South Boston Naval Annex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids South Boston Naval Annex |
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| South Boston, Massachusetts | |
The Annex, circa 1958. In this image, South is on top.
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| Type | Shipyard annex |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by | United States Navy |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1920 |
| In use | 1920–1974 |
The South Boston Naval Annex was a huge, 167-acre area in South Boston, Massachusetts. It was like a special workshop for the United States Navy's main shipyard, the Boston Navy Yard. This annex was busy from the 1920s until 1974, when both it and the main shipyard closed down.
One of the most important parts of the annex was Dry Dock Number 3. This was one of the biggest dry docks on the East Coast of the United States. A dry dock is like a special basin that can be drained of water, allowing workers to repair the bottom of ships.
Contents
A Look Back: History of the Annex
How It Started
In 1920, the Department of Defense bought a large piece of land called the Commonwealth Flats. They split this land between the Naval Annex and the South Boston Army Base. The Navy immediately started building workshops and other important structures. This construction continued for many years, right up until World War II. Trains could even reach the annex using a special railway line called Track 61.
Busy Times During World War II
When World War II began, the South Boston Naval Annex became super busy! In March 1940, workers started building a long wall for ships to dock, and a huge machine shop. This shop was about 1,300 feet long and 500 feet wide.
The next year, in 1941, they started building a new power plant. This plant had six boilers and could connect to the city's electricity system. More work was done on the waterfront, including two long wooden piers and a steel wall. Another shop, 420 feet long and 120 feet wide, was also started in September 1941.
In December 1941, they began building a massive graving dock. This was a type of dry dock that was 693 feet long, 91 feet wide at the entrance, and 32 feet deep. It was designed to repair large ships like cruisers. This huge project was finished and ready for use by March 1943.
They also built a barracks in 1941. This was a place for 500 ship's crew members to sleep. Since repair work often happened 24/7, the crews couldn't stay on their ships. The annex continued to grow with more piers, shops, and improvements to roads and equipment.
After the War and Closure
After World War II ended, the annex was used to store ships that were no longer actively serving. These ships were kept "in reserve."
In 1974, the Boston Navy Yard and its annex were closed down. The land where the annex once stood was bought by the City of Boston. It was then renamed the Boston Marine Industrial Park.
The Annex Today
Today, the area that was once the Naval Annex is a busy part of the South Boston Waterfront. Many different companies have moved in over the years. For example, Sail Boston, an event where tall ships visit the city, has used this land to host ships. The land that used to be the South Boston Army Base is now the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, where large cruise ships dock.
One interesting fact is that a former Marine Machine Shop, known as "Building 53," built in 1943, now houses the Harpoon Brewery, an auto shop, and a seafood distributor called John Nagle. Nagle still uses the original building cranes! Harpoon Brewery also has one of the original cranes, though it's no longer moving. It even has a plate showing its original number: 53:4, meaning it was the 4th crane in Building 53.
In the early 1980s, when the MBTA's Red Line subway was extended, a lot of the dirt from the new tunnels was used to fill in some of the old piers at the annex.
Dry Dock Number 3, the huge dry dock built during World War II, is still in use today! On August 7, 1992, the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth 2 hit an uncharted rock. It was repaired at Dry Dock Number 3 because it was the only one nearby big enough for the ship. Another famous ship, the former USS Massachusetts (BB-59), also used Dry Dock Number 3 from November 1998 to March 1999.
Many of the original buildings and cranes from the Navy Annex are still standing. Dry Dock Number 3 is now used by the Boston Ship Repair company to fix ships. They mostly work on ships from the US Navy, the United States Maritime Service, and the Military Sealगात Command.
