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Dry Dock 1
Boston Nat'l Hist Pk
Charlestown Navy Yard
This stone and metal structure is Dry Dock 1, completed in 1833. As one of America's first two granite dry docks, Dry Dock 1 made the repair of large naval ships faster, easier, and safer.
Returning warships to sea duty in less time was a crucial gain for a young nation with a limited budget and a small navy. Costing more than $1.5 million, the dry docks here in Charlestown and Norfolk, Virginia, were the largest civil works projects the federal government had ever undertaken. They proved that the nation was prepared to use its navy to protect its overseas trade.
The first vessel to enter Dry Dock 1 for repairs was USS Constitution in 1833. Today, Dry Dock 1, a working pioneer, is preserved as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. |