Bethlehem Steel Company, Staten Island NY

(formerly Burlee Dry Dock [1895-1907], Staten Island Shipbuilding [1907-1929], United Drydocks [1929-1934] and United Shipyards [1934-1938])


Burlee Dry Dock was started by William Burlee in 1895 and in 1898 took over the Port Richmond Iron Works.  The name was changed to Staten Island Shipbuilding in 1907 and the yard switched from wood to steel in 1916.  In 1925, they moved the yard from Port Richmond to Mariners Harbor and in 1929 they merged with another shipyard (presumably Alex McDonald's) and changed the name to United Drydocks, later changed again to United Shipyards.  Bethlehem Steel bought the company in 1938 and expanded its capabilities for the WWII effort, with the aid of $6mm from the Navy.  The yard closed in 1960.  The site is now occupied by May Ship Repair: see it from the air on Google here.   If anyone can fill any of the many gaps in the table below, please e-mail me at tim@coltoncompany.com

Hull # Name Original Owner Ship Type USN Type or MARAD Design Pennant # or MARAD Hull # Tons Delivered Disposition
Built by Burlee Dry Dock
112 Georges Creek Black, Sheridan, Wilson Co Tug     434 Mar-99 Scrapped 1935
118 Gypsum King J.B.King Tptn Co Tug     563 Jun-99 Wrecked 1906
145 Powel Baker Tptn Co Barge     1,204 Jan-00 Foundered 1920
152 Lehigh Easton & Amboy RR Co Tug     446 1900 Later Joseph V. Hogan 1936, scrapped 1953
177 Chicago Pennsylvania RR Co Ferry     1,334 1901 Scrapped 1952
200 Standard Standard Oil Co Tug     374 May-01 Later Tuarrbu 1927, scrapped 1934
234 Rheclair D.G.Reid Yacht     539 Jul-02 Later Nirvana 1915, Druid 1916, Maracay 1921, deleted 1927
235 Noma W.B.Leeds Yacht     763 Jul-02 Later tug Vega 1927, Salvatore Primo 1933, torpedoed and lost 1943
261 Cheektowaga Easton & Amboy RR Co Tug     331 Sep-02 Later Progress No. 9 1938
232 Larkspur U.S.Lighthouse Service Tender WAGL   703 Feb-03 Foundered 1948
238 Sumac U.S.Lighthouse Service Tender WAGL   582 1903 Later Oscar Lehtinenbu 1940, scrapped 1957
293 Arlington Erie RR Co Ferry     1,446 1903 Scrapped 1959
315 Wellington Cook-Cummer S.S.Co Tug     334 Aug-04 In collision and sank 1926
326 Elmer A. Keeler   Tug     236 1904  
  LS-76 U.S.Lighthouse Service Lightship LS 76 450 May-04  
  Waverly   Tug     217 1904  
  T. J. Scully   Tug     130 1904  
  Nanuet   Tug     217 1904  
340 Richmond City of New York Ferry     2,006 Oct-05 Scrapped 1949
346 Riverside City of New York Ferry     300 1906 Deleted 1954
360 Watuppa   Cargo ship     190 1906  
373 Gypsum King J.B.King Tptn Co Tug     581 Oct-06 Later Brooks Scanlon 1926, Samson 1935, deleted 1955
390 Industry   Tug     163 1906 Later Carrie T. Meseck, Delaware, Manie L. Piner
  Bernardsville   Cargo ship     181 1906  
  New York Central No.5   Ferry     410 1906  
399 Wyoming Lehigh Valley Tptn Co Tug     398 Jan-07 Later Joseph J. Hockbu 1936, scrapped 1955
400 Irvington Lehigh Valley RR Co Tug     398 Mar-07