Bethlehem Key Highway Shipyard started as William Skinner & Sons in downtown

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...

in 1815. In 1899 the shipyard was renamed Skinner Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company. Also at the site was Malster & Reanie started in 1870 by William T. Malster (1843–1907). In 1879 Malster partnered with William B. Reaney (1808-1883). In 1880 Malster & Reanie was sold and renamed Columbian Iron Works & Dry Dock Company (Lower Yard). Malster & Reanie and Skinner Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company merged in 1906, but remained as Skinner Shipbuilding. In 1914 the company was renamed Baltimore Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Company. Baltimore Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Company sold to

Bethlehem Steel The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was an American steelmaking company headquartered in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Until its closure in 2003, it was one of the world's largest steel-producing and shipbuilding companies. At the height of its success ...

in 1922, becoming part of

Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation Bethlehem Steel Corporation Shipbuilding Division was created in 1905 when the Bethlehem Steel Corporation of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, acquired the San Francisco-based shipyard Union Iron Works. In 1917, it was incorporated as Bethlehem Shipbuil ...

. Bethlehem Steel operated the shipyard for ship repair, conversion and some ship construction. Bethlehem's main ship construction site was across the harbor at Bethlehem Sparrows Point. Bethlehem Key Highway Shipyard was known as the Bethlehem Upper Yard located north-east side of Federal Hill. Bethlehem Fort McHenry Shipyard located on the west side of Locust Point peninsula was known as the Lower Yard, near

Fort McHenry Fort McHenry is a historical American Coastal defense and fortification, coastal bastion fort, pentagonal bastion fort on Locust Point, Baltimore, Locust Point, now a neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. It is best known for its role in the War ...

Bethlehem Key Highway Shipyard

Bethlehem Key Highway Shipyard, the 42-acre Upper Yard, was sold to AME/Swirnow in 1983. Swirnow shipyard sold the land in 2002 and is now Ritz Carlton and Harborview communities near to the

Baltimore Museum of Industry The Baltimore Museum of Industry is a museum in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Located in an old cannery complex, the museum has exhibits on various types of manufacturing and industry from the early 20th century. There are several hands-o ...

at . *Major projects: * USS Palawan (ARG-10), converted to Luzon Class Internal Combustion Engine Repair Ship. * USS Diamond Head (AE-19), converted to

ammunition ship An ammunition ship is an auxiliary ship specially configured to carry ammunition, usually for naval ships and aircraft. An ammunition ship's cargo handling systems, designed with extreme safety in mind, include ammunition hoists with airlocks bet ...

at the shipyard. *

USS Graffias (AF-29) USS ''Graffias'' (AF-29), a , is the only ship of the United States Navy to have this name. The name ''Graffias'' is another name for the star Beta Scorpii in the constellation Scorpius. The ''Graffias'' was originally laid down in 1943 as ''T ...

, a type (C2-S-E1) hull converted to Hyades stores ship at the shipyard. **

Achelous-class repair ship The ''Achelous''-class repair ship was a class of ship built by the US Navy during World War II. As the United States gained experience in amphibious warfare, amphibious operations, it was realized that some sort of mobile repair facility would ...

, Bethlehem Key Highway Shipyard converted Landing Ship, Tank (LST) ship to Achelous-class repair ships, for the repair of landing craft, vehicle, personnel (LCVP) or Higgins boat. * USS Menelaus (ARL-13) * USS Numitor (ARL-17) * USS Patroclus (ARL-19) * USS Indra (ARL-37) **Some T-2 tankers were converted or "jumboized" in order to increase their capacity as oiler ship. A 354-foot-long cargo midsection was added. Sample: *SS Gulfmeadows,

Gulf Oil Company Gulf Oil was a major global oil company in operation from 1901 to 1985. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the Seven Sisters oil companies. Prior to its merger with Stan ...

tanker converted in 1957 to 12,811 GT, from 9,900 GT. Built as SS Great Meadows in 1943 by Sun Shipbuilding Co. * SS Maine, built as a T2-SE-A2 tanker SS Tomahawk by Marinship Corporation. Became US Navy USS Tomahawk (AO-88). In 1967 she was jumboized. *SS Marine Duval, was USS Lynchurg (AO 154) * Six other T-2 tankers were jumboized. **Legacy: A Bethlehem Key Highway Shipyard 100 feet tall crane built in the 1940s during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

is on display at The Baltimore Museum of Industry along with other artifacts. The crane was used at the

Bethlehem Fairfield Shipyard The Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard of Baltimore, Maryland, was a shipyard in the United States from 1941 until 1945. Located on the south shore of the Middle Branch of the Patapsco River which serves as the Baltimore Harbor, it was owned by the Be ...

to help build

Liberty ship Liberty ships were a ship class, class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Although British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost cons ...

Victory ship The Victory ship was a class of cargo ship produced in large numbers by American shipyards during World War II. They were a more modern design compared to the earlier Liberty ship, were slightly larger and had more powerful steam turbine engin ...

s and amphibious landing ships. Fairfield closed in 1945 and the crane was moved to Bethlehem Key Highway Shipyard in 1945.

