Shipbuilding and Philadelphia's Historic Navy Yard

During the heyday of shipbuilding, around World War I, Philadelphia shipyards set records for physical plant and production. American International Shipbuilding Corporation at Hog Island was the largest shipyard in the world at that time, completing some 122 military vessels for the war effort. Two other giant shipyards contributed to Philadelphia's maritime might: William Cramp & Sons Shipyard in Kensington and the U.S. Navy Yard on League Island.

The first Navy Yard of the United States opened in 1800 along the central waterfront district, and moved to its current location, League Island, in 1875. A major economic force until recently, it was once the Philadelphia area's largest employer. The U.S. Navy continues to occupy the western portion of the base but has surplused the eastern half to the City of Philadelphia. A number of small commercial and industrial enterprises have set up shop here, but none has replaced the 1000s of jobs lost when the Navy's shipbuilding operations left town in the early 1990s.

Access to the base is still controlled by the U.S. Navy. Visitors are sometimes allowed onto the base with a special pass issued at a building located at the entrance to the base. Bring suitable identification, such as a driver's license, to get a one-day pass to the part of the base east of Broad Street. On your right, past Davis Avenue, lies the Reserve Basin. A walkway on the edge of the basin gives you a close-up, head-on view of the giant World War II battleships which the Navy maintains at this facility. To the left lie some of the oldest buildings on the base (ca. 1870s through 1920s) and the Marine parade ground.

The southeastern portion of the base contains a vintage World War I hangar and a more recent residential complex for Navy personnel. Few visitors are aware that the Mustin Field runways were instrumental to the development of aircraft carrier aviation during World War I. The wetlands of Mustin Field are quiet now, except for the occasional rumble of a plane overhead. Nature has reclaimed the field, providing extensive habitat for wildlife. Sweeping vistas across the Delaware River to New Jersey would make the waterfront a prime location for a public park, but the city's future plans for Mustin Field are uncertain.

Once you leave the base, proceed north on Broad Street to Pattison Avenue. Heading east on Pattison, you find the street becomes Columbus Boulevard just south of the Walt Whitman Bridge. Heading north on Columbus Boulevard, you will pass a number of city-owned, active piers shipping everything from automobiles, to fruit, to cocoa and paper products to distant international ports. Near the Delaware's intersection with Tasker Street, the landscape changes, looking almost suburban. Here are located the large parking lots of retail giants such as Walmart and Home Depot. Major renovations to the streetscape begin here and include sidewalks, trees, and the addition of a bike lane.

Experiencing the city's edge