27 m) | 600 feet (180 m) |
Types of Ships Built
The Charleston Naval Shipyard built many different kinds of ships for the U.S. Navy. Here are some examples:
- 20 Destroyers: These are fast, agile warships.
- One of the 10 Benham-class destroyers: Sterett (DD-407)
- One of the 12 Sims-class destroyers: Roe (DD-418)
- One of the 30 Benson-class destroyers: Hilary P. Jones (DD-427)
- Seven of the 66 Gleaves-class destroyers:
- Grayson (DD-435)
- Swanson (DD-443), Ingraham (DD-444)
- Corry (DD-463), Hobson (DD-464)
- Beatty (DD-640), Tillman (DD-641)
- Ten of the 175 Fletcher-class destroyers:
- Pringle (DD-477) ... Stevens (DD-479)
- Bell (DD-587) ... Twiggs (DD-591)
- Albert W. Grant (DD-649)
- Bryant (DD-665)
- 26 Destroyer Escorts and APDs: Destroyer escorts were smaller warships used to protect convoys. APDs were high-speed transport ships.
- 15 of the 148 Buckley-class destroyer escorts:
- Manning (DE-199) ... William T. Powell (DE-213)
- 2 of the 22 Rudderow-class destroyer escorts:
- Chaffee (DE-230), Hodges (DE-231)
- 9 of the 51 Crosley-class high-speed transports:
- Kinzer (APD-91) ... Upham (APD-99)
- 15 of the 148 Buckley-class destroyer escorts:
- 2 of 6 Shenandoah-class Destroyer Tenders: These ships provided support and repairs to destroyers.
- Tidewater (AD-31), Bryce Canyon (AD-36)
- 8 of 1052 Landing Ship Tanks (LSTs): These large ships could carry tanks and vehicles directly onto beaches.
- LST-353 - LST-360
- 121 of 558 Landing Ship Mediums (LSMs): Smaller than LSTs, these also helped land troops and equipment.
- LSM-126 - LSM-200, LSM-295 - LSM-309, LSM-389 - LSM-413, LSM-553 - LSM-558
Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Charleston
In 1946, the Atlantic Reserve Fleet, Charleston was created at the shipyard. Its job was to "mothball" ships and submarines. This means preparing them for long-term storage so they could be used again if needed. Many of these stored ships were brought back into service for the Korean War and some for the Vietnam War. When the shipyard closed in 1996, the Reserve Fleet also closed. The ships were either taken apart for scrap or moved to other storage fleets.
What Happened After the Shipyard Closed?
After the Charleston Naval Base and Shipyard closed in 1996, a company called Detyens, Inc. took over. They signed a long-term lease. Today, Detyens Shipyards, Inc. is the largest commercial shipyard on the East Coast. It has three dry docks, one floating dock, and six piers. They work on military, commercial, and cruise ships.
A large part of the former base, about 231 acres, has become a multi-use area for the government. It now hosts 17 different government and military groups. It is also a homeport for six large Military Sealift Command ships, four Coast Guard National Security Cutters, and two NOAA research ships. The United States Coast Guard Maritime Law Enforcement Academy and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC-Charleston) are also located here.
Another section of the former base, about 350 acres, was planned to become a new urban area called The Navy Yard at Noisette. This plan started in 2005. However, the company developing it faced problems. In 2010, Palmetto Railways, which is part of the South Carolina Department of Commerce, bought over 200 acres of the property. By 2013, Palmetto Railways owned the rest of The Navy Yard. Their plan is to run freight trains through the northern part of the former base. These trains will serve a new container port being built at the southern end. This new port is called the Navy Base Intermodal Container Transfer Facility.
In February 2020, Coast Guard Admiral Karl Schultz announced a plan for a "super base" at the shipyard. This plan will bring many Coast Guard facilities together in the North Charleston area. Construction for this new project began in 2024.
The initial plan by Palmetto Railways for the former Naval Shipyard involved tearing down several old buildings. This led the National Trust for Historic Preservation to list the Charleston Naval Hospital Historic District as one of America's 11 Most Endangered Places in 2016. The National Trust said that if 9 out of the district's 32 historic buildings were torn down, the area might lose its special status on the National Register of Historic Places. This register lists places important to history.
Images for kids
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USS Beatty (DD-640) and USS Tillman (DD-641) at the Charleston Navy Yard in 1941. These destroyers were built at the shipyard.
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An aerial view of the Charleston Navy Yard in 1941, showing its large size and many facilities.
_and_USS_Tillman_(DD-641)_at_the_Charleston_Navy_Yard_in_1941.jpg)
