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 and is known as the "Father of the American Navy".
Humphreys was born in Ardmore,
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 largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
. 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 t ...
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 Gurk ...
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 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.
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, United States of America and its Indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom ...
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 communit ...
.
Family
His uncle was
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, ...
, a member of the Continental Congress. His son was another noted naval architect,
Samuel Humphreys
Samuel Humphreys (23 November 1778 – 16 August 1846) was a noted American naval architect and shipbuilder in the early 19th century. He served the United States Navy as the Chief Constructor for the Navy from 1826 to 1846.
Naval archit ...
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 states ...
.
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 Weapon, ordnance plant of the United States Navy in Southeast, Washington, D.C., Southeast Washington, D.C. It is the oldest shore establishment of the U.S. Navy.
The Yard currently serv ...
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 ...
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 ...