History - Bath Iron Works (2025)

Table of Contents
Shipbuilding on the Kennebec River Our Beginnings Lead Shipyard for DDG 51 Destroyers Bath-Built Ships Modernizing Our Shipyard Our Timeline Bath Iron Foundry is founded on Water Street in Bath, Maine Brigadier General Thomas Worcester Hyde, a civil war hero, purchases C. BartlettFoundry and renames itBath Iron Foundry General Hyde changes the nameBath Iron Foundry to Bath Iron Works On October 20, the company is incorporated and becomesBath Iron Works Ltd. General Hyde acquires Goss Marine Iron Works, enabling Bath Iron Works to expand and break into steel shipbuilding Passenger steamer Cottage City is the first hull delivered by Bath Iron Works Ltd. USS Machias, a patrol gunboat, is the first BIW-built US Navy ship City Of Lowell is the first BIW-built commercial steel vessel General Hyde creates Hyde Windlass Co., which built ship machinery BIW is acquired by United States Shipbuilding Trust, which fails a year later and BIW declares bankruptcy while still continuing its operations John S. Hyde, eldest son of General Hyde, purchases BIW from bankruptcy court USS Georgia, the only BIW-built battleship, is delivered BIW is sold to a syndicate of Maine investors upon the death of John Hyde BIW declares bankruptcy and operations are idled. Plant equipment is sold at a public auction and the company is sold to Keyes Fiber Co. BIW ispurchased by William S. Newell and a group of investors, business is restarted as BIW Corporation BIW delivered 89 destroyers to the US Navy (19% of DDs built during WWII) BIW Structural Fabrication Facility (Harding) is built in East Brunswick, ME BIW builds two new shipyards in South Portland, ME which later merges into one company (New England Shipbuilding Co.), building a total of274 liberty ships BIW delivered 67destroyers over 3+ years (1156 days), an average of 1 ship every 17 days First of a new class of Navy destroyers, USS Forrest Sherman, is delivered BIW opens first Structural Assembly Building Bath Industries, Inc. is established as a holding company for BIW, Pennsylvania Crusher and the Hyde Windlass Co. Bath Industries, Inc. acquires Congoleum-Nairn, a manufacturer of home furnishings BIW completes first section of Main Assembly Building and installs 220-ton level-luffing No.11 Crane BIW wins competition to design and build lead ship of the FFG Oliver Hazard Perry Class Bath Industries, Inc. changes its name to Congoleum Corporation Lead ship of a new class of US Navy guided missile frigates, USS Oliver Hazard Perry, is delivered BIW completes third and final section of the Main Assembly Building that included a new panel line The BIW Portland Ship Repair Facility is opened in Portland, ME Tanker Falcon Champion is the last BIW-built commercial ship delivered BIW wins competition to design and build lead ship of DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Class BIW is acquired by Gibbons, Goodwin, Gibbons, Green, van Amerongen Ltd; principal shareholder isPrudential Insurance Final Oliver Hazard Perry class ship, USS Kauffman, is delivered Bath Iron Worksis purchased byGeneral Dynamics Corp. BIW Launches Mason (DDG 87), the last ship to slide down the inclined ways at BIW BIW awardedcontract to complete class detail design of Zumwalt (DDG 1000) class destroyers BIW awarded construction contract for DDG 1000 lead ship of Zumwalt Class BIW opens the Ultra Hall, alarge new climate controlled facility on the LLTF, capable ofconstructing ship sections weighingover 4,000 tons BIW Legacy Vault The latest from BIW General Dynamics Bath Iron Works to Invest in New Parking Garage BIW News 2024 Vol. 4 General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, YMCA Launch Childcare Center Renovations Third-party Analysis Shows BIW Tackling Workforce Challenges General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Bath Area Family YMCA Team Up to Expand Access to Childcare General Dynamics Bath Iron Works Celebrates Keel Plate Signing Ceremony with DDG 140 Namesake You may be interested in these other topics. References

History - Bath Iron Works (1)

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History - Bath Iron Works (2)

Shipbuilding on the Kennebec River

Shipbuilding has been a way of life along the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, since 1762, when the sailing ship Earl of Bute was launched on the site of present-day Bath. Over the years, many shipyards have called Bath home, but Bath Iron Works remains the only shipyard that remains active today.

