Shipyard
From the many ships at pier during WWII to the construction of Crane 11, see how our shipyard has changed over the years.
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The Origin of “Bath Built is Best Built”
Question: What is the source and attribution of the phrase “Bath-built is best-built”? Response: “You can’t get there from here” is a phrase familiar to all who have confronted the…
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Post War America
The Postwar Years
As WWII ended, BIW faced a familiar situation, as a sudden surplus of military and commercial ships led to an inevitable plunge in shipbuilding orders. Although construction of many wartime…
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Modern Era
Pier Support Center
As BIW accelerates the DDG 51 Program shipbuilding rate, Pier 2 has become an essential location for execution of post-launch ship construction work. This pier, compared to Pier 4, has…
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Great Depression and WW II, Post War America
Boiler Shop History
Designed to support the assembly/erection of steam boilers for U.S. Navy WWII destroyers, the Boiler Ship was used for more than 50 years.
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Modern Era
Modernizing Our Shipyard
Under General Dynamics’ ownership, BIW teamed up with the City of Bath and the State of Maine to support a long-term capital investment plan which included the Land Level Transfer…
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The New Nation – 1880
Shipbuilding on the Kennebec River
Shipbuilding has been a way of life along the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, since 1762, when the sailing ship Earl of Bute was launched on the site of present…
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Glass Ketchup Bottles
This Shrewsbury’s TomatoKetchup bottle was found in the former water area on the south side of the old Union Wharf. Only the base of the bottle remains intact with embossed…
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Moose at BIW Newspaper Clipping
Special thanks to BIW Retiree Dick Walker for sharing the news clipping and pictures with us. The article reads: Inquisitive Bear, Moose Pay Visits to Bangor, Bath BATH, Me,. Oct.…
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Outfitting Dept. Paint List
A paint list from the Outfitting Department at BIW in 1944 for the Sumner Class Destroyer USS Purdy (DD-734). The ship would go on to serve in WWII, the Korean…
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Tool Chest
This is the tool chest of machinist’s tools formerly belonging to Albert B. (Bud) Henderson of Bath, who worked as a machinist until retiring in 1973. The chest of tools…
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Union Wharf
While excavating for BIW’s new Kitting Terminal, portions of an old wharf were discovered in the mud. This wharf, named Union Wharf because it extended out from Union Street, ran…
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Great Depression and WW II
The South Portland Shipyards
From 1940 to 1945 BIW played an unexpected role in the construction of two emergency shipyards in South Portland. The project began in 1940, when the British government sought to…
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Modern Era, Post War America
Modernization and Commercial Shipbuilding
In the late 1960s, the Navy adopted a new approach for the DX Program, a large class of destroyers meant to replace aging WWII-era ships in the fleet. Rather than…
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The DDG 51 Program and Today’s Shipyard
In 1991, BIW celebrated the delivery and commissioning of USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), BIW Hull 450, the first of the Aegis destroyers. As shipbuilders took pride in delivery of…
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The Portland Ship Repair Facility
In the early 1980s, BIW was busy with the FFG program and a substantial ship overhaul business, and looking forward to the Aegis cruiser program. It was clear the cruisers…
