Groton Iron Works

{{Short description|Cargo ship builder during WW1}} thumb|Groton Iron Works, DEC 1918 thumb|Groton Iron Works, MAR 1919 thumb|alt=Acetylene Workers|GIW Acetylene Workers, APR 1919 thumb|Quinnipiac Launch, NOV 1919

'''Groton Iron Works''' was a company formed in 1917 to build cargo ships for the United States Shipping Board during World War I. The company owned two shipyards: one in Noank, Connecticut for wooden ships; and the other in Groton, Connecticut for steel ships.<ref name="Shipbuilding History"/> The focus of this article is the Groton, Connecticut yard.

==Early property ownership== In 1916, Harry C. Rowe sold his 30-acre estate at Eastern Point to Charles W. Morse.<ref name="Rowe"/> Charles W. Morse was president of United States Steamship Company,<ref name="Morse 1088"/> which was the parent company of '''Groton Iron Works''' and Virginia Shipbuilding Corporation.<ref name="Morse 1237"/> 4,993 shares of the 5,000 total shares of '''Groton Iron Works''' stock was owned by United States Steamship Company.<ref name="CLXXIII"/> Qualifying shares were owned by the following: four shares by C.W. Morse and his three sons; one by Mr. Guggenheim; one by Mr. Loft; one unknown.<ref name="CLXXIIV"/> $3,500,000 was spent to construct '''Groton Iron Works''', which employed 3,600 men.<ref name="CXXXVI"/>

==Groton Iron Works officers== E.A. Morse, President <ref name="Morse 1122"/>

H.F. Morse, Vice President <ref name="Morse 1131"/>

B.W. Morse, Secretary <ref name="Morse 1061"/>

==Steel cargo ship contracts== Emergency Fleet Corporation contract #57 S.C. for six 8,800 dead-weight ton steamers was signed 11 August 1917.<ref name="CW Morse Contracts"/>

Emergency Fleet Corporation contract #225 S.C. for six 9,400 dead-weight ton steamers was signed 20 April 1918. Three were eventually canceled due to the end of the war.<ref name="CW Morse Contracts"/>

==Cargo ships built in Groton== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" |- ! Contract # <ref name="CW Morse Contracts"/> !! GIW Hull # <ref name="CW Morse"/> !! EFC Hull # <ref name="CW Morse"/> !! Name <ref name="CW Morse"/> !! Keel Laid !! Launched !! Delivered |- | 57 || 1 || 372 || Tollard || 28 January 1918 <ref name="Marine Engineering"/> || 9 November 1918 <ref name="Marine Engineering"/> || 24 April 1919 <ref name="CW Morse"/> |- | 57 || 2 || 373 || Nameaug || || 8 July 1919 <ref name="CW Morse"/> || 22 August 1919 <ref name="CW Morse"/> |- | 57 || 3 || 374 || Worcester || || 5 April 1919 <ref name="CW Morse"/> || 30 June 1919 <ref name="CW Morse"/> |- | 57 || 4 || 375 || Quinnipiac || || 1 November 1919 <ref name="CW Morse"/> || 12 December 1919 <ref name="CW Morse"/> |- | 57 || 5 || 376 || Merry Mount || || 20 September 1919 <ref name="CW Morse"/> || 18 October 1919 <ref name="CW Morse"/> |- | 57 || 6 || 377 || Hartford || || 29 November 1919 <ref name="CW Morse"/> || 31 December 1919 <ref name="CW Morse"/> |- | 225 || 7 || 1542 || Honnedaga || || 27 March 1920 <ref name="Honnedaga Launch"/> || July, 1920 <ref name="Shipbuilding History"/> |- | 225 || 8 || 1543 || Provincetown || || 19 June 1920 <ref name="Provincetown Launch"/> || September, 1920 <ref name="Shipbuilding History"/> |- | 225 || 9 || 1544 || Hopatcong || || || December, 1920 <ref name="Shipbuilding History"/> |}

==Subsequent property uses== thumb|The yard in 1943 On 23 July 1922, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad leased the property for use as a locomotive repair facility.<ref name="Leases Groton Iron Works"/>

