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Bath Iron Works - History

Bath Iron Works was founded in 1826 as an iron foundry on the shores of the Kennebec River in Maine and for the next 39 years, the foundry remained in operation, mostly producing iron castings. In 1865, it was taken over by a retired U.S. Army General who had served in the Civil War. Over the next twenty years, General Thomas Hyde gradually built his business, and in 1884, he incorporated his various holdings under the name Bath Iron Works, Limited. In 1888, Hyde acquired Goss Marine Iron Works, and moved into the shipbuilding business. The first hull was laid at Bath Iron Works in 1890 for the Maine Steamship Company.

In 1894, the Bath Iron Works was nearly completely destroyed by fire. After much consideration, Hyde rebuilt the shipyard, completing the work before his death in 1899. The shipyard passed on to his son, Edward, who secured Bath Iron Works first Navy contract, to build the battleship Georgia, one of the most powerful battleships of her class. The construction of the USS Georgia marked the beginning of a long string of Navy contracts for Bath Iron Works, and to date, the shipyard has built nearly 250 naval ships. In total, there have been more than 450 ships built at the shipyard.

During World War I, Bath Iron Works employed nearly 2,000 workers, but by 1925 that substantial workforce had dropped to less than 700 employees. In 1925, Bath Iron Works closed down operations for the first time in its history. The shipyard was bought at auction by Theodore Friedburg, who stripped it of its machinery and metal and allowed it to sit idle for several years. Eventually, ownership of the shipyard passed to Pete Newell, who acquired contracts to build yachts, and once again the shipyard was in operation.

Throughout the 1930s, Newell's work ethic and ingenuity built the company's reputation. When other shipyards were closing their gates, Bath Iron Works continued to build ships. As the country began preparing for World War II, Bath Iron Works stepped up to the plate. By the end of the war, Bath Iron Works had built 82 ships for the Navy, and only 8 of them had been lost in combat. Bath-built ships took on the reputation of being lucky as well as well-built.

After the war, John Newell, assuming his father's position, dealt with the downturn in shipbuilding by diversifying into other areas. The shipyard was retooled to build turbine exhaust casings, pulp-molding machinery, water-circulating pumps, and replacement parts for naval ship supply systems. The Korean War brought shipbuilding back to the shipyard, and in the years that followed, Bath Iron Works profited from leadership that looked toward the future. Expansions and improvements at the shipyard kept the Bath Iron Works current and allowed them to move into the future and stay in tune with the latest developments in nuclear powered ships and submarines.

Bath Iron Works became a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics in 1995. The company now makes turbine casings, water pumps, pulp-processing machinery, and replacement parts for ships. They are the largest employer in the state of Maine.

For information about the company today, please see Bath Iron Works.

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