Norfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard boasts being the US Navy's oldest shipyard. Built 31 years before the Navy was even born, it is the largest naval base in the entire world. It was originally called the Gosport Shipyard but its name was changed in 1862 to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
This shipyard has been responsible for the construction of ships for nine major wars and has employed millions of workers over its illustrious career. It has built almost every kind of ship known to the Navy, including scientific exploration ships. One of the most famous ships that was ever built at this shipyard is the USS Chesapeake. This ship was built during the very first years of the shipyard between 1794 and 1799.
Over sixty years after this, the shipbuilders took the USS Jupiter and converted it into the Navy's first ever aircraft carrier, which was called the USS Langley. Just like most shipyards of the time,Norfolk Naval Shipyard profited from the Second World War. During the war, it had over 43,000 employees who built 30 major vessels that served in the war. It was also responsible for the repair of almost 7,000 ships from the US as well as the Allies.
The roots of this famous shipyard go all the way back to 1767, when Andrew Sprowle started the Gosport Shipyard, which was located on the western shore of the Elizabeth River. It developed quite quickly and earned a fast reputation as a great naval and merchant shipyard. Even though it is located in Portsmouth, it was renamed Norfolk after the biggest city in the area at the time. Interestingly enough, it has never been named after the city in which it is actually located.
Over the course of its illustrious 230 years of operation, the Norfolk Naval Shipyard has spawned some of the biggest advancements in shipyard history. It not only helped put an end to piracy, it aided scientists in exploring the Pacific, and helped opened Japan to American trade.
Additionally, it was also home to the first dry dock in the western hemisphere. This dock opened on June 17, 1833 and hosted the USS Delaware. What is referred to as Dry Dock 1 is now considered a national historic landmark and is still in use to this day. This yard is also responsible for converting the burned USS Merrimack into the CDD Virginia.
The first U.S. naval battleship to ever be commissioned was built at this yard between the years 1889 and 1892. This was called the USS Raleigh and was the first modern cruiser that was completely built by the government. It was also responsible for converting the first aircraft carrier in the US Navy's history. This was formerly the USS Langley but was converted between the years 1911 and 1922 into the USS Jupiter.
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard was also very productive during the years of the Korean War. It worked on almost 1,300 vessels as well as constructing wooden minesweepers. In 1965, it obtained nuclear technology capabilities. The USS Skate became the first modern submarine to go through a major overhaul there.
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard reached its highest employment rate during World War Two when employment peaked at almost 43,000 workers. They were responsible for building and repairing many vessels as well as building tank landing strips and medium landing craft.
It is not simply luck that has made this one of the most successful shipyards in history. With great leadership, hard work and technological innovation have helped to advance the Norfolk Naval Shipyard throughout history. When steam-powered ships made sailing ships almost obsolete, they adjusted their technology and learned new trades. All the way back to the early experiments with Polaris missiles to the installation of complex weapons systems, workers here have always found creative ways to get the job done right, garnering this shipyard the reputation of being one of the premier shipyards in the country.
