Joshua Humphreys (June 17, 1751 – January 12, 1838) was an American ship builder and naval architect. He was the constructor of the

original six frigates of the United States Navy The United States Congress authorized the original six frigates of the United States Navy with the Naval Act of 1794 on March 27, 1794, at a total cost of $688,888.82 (). These ships were built during the formative years of the United States Na ...

and is known as the "Father of the American Navy". Preparation for War to defend Commerce Birch's Views Plate 29

Humphreys was born in Ardmore,

Haverford Township, Pennsylvania Haverford Township is a home rule municipality township in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.Dr. Thomas Wynne). He was a nephew of

Charles Humphreys Charles Humphreys (September 19, 1714 – March 11, 1786) was a signatory to the Continental Association while representing Pennsylvania in the First Continental Congress. He was born in Haverford, Pennsylvania, and was a slave owner, miller, ...

. His residence, Pont Reading, is still a private residence.

Career

As a youth, Humphreys was apprenticed to a shipbuilder in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

. During his apprenticeship, his instructor died and he was placed in charge of the establishment. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...

he was active as a designer, and played a major part in planning the 32-gun frigate before the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

occupation of Philadelphia halted that effort. In postwar Philadelphia, Humphreys became a shipbuilder in Philadelphia and was one of the most sought after and busiest. His main shipyard complex was on the Delaware River in the

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

neighborhood. When

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

passed the Naval Act of 1794 providing for the construction of six frigates, it called on him to design them. He was appointed naval constructor on June 28, 1794, and began work on these ships, the beginnings of the U.S. Navy. Reputedly, one of the inspirations for his frigate designs was the ''South Carolina''. His designs called for ships that were longer and wider than usual, sat lower in the water and were able to equal the speed of any other fighting ships. The ships Humphrey built were more stable than other ships at the time and could carry as many guns on one deck as others did on two decks. Constitution1803

The USS ''United States'' was built by Humphreys in Philadelphia, and was the first of the new ships to be launched on May 10, 1797. These vessels were larger than other ships of their class and formed the core of the Navy during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It ...

, and scored several victories against British ships, although two were captured. His six frigates were: * USS ''United States'' (1797) * USS ''Constellation'' (1797) * USS ''Constitution'' (1797) * USS ''Chesapeake'' (1799) * USS ''Congress'' (1799) * USS ''President'' (1800) In 1789, Humphreys was elected to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communi ...

Family

His uncle was

, a member of the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislative bodies, with some executive function, for thirteen of Britain's colonies in North America, and the newly declared United States just before, during, and after the American Revolutionary War. ...

. His son was another noted naval architect, Samuel Humphreys. His grandson, General Andrew Atkinson Humphreys, served throughout the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

Legacy

Two ships, and , were named for Humphreys. Building 197 of the

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy. The Yard currently serves as a ceremonial and administra ...

was completely renovated in 2014 and renamed in honor of Humphreys. The building was the site of the

Washington Navy Yard shooting The Washington Navy Yard shooting occurred on September 16, 2013, when 34-year-old Aaron Alexis fatally shot 12 people and injured three others in a mass shooting at the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) inside the Washingto ...

on September 16, 2013.

References

External links

USS Constitution Rehabilitation And Restoration
* Th

including financial records, hand-drawn diagrams, correspondence and other family documents, are available for research use at the

Historical Society of Pennsylvania The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a long-established research facility, based in Philadelphia. It is a repository for millions of historic items ranging across rare books, scholarly monographs, family chronicles, maps, press reports and v ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Humphreys, Joshua 1751 births 1838 deaths American people of Welsh descent American shipbuilders American naval architects People from Haverford Township, Pennsylvania United States Navy civilians People of colonial Pennsylvania Engineers from Pennsylvania People from Delaware County, Pennsylvania People from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania