William Cramp and Sons
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William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding
Company of Philadelphia was founded in 1825 by William Cramp, and was the preeminent U.S. iron shipbuilder in the 19th century. The American Ship & Commerce Corporation bought the yard in 1919 but closed it in 1927 as fewer ships were ordered by the U.S. Navy after passage of the Naval Limitations Treaty
in 1923.
In 1940, the Navy spent $22 million to reopen the yard to build cruiser
s and submarine
s. Cramp used the long slipways to construct two submarines at a time, with the intention of launching them simultaneously. However, the shipyard's submarine construction program was not especially successful, as poor management hindered the delivery of the boats. The first delivery was made two years after keel laying, and fitting out was then done by Portsmouth Navy Yard. The best construction time for a submarine was 644 days.
Cramp closed in 1947 and the site, on the Delaware River
, became an industrial park.
, launched 28 February 1893. and -- the first major ocean liners built in the United States after the collapse of the Collins Line
in the 1850s. On 15 November 1899, St. Paul, enroute from New York to England with Guglielmo Marconi
on board supervising the ship's new wireless telegraph equipment, became the first liner to report her imminent arrival by radio. contracted by Russian Imperial Admiralty
, launched October 31, 1899. The cruiser was sunk by the crew in Russo-Japanese War
, salvaged by the Japanese and then reclaimed by the Russians.
Works of the firm that are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
include:
William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to before recorded history.Shipbuilding and ship repairs, both...
Company of Philadelphia was founded in 1825 by William Cramp, and was the preeminent U.S. iron shipbuilder in the 19th century. The American Ship & Commerce Corporation bought the yard in 1919 but closed it in 1927 as fewer ships were ordered by the U.S. Navy after passage of the Naval Limitations Treaty
Treaty for the Limitation of Naval Armament
The Limitation of Naval Armament included many separate treaties. In general, the treaties involved the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, Italy and France....
in 1923.
In 1940, the Navy spent $22 million to reopen the yard to build cruiser
Cruiser
A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundreds of years, and has had different meanings throughout this period...
s and submarine
Submarine
A submarine is a watercraft capable of independent operation below the surface of the water. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability...
s. Cramp used the long slipways to construct two submarines at a time, with the intention of launching them simultaneously. However, the shipyard's submarine construction program was not especially successful, as poor management hindered the delivery of the boats. The first delivery was made two years after keel laying, and fitting out was then done by Portsmouth Navy Yard. The best construction time for a submarine was 644 days.
Cramp closed in 1947 and the site, on the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
, became an industrial park.
Notable projects
, Battleship No. 1 of the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
, launched 28 February 1893. and -- the first major ocean liners built in the United States after the collapse of the Collins Line
Collins Line
The Collins Line is the common name for the American shipping company started by Israel Collins and then built up by his son Edward Knight Collins...
in the 1850s. On 15 November 1899, St. Paul, enroute from New York to England with Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi
Guglielmo Marconi was an Italian inventor, known as the father of long distance radio transmission and for his development of Marconi's law and a radio telegraph system. Marconi is often credited as the inventor of radio, and indeed he shared the 1909 Nobel Prize in Physics with Karl Ferdinand...
on board supervising the ship's new wireless telegraph equipment, became the first liner to report her imminent arrival by radio. contracted by Russian Imperial Admiralty
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...
, launched October 31, 1899. The cruiser was sunk by the crew in Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
, salvaged by the Japanese and then reclaimed by the Russians.
- On 8 December 1942, the keel to the light cruiserLight cruiserA light cruiser is a type of small- or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck...
designated CL-91, was laid down by the Cramp Shipbuilding Company of Philadelphia, PA. On 22 April 1943, Oklahomans were outraged, having just learned that the Japanese had executed the captured American pilots from Jimmy Doolittle's bombing raid over Tokyo. That same day, booths were set up in Oklahoma City with the a goal to sell $40 million in War Bonds to fund the construction of a cruiser. That goal was topped by $5 million when the booths closed that night. CL-91 then became the .
- The last ship Cramp's built was the cruiser , launched on April 22, 1945.
Works of the firm that are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
include:
- SS ALEUTIAN (Shipwreck), Address Restricted, Larsen Bay, AK (Cramp, S. and Sons S&EB Company), NRHP-listed in Kodiak Island Borough, AlaskaNational Register of Historic Places listings in Kodiak Island Borough, AlaskaThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Kodiak Island Borough, Alaska, United States...
- U.S.S. LING, Hackensack River at 150 River St., Hackensack, NJ (Cramp,William & Sons), NRHP-listed
- USS LIONFISH (SS0298), National Historic LandmarkNational Historic LandmarkA National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
, Battleship Cove, Fall River, MA (Cramp Shipbuilding Corp.), NRHP-listed - USS MASSACHUSETTS--BB-2 (shipwreck), 1. mi. SSW of Pensacola Pass, Pensacola, FL (William Cramp & Sons), NRHP-listed
See also
- Delaware RiverDelaware RiverThe Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
- Philadelphia Naval ShipyardPhiladelphia Naval ShipyardThe Philadelphia Naval Business Center, formerly known as the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and Philadelphia Navy Yard, was the first naval shipyard of the United States. The U.S. Navy reduced its activities there in the 1990s, and ended most of them on September 30, 1995...
- Lewis NixonLewis Nixon (naval architect)Lewis Nixon I was a naval architect, shipbuilding executive, public servant, and political activist. He designed the United States' first modern battleships, and supervised the construction of its first modern submarines, all before his 40th birthday. He was briefly the leader of Tammany Hall...
and Arthur Leopold BuschArthur Leopold BuschArthur Leopold Busch or Du Busc was a British-born American naval architect responsible for the development of the United States Navy's first submarines.-Career:...
, naval architects who worked with Cramp & Sons.