THE SHIPYARD

With base closure looming, national attention focused on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in the summer of its 205^th year. With the future in doubt, we pause instead, to take a look backward 100 years. Click to see a dozen colorized postcards from the historic shipyard at the turn of the 20^th century. 

READ a Brief History of the Portsmouth Shipyard

The definitive history of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is available in the book "Do Your Job!" by Richard Windslow – a book well worth owning. It was published in the year 2000 during the 200^th anniversary of the nation’s oldest public / private shipyard. When base commander Isaac Hull arrived for duty here during the War of 1812, there were only a few scattered buildings and a dozen employees. At its peak the Yard employed over 8,000. A total of 134 submarines were built here by 1969. The following postcards offers a look back at shipyard as it was seen by visitors around the turn of the 20^th century. --JDR

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