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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Charlestown in Boston in Suffolk County, Massachusetts — The American Northeast (New England)
 

"Old Ironsides" in Dry Dock 1

Boston Nat’l Hist Pk

— Charlestown Navy Yard —

 
 
"Old Ironsides" in Dry Dock 1 Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 15, 2009
1. "Old Ironsides" in Dry Dock 1 Marker
Inscription. 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 a third century of service. Despite her many repairs, a significant percentage of her original wood still exists below the water-line.
 
Erected by Boston National Historical Park, National Park Service, Dept. of the Interior.
 
Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Government & PoliticsIndustry & CommerceWar of 1812Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1833.
 
Location. 42° 22.422′ N, 71° 3.351′ W. Marker is in Boston, Massachusetts, in Suffolk County. It is in Charlestown. Memorial can be reached from
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3rd Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located in the Charlestown Navy Yard, near the entrance to the Constitution Museum. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Charlestown MA 02129, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Changing Yard (here, next to this marker); Serving the Fleet (here, next to this marker); Flags at Sea (a few steps from this marker); Dry Dock 1 (a few steps from this marker); Boston, the Navy Yard, and the War of 1812 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Yard as Home (within shouting distance of this marker); Working in the Yard (within shouting distance of this marker); Life and Work in the Navy Yard 1812 (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Boston.
 
More about this marker. The marker contains an illustration of an oak tree displaying where the “Hanging knee” would be cut from, and where it would be used on the ship. It has a caption of “A ship’s knee. 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.”
The bottom of the marker features a series of photographs, courtesy of the US Navy. They depict “Assessing needed repairs(1927)”,
Dry Dock 1 image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 15, 2009
2. Dry Dock 1
Note the World War II destroyer USS Cassin Young in the background.
“Hewing planks by hand (1928)”, “Trimming mast by power saw (1963)”, “Inspecting the hull (1992)” and “Removing mast before dry-docking (1992)”.
 
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. To better understand the relationship, study each marker in the order shown.
 
Also see . . .  USS Constitution. NPS Boston National Historical Park entry (Submitted on January 20, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.) 
 
Additional keywords. U.S. Navy Classification: "IX"
 
Marker in Charleston Navy Yard image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 15, 2009
3. Marker in Charleston Navy Yard
“Old Ironsides” in Dry Dock 1 Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, August 1, 2009
4. “Old Ironsides” in Dry Dock 1 Marker
View of historic marker in the foreground and in the background a view of the dry dock with the gate closed and the sea water pumped out.
"Old Ironsides" image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Coughlin, April 15, 2009
5. "Old Ironsides"
The USS Constitution (aka "Old Ironsides"), the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world, is berthed at the Charleston Navy Yard just west of the marker.
USS <i>Constitution</i> "Old Ironsides" - under sail in Boston Harbor image. Click for full size.
U.S. Navy Photo by Journalist 2nd ClassTodd Stevens, USN, July 21, 1997
6. USS Constitution "Old Ironsides" - under sail in Boston Harbor
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey. This page has been viewed 2,233 times since then and 17 times this year. Last updated on February 1, 2014, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. It was the Marker of the Week August 17, 2014. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on April 30, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.   4. submitted on February 26, 2010, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.   5. submitted on April 30, 2009, by Bill Coughlin of Woodland Park, New Jersey.   6. submitted on February 1, 2014, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 19, 2024