Merchant Shipbuilding Corp., Chester PA

(formerly Reaney, Son & Archbold [1857-1870] J. Roach & Sons [1871-1887] Delaware River Iron Shipbuilding & Engine Works [1887-1907] and Chester Shipbuilding [1914-1918])

This shipyard was originally established in 1857 and had a distinguished career building fine ships before it closed in 1922.  It was revived for the war effort in 1917 but was acquired by Averell Harriman's American Ship & Commerce Corporation in 1919 and renamed Merchant Shipbuilding.  Like Hog Island and Submarine Boat, the yard was designed to assemble ships from parts fabricated by others.  It is notable that the yard numbering system continued without interruption by five different companies.  The yard was located at Front and Lloyd Streets in Chester: after it closed in 1924, it was redeveloped as a Ford assembly plant, which closed in 1961.  See the site from the air on Google here.  If anyone can fill any of the gaps in the table below, please e-mail me at tim@coltoncompany.com

Yard # Original Name Original Owner Type GT DWT Delivery Disposition
Built by Reaney, Son & Archbold (1857-1870)
1 Starlight   Tug 74   1861  
2           1861 Saw mill engines
3 William B. Reaney Reaney, Son & Archbold Tug 104   1861  
4 Union   Tug 121   1861  
5           1861 Engines only
6 American Eagle   Tug 63   1861  
7 Clyde Thomas Clyde Tug 96   1862  
8           1862 Engines only
9 James J. Green   Barge     1862  
10 Paul Green   Barge     1862  
11 William Stroud   Barge     1862  
12           1862 Engines only
13           1862 Engines only
14           1862 Engines only
15           1862 Engines only
16           1862 Engines only
17 American Union   Tug 74   1862  
18 Caroline   Tug     1862  
19 Hope   Tug 111   1862  
20 Sangamon U.S. Navy Ironclad 1875d   Apr-63  
21 Lehigh U.S. Navy Ironclad 1875d   Feb-63  
22 Wateree U.S. Navy Gunboat 974d   Jan-64  
23           1862 Engines only
24           1863 Engines only
25           1863 Engines only
26           1862 Engines only
27           1863 Engines only
28 Rebecca Clyde Thomas Clyde Psgr./Cargo 446   1863  
29 Helen Brook   Tug 26   1863  
30             Engines only
31 Mayflower   Psgr./Cargo 164   1864  
32 Tunxis U.S. Navy Ironclad 614d   Jul-64  
33 Suwanee U.S. Navy Gunboat 1370d   Jan-65  
34 Shamokin U.S. Navy Gunboat 1370d