Matton Shipyard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Matton Shipyard
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 Location in New York
Location in the United States
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| Location | Delaware Ave., Cohoes, New York |
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| Area | 4.13 acres (1.67 ha) |
| Built | 1916 |
| NRHP reference No. | 09000553 |
| Added to NRHP | July 24, 2009 |
The Matton Shipyard is a historic place in Cohoes, New York, where many boats were built and fixed. It's located on Van Schaick Island in Albany County, New York. This shipyard was very busy from 1916 until 1983. It helped build and repair boats that traveled on the New York State Barge Canal and the Champlain Canal.
Today, you can still see eight old buildings and other parts of the shipyard. These include an office, a watchman's building, and shops for metalwork and carpentry. There are also docks, ramps for launching boats, and even an old flagpole. The famous motor ship Day Peckinpaugh is also kept here.
The Matton Shipyard was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010. This means it's recognized as an important historical site.
A Look Back: History of the Shipyard
The Matton Shipyard began in 1916 when John E. Matton moved his boat-building business to Van Schaick Island. For many years, the shipyard built different kinds of boats. They made canal boats, barges, tugboats, and even police boats.
During World War II, the shipyard played an important role. From 1941 to 1943, they built five special boats called submarine chasers for the U.S. Navy. These were small, fast ships designed to find and attack enemy submarines. They also built four tugboats for the U.S. Army in 1944.
When the shipyard closed in 1983, it was one of the oldest places in the United States still building tugs and barges.
Matton Shipyard Today
The Matton Shipyard is now owned by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. It's part of Peebles Island State Park. The plan is to turn the shipyard into a cool place for learning and a museum. It will also be a home for historic boats.
One of the special boats kept here is the Day Peckinpaugh. This motor ship is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's a great example of the kind of boats that used to travel on the canals.
