USS Portsmouth launched at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard 1844, as a new class sloop of war. Photo: Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum
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History of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
On June 12, 2000, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard
celebrates its official Bicentennial. Although not formally
established until 1800 as a U.S. Navy Yard on New Hampshire's
seacoast, Portsmouth has had a reputation for superior shipbuilding
for more than 350 years. Captain John Paul Jones himself personally
assisted in building the ships he would later command. Many
historic ships were built and refurbished for the Navy at
Portsmouth, including the
USS Raleigh depicted on the New
Hampshire State Seal, and the
USS Constitution.
Naval ship construction in America had its beginning
in 1690 on the shores of the Pisctaqua River, which serves as a
natural boundary between Maine and New Hampshire. Though only a few
Royal Navy ships were constructed here, colonial building ways were
soon controlled by American sympathizers during the revolution,
resulting in the construction of at least three U.S. warships. In
1799 chief naval constructor Humphries recommended to the Secretary
of the Navy that Portsmouth Harbor be the site of a government
owned and operated shipyard -- the swift waters, upriver islands, a
ready source of materials and skilled labor being all the reasons
he would need to convince Congress to allocate $5,500 for the
purchase of the Fernalds Island in Portsmouth Harbor on June 12,
1800.
Through all the major national conflicts, the
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS) was called upon to design and
construct warships -- from the War of 1812 to the Vietnam War.
"Sails to Atoms" is the shipyard's motto, reflecting its building
of the line
Washington, launched in 1815, to the
fast-attack nuclear submarine USS
Sand Lance, launched in
1969. The Shipyard currently has a lead role in the overhaul of
nuclear-powered submarines.Through several centuries, the PNS has
distinguished itself as a leader in naval design and
construction.
The project consists of a one-page abstract, a book
entitled
Portsmouth-Kittery Naval Shipyard in Old
Photographs, a chronology facts relative to the location of
the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, and a copy of a Motion by the State
of New Hampshire beofre the U.S. Supreme Court in March 1999 over
the related border dispute with Maine.
Originally submitted by: Bob Smith, Senator.
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The Local Legacies project provides a "snapshot" of American Culture as it was expressed in spring of 2000. Consequently, it is not being updated with new or revised information with the exception of "Related Website" links.
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