Those Places Thursday: Cramp’s Shipyard in Philadelphia

William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company was founded in 1830 by William Cramp and was vital in modernizing the shipbuilding industry. The shipyard employed many of the residents of Kensington and Fishtown, two neighborhoods in Philadelphia.

The Shipyard began at the end of (now named) Susquehanna Avenue. It moved to end of Palmer Street and finally settled at Richmond and Norris Streets. The site is now home to the Port Richmond neighborhood and has become an industrial park.

William Cramp died in 1879 at which time his sons, especially Charles, greatly expanded the company. In 1919 the company was sold to Averell Harriman. The company then closed in 1927. It was revived for a short period to assist in the WWII effort but then closed permanently afterwards.

The Philadelphia Maritime Museum has been working to compile various archives concerning Cramp’s Shipyard. Blueprints, ledgers and photos are scattered about in various places.

Sources:

Avery, Ron. “Cramp’s History Surfaces Shipyard’s Files Reveal Rich Past.” Philadelphia Daily News. Posted 5 December 1990. Last accessed 11 December 2014.

Charlton, Ian. “Cramp Shipyard – A Community Organization and a Community Institution.” Phila Place, http://www.philaplace.org/story/710/. Last accessed online 11 December 2014.

Cramp Shipbuilding, Philadelphia, PA. http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/shipyards/2large/inactive/cramp.htm. Last accessed online 11 December 2014.

Those Places Thursday is a genealogical prompt of GeneaBloggers.

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