On 30 January 1926, Hickman Sea Sled announced the lease of the jointer shop building.<ref name="Sea Sled"/>

On 25 January 1927, Atlantic Coast Fisheries purchased the northern section of the property from Boston Iron and Metal Company,<ref name="Boston Iron"/> to fillet, freeze and package haddock. In 1929 they purchased the remaining property, then sold some to Shell Oil Company for the construction of a distributing center with seven tanks.<ref name="Atlantic Coast"/>

In January, 1941, a syndicate headed by Alfred Holter purchased most of the property, intending to build freighters for Britain.<ref name="Time Holter"/> Purchase price was $550,000 cash.<ref name="Petersburg Holter"/>

On 5 February 1942, the US Navy purchased the property from Alfred Holter and Shell Oil Company for $222,000 using condemnation proceedings.<ref name="US Navy"/> $9.5 million was spent to construct the Victory Yard, where the Electric Boat Company began building submarines on 22 July 1942.<ref name="EB"/> On 3 November 1943 a Federal Court Committee awarded an additional $203,000 to the former owners.<ref name="Federal Court"/>

On 13 January 1945, Electric Boat announced that $3,000,000 will be spent to convert the Victory Yard to manufacture 105mm shells.<ref name="Lewiston Shells"/>

On 18 December 1946, Pfizer Inc purchased the property from the War Assets Administration.<ref name="Pfizer"/> Purchase price was $911,999.<ref name="Pfizer Price"/>

== References ==  {{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="Shipbuilding History">"[http://shipbuildinghistory.com/shipyards/19thcentury/palmer.htm Robert Palmer & Son, Noank CT (later Groton Iron Works and Noank Shipbuilding)]". ''Shipbuilding History''. Retrieved on 27 June 2021.</ref>

