"'Old Ironsides' in Dry Dock 1" Sign

Sign titled, "'Old Ironsides' in Dry Dock 1."

NPS Photo/MWoods

Quick Facts

Location:

Dry Dock 1

Description

Low-profile wayside that is 36.5 x 24.5 inches. It has a semi-cylindrical base with two rectangular pillars supporting the panel. The panel is framed in black metal. The sign is located off 1st Avenue, on cement directly in front of Dry Dock 1. 

Layout

At the top of the sign is a black banner with white text. The text includes the title, “'Old Ironsides’ in Dry Dock 1,” aligned to the left. Aligned to the right in the banner are two columns of two lines of text. The first column of text is “Boston National Historical Park,” followed by “Charlestown Navy Yard.” The second column states “National Park Service,” followed by “U.S. Department of the Interior.” The rest of the panel has a gray background with black text and mostly black and white images. The text and images are arranged in three rows and three columns. The top row features two columns of text, with spaces dividing the paragraphs. The third column features an image that spans two rows. The middle row includes three black-and-white diagrams with a bolded title and italicized caption. Two diagrams are under the first column of text. The image caption and third diagram are under the second column. The bottom row features five images. Two black-and-white images are in the first column side by side, a black-and-white image and a colored image are in the second column side by side, and a landscape, colored image fills the third column. A black banner divides the middle and bottom rows with image titles in white font above each image. Photo credits are in black font under the right corner of some images.  

Title

"Old Ironsides" in Dry Dock 1 

Main Text

USS Constitution first entered Dry Dock 1 in 1833. Though she was the first ship to test the new dry dock system, the tough oak hull of “Old Ironsides” had already seen several repairs. To rebuild the ship, woodworkers selected the best wood for each ship part, such as longleaf yellow pine for decking, and white oak for planking. Sawyers and hewers prepared the wood pieces. Carpenters connected the hull pieces with wood treenails, and caulkers sealed the hull with pitch and rope. Metal workers then laid on sheets of copper to protect the bottom of the wooden hull. In 1992, USS Constitution entered Dry Dock 1 for an overhaul to prepare her for third century of service. Despite her many repairs, a significant percentage of her original wood still exists below the water-line. 

Image (third column, top and middle row)

In the center of the image, USS Constitution, or “Old Ironsides,” is docked in the Dry Dock at the Charlestown Navy Yard. The three-masted ship’s bow is pointed towards the camera. The three masts extend into the sky, and the sails are down. The left side of the ship’s hull is visible. In the foreground, a chain barrier lines the dry dock. Scaffolding rises from the ground and sits along the ship’s hull. A few workers in white helmets and dark clothes stand on the scaffolding. One of the large navy yard portal cranes sits next to the dry dock on the left side of the image. A building is behind the crane. Another crane rises in the background beyond more structures. A gangway extends from the ship’s deck across the dry dock on the right side of the image. A destroyer is in the background.  

Image Credit

U.S. Navy 

Diagram (middle row, first column, left)

A tree with various branches and leaves extends from a patch of grass. A lightly shaded rectangle sits within the tree’s trunk. Above the rectangle is a darker boomerang shape, with one arm extending into a branch.  

Diagram (middle row, first column, right)

The tree trunk from the other diagram is drawn at a diagonal with short pieces of branches sticking out from the sides. Within the trunk is a rectangle. Above the rectangle is a dark three-sided shape with two straight edges connected at a right angle. The third side has a few curves like a boomerang. Below the image and to the right is the label, "Hanging knee." 

Diagram Title

A ship's knee.  

Diagram Caption

Live oak trees yield frames and "knees" that support the ship. Woods that were plentiful in the 1800s are harder to obtain today. Locating wood appropriate to the ship's original specifications is an ongoing challenge.  

Diagram (middle row, second column, right)

The drawing shows the left side of a ship's bare hull. It shows the ship's three lower enclosed decks, and the sides of the ship marking the top deck. Along the upper left side of each enclosed deck is a hanging knee from the other drawings. The middle knee, on the second deck up, is dark and solid, while the others are outlined. The illustration also shows vertical lines extending through the middle of the bottom two decks. The first enclosed deck from the top has smaller vertical lines through it, halfway between the left side of the hull and the middle vertical lines. 