Our Beginnings

History - Bath Iron Works (3)

History - Bath Iron Works (4)

Bath Iron Works was the namesake of a brass and iron foundry established in 1826. Brigadier General Thomas W. Hyde took over the foundry in 1865, following service with the 20th Maine Regiment during the Civil War. Nearly two decades later, he incorporated his diversified marine business interests as Bath Iron Works, Limited in 1884 before expanding into shipbuilding with the acquisition of the Goss Marine Iron Works in 1888.

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The first vessel delivered by BIW was a coastal passenger ship named Cottage City built for the Maine Steamship Co. Since the completion of Hull #1 in 1890, BIW has been awarded more than 425 shipbuilding contracts, over 245 military ships (mostly destroyers and frigates for the U.S. Navy) and over 160 private yachts and commercial vessels. BIW became a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Dynamics in 1995.

Lead Shipyard for DDG 51 Destroyers

In 1985, BIW won the competition for detail design and construction of USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), the Lead Ship for the Navy’s most capable class of AEGIS guided missile destroyers and the Workhorse of the Navy.

The DDG 51 program has become one of the longest-running shipbuilding programs for surface combatants in U.S. Navy history.

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Innovating Naval Shipbuilding

Bath-Built Ships

Since the 1890s, Bath Iron Works has been building ships. Fromour earliest days,we established a reputation for quality and as an industry leader in innovative maritime engineering and construction.

Explore Bath-Built Ships

View Ship List

Building for a Better Tomorrow

Modernizing Our Shipyard

Under General Dynamics’ ownership, BIW teamed up with the City of Bath and the State of Maine to support a long-term capital investment plan which included the Land Level Transfer Facility, which was completed in 2001. These improvements enabled us to build the DDG 1000 class of destroyers, the Zumwalt class, the most technologically-advanced ship in the world.

Today, we continue to modernize our shipyard so that we can offer improved productivity, and affordability to our customer and continue delivering high-quality Bath-built ships.

Read about our Strategic Investment Project

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Our Timeline

A more granular look at Bath Iron Works’ history is contained in our shipyard retrospective. Major milestones in the company’s progress is outlined in this timeline.

Learn More

The New Nation – 1826

Bath Iron Foundry is founded on Water Street in Bath, Maine

Industrialization – 1865

Brigadier General Thomas Worcester Hyde, a civil war hero, purchases C. BartlettFoundry and renames itBath Iron Foundry

Gen. Thomas Hyde took over the Bath Iron Foundry in the fall of 1865 after his return from the Civil War, where he had served in Maine regiments alongside his […]

Industrialization – 1872

General Hyde changes the nameBath Iron Foundry to Bath Iron Works

Industrialization – 1884

On October 20, the company is incorporated and becomesBath Iron Works Ltd.

Industrialization – 1888

General Hyde acquires Goss Marine Iron Works, enabling Bath Iron Works to expand and break into steel shipbuilding

Industrialization – 1890

Passenger steamer Cottage City is the first hull delivered by Bath Iron Works Ltd.

Industrialization – 1893

USS Machias, a patrol gunboat, is the first BIW-built US Navy ship

Industrialization – 1894

City Of Lowell is the first BIW-built commercial steel vessel

Industrialization – 1895

General Hyde creates Hyde Windlass Co., which built ship machinery

Progressive Era – 1901

BIW is acquired by United States Shipbuilding Trust, which fails a year later and BIW declares bankruptcy while still continuing its operations

Progressive Era – 1905

John S. Hyde, eldest son of General Hyde, purchases BIW from bankruptcy court

Progressive Era – 1906

USS Georgia, the only BIW-built battleship, is delivered

WW1 and Roaring 20s – 1917

BIW is sold to a syndicate of Maine investors upon the death of John Hyde

WW1 and Roaring 20s – 1925

BIW declares bankruptcy and operations are idled. Plant equipment is sold at a public auction and the company is sold to Keyes Fiber Co.

