Dry Dock 1

Loammi Baldwin Jr., a Charlestown native and son of a Revolutionary War hero, probably never imagined his creation would still be here. Here at Dry Dock 1, we stand before a testament to his engineering genius. Dry Dock 1 officially opened in 1833. It has played a vital role in the Charlestown Navy Yard’s history ever since. The very first ship to utilize Dry Dock 1 was the legendary USS Constitution. This dry dock is more than just a basin; it was a strategic response to the War of 1812. Congress wanted a stronger navy. They needed facilities to build and repair larger vessels. Charlestown Navy Yard, one of the original six naval shipyards in the US, became the site for this ambitious project. Congress commissioned two stone dry docks, one here and the other at the Gosport Navy Yard in Virginia. Baldwin, known for his work on the Bunker Hill Monument, used identical designs for both dry docks. Construction began here in June 1827 using granite from nearby Quincy, Massachusetts. It took six years and nearly a million dollars to complete. A Scottish engineer, David Stevenson, even declared the dry docks the “finest specimens of masonry” he’d seen in America. Dry Dock 1 was initially 305 feet long. It has been expanded throughout the years to its current length, just shy of 400 feet. The dry dock’s design is deceptively simple: a three-sided basin with a caisson, or plug, on the seaward side. The process involved floating a ship into the dock, sealing it with the caisson, and then draining the water to access the hull for repairs. Dry Dock 1 served the US Navy for over 140 years. It was especially crucial during wartime. Even after the Navy Yard closed in 1974, Dry Dock 1 continues to serve a purpose. It’s still used for repair work on both the USS Constitution and USS Cassin Young, a tangible link to the Navy Yard’s bustling past.