Smith and Dimon Shipyard facts for kids
Smith & Dimon Shipyard, 1833 by James Pringle
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Formerly
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Blossom, Smith and Dimon Smith, Dimon and Comstock |
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| Industry | Shipyard |
| Headquarters | , |
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Key people
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John W. Griffiths, naval architect |
| Products | Clipper ships, steamships |
| Services | Ship construction and repair |
| Owners | Stephen Smith and John Dimon |
Smith and Dimon Shipyard, or just Smith & Dimon, was a very famous place in Manhattan, New York City. It was a shipyard where many ships were built and repaired in the 1840s. This shipyard was known for creating some of the fastest ships of its time, especially special sailing ships called clipper ships.
Contents
History of the Shipyard
The Smith & Dimon shipyard was located right next to the East River. It was found between 4th and 5th Street in Manhattan. Two partners, Stephen Smith (born 1794, died 1875) and John Dimon (born 1795, died 1879), started the company.
John Dimon was in charge of repairing ships. This part of the business made more money. He once said, "Smith builds the ships, I make the money." This shows how they worked together.
Designing Fast Ships
A very talented ship designer named John W. Griffiths worked for Smith & Dimon. He was a famous naval architect, which means he designed ships. Griffiths created amazing, super-fast clipper ships. These ships were revolutionary because they could travel across oceans much faster than older ships.
The shipyard became very well-known in the 1840s under the name Smith & Dimon. Before that, it had different names. In the 1820s, it was called Blossom, Smith and Dimon. In the 1830s, it was known as Smith, Dimon and Comstock.
Besides clipper ships, the shipyard also built steamships. One example is the Oregon, which was built in 1848.
A Painting of the Shipyard
An artist named James Pringle painted the shipyard in 1833. This painting shows what the shipyard looked like a long time ago. You can see this painting today at the Fenimore Art Museum.
Famous Ships Built at Smith & Dimon
Smith & Dimon built many important ships. Here are some of them:
- Liberator, built in 1826. This ship was later renamed Hudson.
- Mary Howland, built in 1834. This ship was 500 tons and known for being very large.
- Roscoe, a Packet boat. Packet boats were used to carry mail and passengers on a regular schedule.
- Independence, another Packet boat built in 1834.
- Rainbow, built in 1845. Many people say this was the very first "extreme clipper." Extreme clippers were designed for maximum speed.
- Sea Witch, built in 1846. This ship became a model for other fast American clipper ships.
- Oregon, built in 1848. This was a steamship.
- Memnon, built in 1848.
- Arago, built in 1855.
- Fulton, built in 1855.
