Old Thames Shipyard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Thames Shipyard
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 50 Farnsworth St., New London, Connecticut |
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| Area | 7.2 acres (2.9 ha) |
| Built | 1900 |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001939 |
| Added to NRHP | April 17, 1975 |
The Old Thames Shipyard is a special place in New London, Connecticut. It's a historic shipyard located right on the Thames River. A shipyard is where ships are built or repaired. This one started way back in 1900. It was famous for having a unique system to pull boats out of the water. This system used steam power and was very rare!
What is a Shipyard?
A shipyard is like a big garage for boats and ships. It's where skilled workers build new vessels from scratch. They also fix old ones that need repairs. Shipyards are very important for trade, travel, and even for navies.
The Thames Shipyard's Special Features
The Old Thames Shipyard is found on the waterfront in northern New London. It's just north of the United States Coast Guard Academy. To get there, you go down a steep road called Farnsworth Street.
This shipyard had a very special setup. It had a brick building with three sets of rails. These rails went right into the river! Two powerful steam engines were connected to heavy chains. These chains could pull huge boats out of the water. One engine could pull 1,000 tons, and the other could pull 4,000 tons! This was a super advanced system for its time.
Who Built It and Why?
The shipyard was built by a man named Thomas Chappell. He owned a company called Thames Tow Boat Company. Mr. Chappell had many tugboats and barges. These boats were used to carry coal. He built the shipyard to fix and take care of his own fleet of boats.
Helping Out During Wars
The Thames Shipyard played an important role during big wars. During World War I and World War II, the shipyard became very busy. It was used to build ships for the military. It also built ships for businesses. This helped the country a lot during these important times.
Changes and New Beginnings
In 1967, a man named John Wronowski took over the business. However, he didn't own the land itself. In 1972, the United States Coast Guard wanted the shipyard property. They planned to tear it down to make their own facilities bigger.
But the shipyard was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. This special listing helped stop the Coast Guard's plans. The plans were finally dropped in 1976. John Wronowski fought hard to keep the shipyard. Later, he was given a new waterfront area nearby. This is where the Thames Shipyard still operates today. Mr. Wronowski bought this property in 1981. It is now known as the Thames Shipyard's North Yard. It still has two main drydocks for repairing ships.
