Charleston Dry Dock & Machine Company (renamed Charleston Drydock and Shipbuilding Co. in the late-1930s) was a shipyard located in Charleston, South Carolina, on the Cooper River. The shipyard is significant for its contribution to marine engineering, including the first entirely-welded commercial ship built in the United States. It was owned and operated by Leland Louis Green who was the first registered naval architect in South Carolina.

Description

The site is situated east of Concord Street, between the intersections of Calhoun and Laurens Streets. In the late-19th century, the wharves along Concord Street were home to naval store warehouses and Pregnall Brothers Shipyard, which was established in 1869. Pregnall Brothers closed in 1912, reopening that same year as Valk & Murdoch Iron Works. In 1919, the yard was renamed Charleston Dry Dock & Machine Co. In 1921, it was reported that the plant had an 8,500-ton

floating drydock A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...

, with a 30-foot depth of water coming into the facility. The drydock was designed by Crandall Dry Dock Engineers of Massachusetts. The first entirely-welded ship in the world, the MS ''Carolinian'', was built at the facility in 1929-1930. It was designed by R.F. Smith, and Charleston Dry Dock & Machine was the sole licensee of this design.

World War II

Charleston Shipbuilding & Dry Dock was responsible for building at least 36

tugboat A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, su ...

s for the U.S. Navy from 1942-1946. Some of these vessels still have active registrations as of 2015.

Philip Simmons

Philip Simmons Philip Simmons (June 9, 1912 – June 22, 2009) was an American artisan and blacksmith specializing in the craft of ironwork. Simmons spent 78 years as a blacksmith, focusing on decorative iron work. When he began his career, blacksmiths in Cha ...

worked in, and also operated, a blacksmith shop at various locations adjacent to Charleston Dry Dock & Machine Company. Some of his early work included repairing tools and equipment for waterfront industries.

Fate and legacy

In the Fall of 1946, Charleston Shipbuilding & Drydock Co. began operations under Todd Shipyards of New York. In 2000, construction was completed on part of the site for the South Carolina Aquarium. Severe contamination of the site hindered the project in the late-1990s, and eventually lead to costly delays. Since the 1980s, the former shipyard facility is also occupied by several condominium communities as well as the Charleston Maritime Center (early-2000s). Two U.S. Coast Guard lightships built by Charleston Dry Dock & Machine Co., ''

Frying Pan A frying pan, frypan, or skillet is a flat-bottomed pan used for frying, searing, and browning foods. It is typically in diameter with relatively low sides that flare outwards, a long handle, and no lid. Larger pans may have a small grab han ...

'' (LV-115) and '' Chesapeake'' (LV-116), survive as museum ships as of 2017.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Charleston Dry Dock and Machine Company Shipyards of the United States Drydocks Industrial buildings and structures in South Carolina Buildings and structures in Charleston, South Carolina Shipbuilding companies of the United States Companies based in Charleston, South Carolina