Image (bottom row, first column, left)

 An image of a ship's hull. A dock and water are in the foreground of the image. A small rectangular wooden boat sits in the water to the left of the dock. Two men stand on the dock to the left of the boat. The man on the left is facing towards the water and is wearing dark suspenders over a light shirt. The man on the right faces the other man and wears a light cap, light shirt, and light pants. Boxes are on the ground dock next to the men. Rope extends along the dock. The hull is oriented, so the bow is towards the front and the left side of the ship is visible as the ship extends beyond the image’s border. Five men stand side by side on the deck and look over the side. At least two of the men are holding onto a piece of rope that is dropped over the side of the ship. The rope is connected to a man standing on posts in the water and working on the ship’s exterior. A sixth man stands on the deck a bit further from the others and is near the mast. Another man stands along the wharf in front of a large building.  

Image Title

Assessing needed repairs (1927) 

Image Credit

U.S. Navy  

Image (bottom row, first column, right)

An image of men working on a long plank. In the foreground, one plank extends from the image’s left corner into the background. It rests on four logs spread out from the foreground into the background. Wood chips litter the ground. A second plank extends from the right corner just beyond the image’s border. It also rests on logs. Five men stand alongside the left side of the left log from the front to the back. The first two men up front are bent over the plank and holding axes. They wear dark hats, light shirts, and dark overalls. The third and fourth men are standing and looking at the camera while holding axes. They wear light hats, light shirts, and dark pants. The fifth man wears a light wide-brimmed hat, a light shirt, and dark overalls. He is bent over the plank with an axe in his hands. A sixth man stands to the right of the plank across from the fifth man. An open doorway is behind the men in the background, and a hose is on the ground to the left of the door.   

Image Title

Hewing planks by hand (1928) 

Image Credit

U.S. Navy 

Image: (bottom row, second column, left)

 An image of men using a power saw on a large ship mast. A large wooden mast extends from the center of the foreground towards the background with its circular base in the foreground. It sits on raised beams. Two men stand on either side of the mast and face each other. They hold a large mechanical saw between them that is cutting into the wood. Both men wear dark work uniforms and hats. On the right side of the image, a partial mast extends from the midground beyond the background. A man wearing a light hardhat and dark uniform stands on its right with one hand on the beam and the other hand holing a level on the beam.  

Image Title

Trimming mast by power saw (1963) 

Image Credit

U.S. Navy 

Image (bottom row, second column, right)

A color photograph of men inspecting a ship's hull. A small part of a ship's hull fills the image's upper left corner. At least four beams extend from the ground in the bottom right corner toward the hull. Four men are below the hull. The man on the left is in a shadow as he faces towards the hull with his back towards the beams. He stands on what appears to be a ladder and wears a hard hat. In the center of the image, another man in a hard hat stands on a ladder and is also in a shadow. His back is to the other man as he uses a tool to work on the ship. Another man wears a hard hat and squats on the ground to work on a beam. Another man is barely visible behind the beam. Another ship’s hull is in the background.  

Image Title

Inspecting the hull (1992) 

Image (bottom row, third column)

A color photograph of the Charlestown Navy Yard. In the foreground, a long white and brown mast extends from the bottom right corner towards the top left corner of the image. Rope is tied at both ends and runs along the mast, lifting the left part of the mast in the air. In the mid-ground, two men stand under the mast to the left and wear white shirts and dark pants. Another man to their left walks away from the mast. He wears a white hard hat, white shirt, and dark pants. Behind the men stands a large navy yard portal crane that sits on four legs. Another man stands to the right of the mast, which obscures his head. He also wears a white shirt and dark pants. Behind him is the Constitution, with its bow pointed towards the left and one mast still rising from the deck. A white gangway leads to the deck with U.S.S. CONSTITUTION writing along its side. A man stands on deck. In the background, there are trees behind the crane. Next to the trees are navy yard buildings that continue behind the Constitution.   

Image Title

Removing mast before dry-docking (1992)