Norfolk Naval Shipyard

The Norfolk Naval Shipyard is sometimes called the Norfolk Navy Yard and it was built in 1767. The Naval Shipyard is located in Portsmouth, Virginia and is situated along the Elizabeth River. When the Navy Yard was first established in 1767 it was referred to as the Gosport Shipyard. This name was later officially changed to the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in 1862, named after the largest city in the area. Interesting enough, it was never given the name of its home city, Portsmouth.

The Norfolk Naval Shipyard was developed and prospered as both a naval and merchant shipyard. The Shipyard was established by a merchant and ship owner named Andrew Sprowle. When the American Revolution began in 1775 and Sprowle, deciding to stay loyal to the Crown, fled on a ship from Virginia and all of his land was confiscated by the Colony of Virginia.

The Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia operated for more than 230 years and assisted the United States of American in winning nine major wars, putting an end to piracy, sending the Great White Fleet around the world, scientifically exploring the Pacific, and opening Japan to American trade.

Although the Norfolk Naval Shipyard had been in existence for years previous, the federal government did not purchase it from the Commonwealth of Virginia until 1801. They purchased it for a mere $12,000 and at the time, it only spanned 16 acres. It was not until World War I that the Shipyard made major changes and grew much larger. The first expansion, during World War I was made to accommodate 11,000 workers as well as their families. “The shipyard was again expanded in World War II, doubling its physical size, and greatly expanding its productive capacity. During its peak, from 1940 to 1945, 43,000 personnel were employed and 6,850 vessels were built.”

Norfolk Naval Shipyard is the United States Navy’s oldest Shipyard and actually predates the United States Navy Department by 31 years. It is also the largest shipyard on the entire East Coast. Currently, “Norfolk Naval Shipyard provides repair and modernization services for every type of ship that the United States Navy has in service, which includes amphibious vessels, submarines, guided missile cruisers, and supercarriers, although in recent years the shipyard has primarily focused on nuclear ships and nuclear support ships.”

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