Penn Shipbuilding
The Shipbuilding facility in Chester, Pennsylvania was established in 1917. Penn Shipbuilding primarily worked on smaller to medium sized vessels and the plant workers repaired ships as well as building new ones.
Like so many other shipyards, in times of war Penn Shipbuilding helped with the efforts by concentrating on repairs and creating new ships for the US Navy, particularly during World War II when German U-Boats did massive amounts of damage to the American fleet. As the need for more ships continued to grow, the Pennsylvania based site increased their output dramatically and worked around the clock to do their part.
Penn Shipbuilding employed a large number of people to do work on both military and commercial ships. Throughout the years thousands of these workers spent a large amount of time handling products that were made out of asbestos, a mineral that was used to create a multitude of goods in the early 1900's. Manufacturers put asbestos in almost everything, especially insulation that was needed to regulate heat in the massive equipment used in industrial settings such as shipyards. The mineral was popular because it is strong yet pliable, a natural fire retardant and very economical. However, it held a horrifying secret for many years - this otherwise beneficial material is also poisonous.
Much research was done on asbestos over the years, but it was nearly a century after its initial discovery in the United States that most people were made aware that it is toxic. All over the country people worked with it on a daily basis, and they unknowingly inhaled trace bits of asbestos dust that would break free and float in the air. The dust would become attached permanently inside their respiratory systems, and often led to tissue scarring and several serious health conditions. Most prominent among the illnesses people contracted after spending time around asbestos were the feared asbestosis and mesothelioma. These conditions have no cure, and can be lethal.
As the 1970's moved past the half-way point, public awareness about the dangers of asbestos began to grow and many of the products that contained the mineral were disposed of. Before the owners of Penn Shipbuilding were forced to take on this challenge, they faced the possibility of bankruptcy due to a lack of business. The facility was taken over by Sun Shipbuilding in 1977, and they operated the site until 1990 before finally giving up and closing down the yard permanently.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
