Federal Shipbuilding Incorporated Former Site (Kearny, New Jersey)

 shipyard, production, shipbuilding, junkyard / scrapyard, historical layer / disappeared object, United States Navy

Federal Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. was originally located at Kearny Point on the west bank of the Hackensack River, and was organized in 1917. As a subsidiary of United States Steel Corporation, it became one of the most productive shipyards for the construction of steel ocean-going vessels.

From 1930 through the late the late 1940s, Federal built more destroyers than any other builder except Bath Iron Works, including lead ships of the Somers, Benham, Fletcher, Allen M. Sumner and Gearing classes. Federal also built other types, including 2 Light AA Cruisers and merchant ships.

Federal workers achieved the shortest time from keel laying to launch with USS Melvin, at 103 days. Shortest launch-to-commission was set with USS Thorn at 21 days, as was the yard’s record for keel laid to commissioning at 137 days.

After the war, new vessel construction continued until 1949 when the company closed its doors. The docks, cranes and infrastructure were then used by the Lipsett Division of Luria Brothers Co. and Union Minerals & Alloys Corp. as a shipbreaking facility well into the 1970s before environmental concerns and economic troubles shut the facility down for good.

Some of the US Navy's most famous WWII era ships met their end here; Aircraft Carriers USS Essex (CV-9), USS Wasp (CV-18) and USS Randolph (CV-15), Battleships USS New Mexico (BB-40), USS Idaho (BB-42), USS Washington (BB-56), USS South Dakota (BB-57), Battlecruiser USS Alaska (CB-1) and numerous WWII built Cruisers, Destroyers, Destroyer Escorts and several auxiliaries all met the scrappers torch here during the 1960-1975 period.

Today the yard no longer exists. In its place is the sprawling River Terminal Development complex. Reminders of the site’s historic past may still be seen, however, including a rusting construction crane, unused slipways on the Hackensack River and a monument to the workers and sailors who served on the vessels built at Federal.

For a complete list of ships built here see:
www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/1major/in...

www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/kearny.htm
www.destroyerhistory.org/destroyers/federal.html