Quincy, Mass. Historical and Architectural Survey

97 East Howard Street

HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE
Although the Fore River Ship & Engine Company, now General Dynamics, is technically listed in South Quincy, it relates more to Quincy Point. Two major early roads, now heavily commercialized, originate in Quincy Center and run the length of Quincy Point: Quincy Avenue, the old Braintree-Weymouth Turnpike and Washington Street, the old Quincy-Hingham Turnpike terminating in the massive Fore River Bridge (1934). Although some inhabitants of Quincy Point were associated with the nearby granite and other industries, one of prime reasons for the development of the Point was the commercial maritime industry located on the Town and Fore Rivers. Quincy Neck is the site of the Fore River Shipyard (now General Dynamics) and the Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Co.

The Fore River Engine Company was organized in 1884 by Thomas A. Watson and Frank O. Wellington and starting out in a small machine shop on the Fore River in East Braintree, the firm produced successful marine engines for yachts and other types of vessels. In 1896 the firm began production of hulls as well as engines, and by 1896 was manufacturing large steelhulled vessels. Needing more space, the firm moved to Quincy Neck in 1899 and reorganized in 1901 as the Fore River Ship & Engine Co. In 1913 the yard was acquired by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation and in 1963 was sold again to General Dynamics. At the time of this writing (June 1986) the future of the shipyard is very much in doubt. The next to last ship, the 1st Lt. Jack Lummus, was christened February 22, 1986, the process of deactivation has begun and the shipyard is expected to close this year. [Much of the resource material from Peter Stott, see below].

BIBLIOGRAPHY and/or REFERENCES
H. Hobart Holly, Quincy: 350 Years, 1974, p. 49, 51.
Quincy Patriot Ledger and Quincy Sun.
Anthony F. Sarcone & Lawrence S. Rines. "A History of Shipbuilding at Fore River", 1975.
Peter Stott. A Guide to the Industrial Archaeology of Eastern Massachusetts. Cambridge, MA: the MIT Press, 1984.

ARCHITECTURAL SIGNIFICANCE:
The giant Fore Ship & Engine Company, now General Dynamics, is located on Quincy Neck which is delineated by Haywards Creek, the Weymouth Fore River and Bent's Creek. "The yard's facilities today include five building basins, one wet basin, four outfitting piers, and a floating drydock. There are 24 cranes serving these basins with capacities ranging from 20 to 150 tons. The Goliath gantry crane, which spans #6 and #7. has a capacity of 1200 tons and is the largest crane in the western hemisphere (this is a major Quincy landmark). There are 40 buildings within the shipyard, ranging from manufacturing shops and warehouses to administrative offices. Among the oldest structures is the fabrication shop #1, a two-story brick and steel-frame structure built in 1916." (Quoted from the noted Boston industrial archaeologist Peter Stott. Refer to bibliography below).

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