<ref name="Rowe">Kimball, Carol W. "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DP8gAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QHQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1468,3425165 Anecdotes give insight into Atlantic Coast Fisheries]". ''The Day''. 17 January 2005. p. B6. Retrieved on 16 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Morse 1088">"[https://books.google.com/books?id=-wYwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1088 C. W. Morse Contracts]". ''Hearings before Select Committee on U. S. Shipping Board Operations''. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1920. p. 1088. Retrieved on 18 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Morse 1237">"[https://books.google.com/books?id=-wYwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1237 C. W. Morse Contracts]". ''Hearings before Select Committee on U. S. Shipping Board Operations''. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1920. p. 1237. Retrieved on 18 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="CLXXIII">"[https://books.google.com/books?id=-wYwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR173 C. W. Morse Contracts]". ''Hearings before Select Committee on U. S. Shipping Board Operations''. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1920. p. CLXXIII. Retrieved on 18 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="CLXXIIV">"[https://books.google.com/books?id=-wYwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR174 C. W. Morse Contracts]". ''Hearings before Select Committee on U. S. Shipping Board Operations''. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1920. p. CLXXIIV. Retrieved on 18 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="CXXXVI">"[https://books.google.com/books?id=-wYwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR136 C. W. Morse Contracts]". ''Hearings before Select Committee on U. S. Shipping Board Operations''. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1920. p. CXXXVI. Retrieved on 18 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Morse 1122">"[https://books.google.com/books?id=-wYwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1122 C. W. Morse Contracts]". ''Hearings before Select Committee on U. S. Shipping Board Operations''. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1920. p. 1122. Retrieved on 18 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Morse 1131">"[https://books.google.com/books?id=-wYwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1131 C. W. Morse Contracts]". ''Hearings before Select Committee on U. S. Shipping Board Operations''. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1920. p. 1131. Retrieved on 18 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Morse 1061">"[https://books.google.com/books?id=-wYwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1061 C. W. Morse Contracts]". ''Hearings before Select Committee on U. S. Shipping Board Operations''. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1920. p. 1061. Retrieved on 18 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="CW Morse Contracts">"[https://books.google.com/books?id=-wYwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1215 C. W. Morse Contracts]". ''Hearings before Select Committee on U. S. Shipping Board Operations''. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1920. p. 1215. Retrieved on 5 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="CW Morse">"[https://books.google.com/books?id=-wYwAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR249 C. W. Morse Contracts]". ''Hearings before Select Committee on U. S. Shipping Board Operations''. Washington DC: Government Printing Office. 1920. p. CCXLIX. Retrieved on 3 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Marine Engineering">"[https://books.google.com/books?id=PKQvAAAAYAAJ&pg=PR49-IA54 Groton Iron Works Shipbuilding Plant]". ''International Marine Engineering''. April, 1919. pp. 246-250. Retrieved on 3 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Leases Groton Iron Works">"[https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1922/07/24/99042531.pdf Leases Groton Iron Works]". ''The New York Times''. 24 July 1922. Retrieved on 3 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Sea Sled">"[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Rp40AAAAIBAJ&sjid=l3EFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6522,2672729 New London 25 and 50 Years Ago]". ''The Day''. 30 January 1951. p. 6. Retrieved on 11 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Honnedaga Launch">"{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110724121757/http://www.cthistoryonline.org/cdm-cho/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cho&CISOPTR=8848&CISOBOX=1&REC=1 Launching party, freighter Honnedaga, Groton]}}". ''Connecticut History Online''. Retrieved on 4 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Provincetown Launch">"{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110724121832/http://www.cthistoryonline.org/cdm-cho/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/cho&CISOPTR=8822&CISOBOX=1&REC=17 Launching Party assembling, freighter Provincetown, Groton]}}". ''Connecticut History Online''. Retrieved on 4 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Boston Iron">"[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=K60tAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LnIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2346,1790818 Big Fisheries Concern Buys Iron Works Tract To Establish New Plant]". ''The Day''. 25 January 1927. p. 1. Retrieved on 13 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Atlantic Coast">Kimball, Carol W. "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LhQiAAAAIBAJ&sjid=nXQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4209,4496520 Former Groton plant has cold, fishy history]". ''The Day''. 21 February 2005. p. B3. Retrieved on 10 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Time Holter">"[https://web.archive.org/web/20100626023333/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,772649,00.html GOVERNMENT: Money by Mail]". ''Time''. 20 January 1941. Retrieved on 6 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Petersburg Holter">"[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=sekvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jU0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=7283,2540392 Norwegian Fugitive From Nazis Here to Aid Britain]". ''St. Petersburg Times''. 11 January 1941. p. 24. Retrieved on 10 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="US Navy">"[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=SrsqWtBqNIQC&dat=19420205&printsec=frontpage Iron Works Property Turned Over to E.B.]". ''The Day''. 5 February 1942. p. 10. Retrieved on 13 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="EB">"[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=WvggAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zHMFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3083,287663 EB]". ''The Day''. 2 September 1995. p. A5. Retrieved on 13 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Federal Court">[https://www.nytimes.com/1943/11/03/archives/203000-more-for-groton-works.html $203,000 More for Groton Works]". ''The New York Times''. 3 November 1943. Retrieved on 13 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Lewiston Shells">"[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-4wpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=92kFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3460,841231&dq=electric+boat+victory+yard&hl=en Electric Boat Co., Groton, Gets “Very Large Order” For Manufacture of 105 MM Shells]". ''Lewiston Evening Journal''. 13 January 1945. p. 7. Retrieved on 8 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Pfizer">"[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=qqItAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9nEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6161,2259308 New London, Groton Salute Pfizer for Community Role; Plaque Given at Breakfast]". ''The Day''. 12 November 1954. p. 3. Retrieved on 10 January 2011.</ref>

<ref name="Pfizer Price">[https://www.nytimes.com/1946/12/19/archives/pfizer-buys-war-plant-chemical-concern-gets-waa-shipyard-at-groton.html PFIZER BUYS WAR PLANT; Chemical Concern Gets WAA Shipyard at Groton for $911,999]". ''The New York Times''. 19 December 1946. Retrieved on 13 January 2011.</ref>

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Category:Shipyards of the United States Category:Shipyards of Connecticut Category:Defunct shipbuilding companies of the United States