Bethlehem Fort McHenry Shipyard

Bethlehem Fort McHenry Shipyard, the Lower Yard, was sold to General Ship Repair in 1983. The site is now some of

Port of Baltimore The Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore is a Port, shipping port along the tidal basins of the three branches of the Patapsco River in Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland, on the upper northwest shore of the Chesapeake Bay. It is the nation's la ...

terminals at . (former Columbian Iron Works & Dry Dock Company 1899-1906) *Major projects * USS Avenge (AM-423) * USS Webster (ARV-2) ** Built

drilling rig A drilling rig is an integrated system that Drilling, drills wells, such as oil or water wells, or holes for piling and other construction purposes, into the earth's subsurface. Drilling rigs can be massive structures housing equipment used to ...

s in the 1970s. Sample: *Ocean Scout, was the first semisubmersible oil well drilling rig to be constructed on the East Coast.

Baltimore Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company

Columbian Iron Works and Dry Dock Company (1899—1906) went into receivership in 1899 and was reorganized as Baltimore Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, and was purchased by William B. Skinner and Sons in 1905. In 1915, Skinner and Sons went into receivership and was reorganized as the Baltimore Dry Dock and Shipbuilding Corporation. Baltimore Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company specialized in building and repairing tanker ships. Sample: *SS Bethelridfe, and SS Betterton, tankers built in 1919 at 10,300 tons, 444 feet long, 59 beam, 34 tanks, 2,500 HP. Four others built. *SS Arundel built in 1904 Baltimoredrydock18809

Skinner Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company

Skinner Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, also called William Skinner & Sons. (1906—1915). Shipyard samples: * Standard Oil Company No. 16 (harbor tug) built in 1907 for

Standard Oil Company Standard Oil Company was a corporate trust in the petroleum industry that existed from 1882 to 1911. The origins of the trust lay in the operations of the Standard Oil Company (Ohio), which had been founded in 1870 by John D. Rockefeller. The ...

. *

tugboat built in 1906, now a

Museum ship A museum ship, also called a memorial ship, is a ship that has been preserved and converted into a museum open to the public for educational or memorial purposes. Some are also used for training and recruitment purposes, mostly for the small numb ...

. *Spartan Tug *RFA Steadfast built in 1915, a mooring Vessel.

Baltimore Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Company

Baltimore Dry Dock & Shipbuilding Company (1915-1922), also called the ''Upper Plant'' on 9.6 acres. Ships built: * General de Castelnau, in 1917 renamed Elinor (ID 2465). *South Pole (ID 3665) 1918 *War Neptune - Polar Bear (ID 3666) 1918 *Warrenton, Polar Sea (ID 3301) 1918 *War Venus , Polar Star (ID 3787) *USS Redwing, Minesweeper No. 48, 1919 * USS Lark (AM-21)) 1921 *District of Columbia, USS Serapis (IX-213) 1921 * USS Bobolink (AM-20) *

USS Pigeon (ASR-6) The first USS ''Pigeon'' (AM-47/ASR-6) was a ''Lapwing''-class minesweeper of the United States Navy. She was later converted to a submarine rescue ship. She was named for the avian ambassador, the pigeon. Construction and commissioning ''Pi ...

*Avocet (AVP 4) *Aeolus (ID 3005) *Thrush (AVP 3)

Malster & Reanie

Malster & Reanie (1872-1880) built

yacht A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...

s and other ships. William T. Malster (1843-1907) was the

Mayor of Baltimore The mayor of Baltimore is the head of the executive branch of the government of the City of Baltimore, Maryland. The Mayor has the duty to enforce city laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills, ordinances, or resolutions passed by th ...

from 1897 to 1899. Malster was the son of a Confederate Colonel. William B. Reaney (1808-1883) was raised in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

with private tutors. In 1849 started working in his father, Thomas Reaney, shipyard in the engineering department, Reaney & Neafie Shipyard. Thomas Reaney and Samuel Archbold also started the Pennsylvania Iron Works. He and his father moved to city of

Chester Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, Wales, River Dee, close to the England–Wales border. With a built-up area population of 92,760 in 2021, it is the most populous settlement in the borough of Cheshire West an ...

and started a new yard,

Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works The Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works (founded in 1871) was a major late-19th-century American shipyard located on the Delaware River in Chester, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the industrialist John Roach (shipbuilder), John Roac ...

, commonly known as Roach's Ship Yard.

Reaney, Son & Archbold Reaney, Son & Archbold was a 19th-century United States, American iron shipbuilding company located on the Delaware River at Chester, Pennsylvania. The company was established in 1859 by Thomas Reaney (formerly of the firm Neafie & Levy, Reaney, N ...

built ships for the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. building the USS Wateree,

USS Suwanee USS ''Suwanee'' or ''Suwannee'' may refer to one of these United States Navy ships: * , a double-ended side-wheel gunboat commissioned in February 1865, sent in pursuit of Confederate States Navy commerce raiders until the end of the American Civi ...

and USS Shamokin, USS Sagamore, USS Lehigh, and USS Tunxis purposes, including the river steamboat Samuel M. Felton. In 1872 the yards were sold to John Roach. In 1872 he entered in to a partnership with Malster. In 1874 he build a new yard in Philadelphia as owner and naval architect. In 1879 sold and became the manager of the Eureka Cast Steel Company of Chester. Sample built: La Brerague, yacht 240 feet for Eugene TampkinsThe Book of Sport, Volume 1, by William Patten, page 397, 1901

References

{{Authority control Bethlehem shipyards Defunct shipbuilding companies of the United States American companies established in 1815 Manufacturing companies established in 1815 1815 establishments in Maryland Defunct manufacturing companies based in Maryland