Joshua Humphreys (June 17, 1751 – January 12, 1838) was an American ship builder and naval architect. He was the constructor of the

original six frigates of the United States Navy The United States Congress authorized the original six frigates of the United States Navy with the Naval Act of 1794 on March 27, 1794, at a total cost of $688,888.82 (equivalent to $ in ). These ships were built during the formative years of ...

and is known as the "Father of the American Navy". Humphreys was born in Ardmore, Haverford Township, Pennsylvania, where he lived his entire life. He was the son of Joshua Humphreys (for whom he was named) and Sarah Williams, grandson of Daniel Humphreys and Hannah Wynne (daughter of Dr. Thomas Wynne). He was a nephew of Charles Humphreys, a leading Pennsylvania Patriot. His home, Pont Reading, is still a private residence.

Career

As a youth, Humphreys was apprenticed to a shipbuilder in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 ...

; most of the major shipbuilders in Philadelphia were, like Humphreys, followers of the

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...

faith. At some point during his apprenticeship, Humphreys was transferred to a different master, who died unexpectedly in 1774. Despite his youth and unfinished training, Humphreys inherited ownership of his master's yard. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

he was active as a builder and outfitter of

privateering A privateer is a private person or vessel which engages in commerce raiding under a commission of war. Since Piracy, robbery under arms was a common aspect of seaborne trade, until the early 19th century all merchant ships carried arms. A sover ...

vessels and played a major part in planning the 32-gun

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and maneuvera ...

before the

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occupation of Philadelphia halted that effort. In postwar Philadelphia, Humphreys gained a reputation as the city's best shipbuilder and quickly became a wealthy man. His main shipyard complex was on the

Delaware River The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and is the longest free-flowing (undammed) river in the Eastern United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for a ...

in the

Southwark Southwark ( ) is a district of Central London situated on the south bank of the River Thames, forming the north-western part of the wider modern London Borough of Southwark. The district, which is the oldest part of South London, developed ...

neighborhood. When

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

passed the Naval Act of 1794 providing for the construction of six frigates, it called on him to design them. He was appointed "Master Naval Constructor" on June 28, 1794, and began work on these ships, the beginnings of the U.S. Navy. Reputedly, one of the inspirations for his

designs was the ''South Carolina'', planned by an innovative French shipwright. His designs called for ships that were longer and wider than usual, sat lower in the water and were able to equal the speed of any other fighting ships. The ships Humphrey built were more stable than other ships at the time and could carry as many guns on one deck as others did on two decks. Constitution1803

The USS ''United States'' was built by Humphreys in Philadelphia, and was the first of the new ships to be launched on May 10, 1797. These vessels were larger than other ships of their class and formed the core of the Navy during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

, and scored several victories against British ships, although two were captured. His six

s were: * USS ''United States'' (1797) * USS ''Constellation'' (1797) * USS ''Constitution'' (1797) * USS ''Chesapeake'' (1799) * USS ''Congress'' (1799) * USS ''President'' (1800) In 1789, Humphreys was elected to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

Family

His uncle was Charles Humphreys, a member of the

Continental Congress The Continental Congress was a series of legislature, legislative bodies, with some executive function, for the Thirteen Colonies of British America, Great Britain in North America, and the newly declared United States before, during, and after ...

. His son was another noted naval architect, Samuel Humphreys. His grandson, General Andrew Atkinson Humphreys, served throughout 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 ...

Legacy

Two ships, and , were named for Humphreys. Building 197 of the

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is a ceremonial and administrative center for the United States Navy, located in the federal national capital city of Washington, D.C. (federal District of Columbia). It is the oldest shore establishment / base of ...

was completely renovated in 2014 and renamed in honor of Humphreys. The building was the site of the Washington Navy Yard shooting on September 16, 2013.

References

External links

USS Constitution Rehabilitation And Restoration
* Th

including financial records, hand-drawn diagrams, correspondence and other family documents, are available for research use at the

Historical Society of Pennsylvania The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is a historic research facility headquartered on Locust Street in Center City Philadelphia. It is a repository for millions of historic items ranging across rare books, scholarly monographs, family chron ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Humphreys, Joshua 1751 births 1838 deaths American people of Welsh descent American shipbuilders American naval architects People from Haverford Township, Pennsylvania United States Navy civilians People from colonial Pennsylvania Engineers from Pennsylvania People from Delaware County, Pennsylvania People from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Members of the American Philosophical Society