Bethlehem Steel Company's Staten Island Shipyard

Bethlehem Steel Company’s Staten Island Yard was founded in 1895, as the Port Richmond Iron Works. It was originally a machine shop. The Burlee Drydock Company was started at about the same time. In 1898 the two firms consolidated under the Burlee name at Port Richmond, Staten Island. Some of Burlee’s owners started a shipyard for the construction of wooden vessels. The firm’s name was changed in 1907 to Staten Island Shipbuilding Company. Steel ship construction began in 1916 when a foundry was added. In 1925 activities shifted from Port Richmond to Mariners Harbor. In 1929 the yard consolidated with another and began operations under the name United Drydocks Company. The name changed to United Shipyards, Incorporated, in 1938. The yard was bought by Bethlehem Steel Company in 1938.

Both Bethlehem and the U.S. Navy made substantial additions to the yard during World War II. The yard built vessels up to 416 feet in length and did repairs on even larger ships. Post-war construction focused on barges and tanker and harbor craft repairs.

During World War II, there were 47 destroyers, 75 landing craft, 5 cargo vessels, and 3 ocean-going tugs were built at Bethlehem’s Staten Island Yard.

Destroyers Built by Bethlehem Staten Island

USS Mahan (DD-364)
USS Cummings (DD-365)
USS Dunlap (DD-384)
USS Fanning (DD-385)
USS Bache (DD-470)
USS Beale (DD-471)
USS Farenholt (DD-491)
USS Bailey (DD-492)
USS Meade (DD-602)
USS Murphy (DD-603)
USS Parker (DD-604)
USS Brownson (DD-518)
USS Daly (DD-519)
USS Isherwood (DD-520)
USS Kimberly (DD-521)
USS Luce (DD-522)

USS Charles J. Badger (DD-657)
USS Colahan (DD-658)
USS Picking (DD-685)
USS Halsey Powell (DD-686)
USS Uhlmann (DD-687)
USS Beatty (DD-756)
USS Benham (DD-796)
USS Cushing (DD-797)
USS Monssen (DD-798)
USS Blue (DD-744)
USS Brush (DD-745)
USS Taussig (DD-746)
USS Samuel N. Moore (DD-747)
USS Harry E. Hubbard (DD-748)
USS Henry A. Wiley (DD-749 / DM-29)
USS Shea (DD-750 / DM-30)

USS J. William Ditter (DD-751 / DM-31)
USS Alfred A. Cunningham (DD-752)
USS John R. Pierce (DD-753)
USS Frank E. Evans (DD-754)
USS John A. Bole (DD-755)
USS Vogelgesang (DD-862)
USS Steinaker (DD-863)
USS Harold J. Ellison (DD-864)
USS Charles R. Ware (DD-865)
USS Cone (DD-866)
USS Stribling (DD-867)
USS Brownson (DD-868)
USS Arnold J. Isbell (DD-869)
USS Fechteler (DD-870)
USS Damato (DD-871)
USS Forrest Royal (DD-872)