WW1 and Roaring 20s – 1927

BIW ispurchased by William S. Newell and a group of investors, business is restarted as BIW Corporation

Great Depression and WW II – 1939-1946

BIW delivered 89 destroyers to the US Navy (19% of DDs built during WWII)

Post War America – 1940

BIW Structural Fabrication Facility (Harding) is built in East Brunswick, ME

Great Depression and WW II – 1940-1945

BIW builds two new shipyards in South Portland, ME which later merges into one company (New England Shipbuilding Co.), building a total of274 liberty ships

Great Depression and WW II – 1942-1945

BIW delivered 67destroyers over 3+ years (1156 days), an average of 1 ship every 17 days

1955

First of a new class of Navy destroyers, USS Forrest Sherman, is delivered

Post War America – 1956

BIW opens first Structural Assembly Building

Modern Era – 1967

Bath Industries, Inc. is established as a holding company for BIW, Pennsylvania Crusher and the Hyde Windlass Co.

Modern Era – 1968

Bath Industries, Inc. acquires Congoleum-Nairn, a manufacturer of home furnishings

Modern Era – 1971

BIW completes first section of Main Assembly Building and installs 220-ton level-luffing No.11 Crane

220-ton level-luffing No. 11 Crane during construction.

Modern Era – 1973

BIW wins competition to design and build lead ship of the FFG Oliver Hazard Perry Class

Modern Era – 1975

Bath Industries, Inc. changes its name to Congoleum Corporation

Modern Era – 1977

Lead ship of a new class of US Navy guided missile frigates, USS Oliver Hazard Perry, is delivered

Modern Era – 1981

BIW completes third and final section of the Main Assembly Building that included a new panel line

Modern Era – 1983

The BIW Portland Ship Repair Facility is opened in Portland, ME

Modern Era – 1984

Tanker Falcon Champion is the last BIW-built commercial ship delivered

Modern Era – 1985

BIW wins competition to design and build lead ship of DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Class

Modern Era – 1986

BIW is acquired by Gibbons, Goodwin, Gibbons, Green, van Amerongen Ltd; principal shareholder isPrudential Insurance

Modern Era – 1987

Final Oliver Hazard Perry class ship, USS Kauffman, is delivered

Modern Era – 1995

Bath Iron Worksis purchased byGeneral Dynamics Corp.

Modern Era – 2001

BIW Launches Mason (DDG 87), the last ship to slide down the inclined ways at BIW

Modern Era – 2006

BIW awardedcontract to complete class detail design of Zumwalt (DDG 1000) class destroyers

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Modern Era – 2008

BIW awarded construction contract for DDG 1000 lead ship of Zumwalt Class

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Modern Era – 2008

BIW opens the Ultra Hall, alarge new climate controlled facility on the LLTF, capable ofconstructing ship sections weighingover 4,000 tons

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Our Storied History

BIW Legacy Vault

The BIW Legacy Vault is a lasting archive of photographs, plans and ephemera that chronicles our contribution to American shipbuilding and celebrates the unique place that BIW holds for the people of our state and our country.

Explore our legacy vault

The latest from BIW

Check out the latest BIW News.

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General Dynamics Bath Iron Works to Invest in New Parking Garage

BATH, Maine – In the coming months, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works will be seeking City of Bath approval of its plans to invest in parking and transportation improvements along…

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BIW News 2024 Vol. 4

BIW News Quarterly Company News

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General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, YMCA Launch Childcare Center Renovations

BRUNSWICK, Maine – General Dynamics Bath Iron Works and the Bath Area Family YMCA announced Monday the start of renovations for a new childcare center near Cooks Corner Brunswick. The…

History - Bath Iron Works (59)

Third-party Analysis Shows BIW Tackling Workforce Challenges

BATH, Maine – An economic analysis details how General Dynamics Bath Iron Works has sharply increased its investments in recruiting, training and retaining the newest generation of shipbuilders. The shipyard…

History - Bath Iron Works (60)

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, Bath Area Family YMCA Team Up to Expand Access to Childcare

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works and the Bath Area Family YMCA are partnering to expand childcare availability in the MidCoast. This effort will include the redevelopment of a property near…

History - Bath Iron Works (61)

General Dynamics Bath Iron Works Celebrates Keel Plate Signing Ceremony with DDG 140 Namesake

On Friday, August 30, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works held a keel plate signing ceremony for the future USS Thomas G. Kelley (DDG 140). The ceremony was attended by the…

History - Bath Iron Works (62)

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