Merrill-Stevens Shipbuilding Corp., Jacksonville FL


This company was founded in 1866, by Captain James Merrill, as a blacksmith shop, located on the St. Johns River in South Jacksonville.  It was incorporated as Merrill-Stevens in 1885 and was the major repair yard in the region.  In WWII, the Merrills kept going in the repair business and started St. Johns River Shipbuilding, which was one of the builders of Liberty Ships.  The company relocated to Miami after WWII and is still in business, as Merrill-Stevens Dry Dock, Inc., describing itself as "Florida's oldest continuously operating company".  If anyone can identify the location of this yard, or add to the table below, please e-mail me at timcolton@aol.com

Hull # USSB # Original Name Original Owner Type Tons Delivery Disposition
    C. W. Sheppard     25 1892  
    Della     38 1893  
    Crescent     84 1893  
    Jamie     12 1894  
    Star     82 1894  
    Lawrence     259 1895  
    Gopher   Yacht 98 1895  
    H. B. Plant     189 1899  
    Louise     355 1901  
    City of Fayetteville     194 1902  
    Swan     281 1904  
    Jose Pedro     828 1906  
    Sally D.   Tanker 27 1911  
    South Jacksonville     292 1913  
    Osceola     474 1913  
    Palmetto (WAGL 265) US Coast Guard Tender 170 19-Mar-17 Sold 1959
99 1 Red Cloud US Shipping Board Cargo Ship

5,750

Aug-18 Composite ship, later Cortellazzo, scrapped 1925
100 2 Apalachee              US Shipping Board Cargo Ship 5,750 Aug-18 Composite ship, scrapped 1925
101 3 Botsford               US Shipping Board Cargo Ship 5,750 Sep-18 Composite ship, abandoned at Mallows Bay
102 4 Kanabec                US Shipping Board Cargo Ship 5,750 Dec-18 Composite ship, burnt 1922 and scrapped
  5 Buckhannon  US Shipping Board Cargo Ship 5,750 Jun-19 Composite ship, built in Slidell LA, later Elena Valdez 1925, scrapped 1929
  6 Campello US Shipping Board Cargo Ship 5,750 Aug-19 Composite ship, built in Slidell LA, burnt 1922 and scrapped
  7-12   US Shipping Board Cargo Ship 5,750   Composite ships, to have been built in Slidell LA, cancelled
103 13 Ashbee        US Shipping Board Cargo Ship 5,750 Aug-19 Later Silverspruce 1927, Samoan 1936, Norse Lady 1937, Rolla 1948, Daiei 1961, scrapped 1965
104 14 Wekika US Shipping Board Cargo Ship 5,750 Mar-20 Later Mallemak 1929, Dunboyne 1941, scrapped 1948
105 15 Pinellas US Shipping Board Cargo Ship 5,750 May-20 Later Carolinas 1923, Maltran 1930, torpedoed and lost 1943
106 16 Chickamauga US Shipping Board Cargo Ship 5,750 May-20 Later Malchace, torpedoed and lost 1942
107 Req. Jacksonville  US Shipping Board Cargo Ship 5,750 Dec-20 Later Silveroak 1927, Fijian 1936, exploded and burnt 1937
108              
109 1002   US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     Cancelled
110 1003   US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     Cancelled
111 1004   US Shipping Board Cargo Ship     Cancelled
112 1005   US Shipping Board Cargo Ship