1865,
following service with the 20th Maine Regiment during the Civil War.
Nearly two decades later, he incorporated his diversified marine business interests as
Bath Iron Works, Limited in 1884, before expanding into shipbuilding with the acquisition
of the Goss Marine Iron Works in 1888. The first BIW-built vessel was a coastal
passenger ship named Cottage City built for the Maine Steamship Co. Since the
completion of Hull #1 in 1890, BIW has been awarded more than 425 shipbuilding contracts,
including 245 military ships (mostly destroyers and frigates for the US Navy) and over 160
private yachts and commercial vessels. BIW became a wholly-owned subsidiary of General
Dynamics in September 1995.
In
terms of modern US Navy surface combatant programs, the Lead Ship construction contract
for the FFG 7 Oliver Hazard Perry Class of guided missile frigates was awarded to BIW in
1973 and 24 of these surface combatants were delivered over the next 15 years.
In 1982, the Navy selected BIW as second-source shipbuilder for the CG 47 Ticonderoga
Class of AEGIS guided missile cruisers. The company went on to win contracts for
eight of these warships, delivering the last one in 1993. 
In 1985 BIW won the competition for detail design and
construction of DDG 51 (USS Arleigh Burke), the Lead Ship for the Navy’s newest, most
capable class of AEGIS guided missile destroyers. BIW has delivered the lead ship
and follow ships, with delivery of the last follow ship expected in 2010.
As the 21st century began, BIW solidified its industry leadership
position by teaming with the City of Bath and the State of Maine in a long-term capital
investment plan. .jpg)
With
the modernization complete in 2001, BIW began building ships in its new state-of-the-art
facility. These improvements will enable the company to offer unprecedented
productivity, quality and affordability to our customer.
For more information on Bath Iron Works history, access the following link BIW History
| 1826 | Bath Iron Foundry is founded on the Kennebec River, Maine |
| 1865 | General Thomas Worcester Hyde, a civil war hero, purchases Bath Iron Foundry |
| 1882 | Goss Marine Iron Works is founded nearby |
| 1884 | General Hyde renames Bath Iron Foundry as Bath Iron Works and incorporates company |
| 1888 | New England Shipbuilding Company, with General Hyde as an investor, acquires Goss Marine Iron Works |
| 1888 | BIW acquires New England Shipbuilding Company |
| 1890 | Steamer "Cottage City" is the first BIW-built hull |
| 1893 | USS Machias, a gunboat, is the first BIW-built U.S. Navy ship |
| 1894 | "City Of Lowell" is the first BIW-built commercial steel vessel |
| 1901 | BIW is acquired by United States Shipbuilding Trust |
| 1905 | John S. Hyde, eldest son of General Hyde, purchases BIW |
| 1906 | USS Georgia, the first and only BIW-built battleship, is delivered |
| 1917 | BIW is sold to a syndicate of Maine investors upon the death of John Hyde |
| 1925 | BIW is sold at a public auction, operations are idled |
| 1927 | BIW is leased by William S. "Pete" Newell and a group of investors, company is incorporated again |
| 1940 | Second BIW facility, the Hardings plant, is built in East Brunswick, ME |
| 1940-1945 | 82 destroyers are built during WWII, totaling more than the entire Japanese Empire |
| 1955 | First of a new class of Navy destroyers, USS Forest Sherman, is delivered |
| 1967 | Bath Industries, Inc. is established as a holding company for BIW, Pennsylvania Crusher and the Hyde Windlass Co. |
| 1968 | Bath Industries, Inc. acquires Congoleum-Nairn, a manufacturer of home furnishings |
| 1975 | Bath Industries, Inc. changes its name to Congoleum Corporation |
| 1977 | Lead ship of a new Navy class of guided missile frigates, USS Oliver Hazard Perry, is delivered |
| 1983 | Floating dry dock is opened in Portland, ME |
| 1984 | Tanker "Falcon Champion," is the last BIW-built commercial ship delivered |
| 1986 | BIW is acquired by Prudential Insurance |
| 1987 | Last Oliver Hazard Perry class ship, USS Kauffman, is delivered |
| 1987 | First BIW-built, guided missile "AEGIS" cruiser, USS Thomas Gates, is delivered |
| 1991 | The lead ship of a new Navy class of guided missile "AEGIS" destroyers, USS Arleigh Burke, is delivered |
| 1993 | Last BIW-built AEGIS cruiser, USS Lake Erie, is delivered |
| 1995 | Bath Iron Works becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Dynamics |
| 1996 | Awarded contract under an Avondale Shipyard-led alliance to build four of the Navy's new dock landing ships, the San Antonio-class (LPD 17) |
| 1998 | Groundbreaking for Land Level Transfer Facility. |
| 2001 | BIW hosts dedication ceremony for Land Level Transfer Facility (LLTF) and the Manufacturing Support Center (MSC) |
| 2001 | BIW Launches MASON (DDG 87). Last ship to slide down incline ways |
| 2002 | Realignment of DDG 51 and LPD 17 construction contracts. |
| 2002 | BIW Christens CHAFEE (DDG 90) First ship on Land Level Transfer Facility |
| 2003 | BIW subcontract for DD(X) Phase III program |
| 2006 | SAMPSON (DDG 102) is first vessel christened on Land Level, prior to translation into dry dock |
| 2007 | BIW awarded $250M to complete class detail design of ZUMWALT (DDG 1000) class destroyers (formerly DDX) |
[ Introduction ]
[ History ]
[ Leadership Team ]
[ Mission & Vision ]
[ Engineering & Design ]
[ Life Cycle Support ]
[ Programs ]
[ Facilities ]
[ Map & Directions ]
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