Navy Yard in Philadelphia in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Naval Foundry and Propeller Center
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
"Mainstay of The Fleet"
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Following America's involvement in World War I, the Navy built the largest foundry in Building 20 in 1919. Today, the foundry and supporting buildings comprise the Naval Foundry and Propeller Center, which have been involved with providing foundry-made parts for nearly every ship and submarine that has been built or overhauled at the Shipyard. At its peak in the 1940s, foundry operations had separate functions in 15 buildings, built between 1913 and 1944. The adjacent buildings included the Machinery Repair Shop, Electrical Shop, Turret Shop, Lumber Storehouse, Material Assembly Shop, Radio & Sounding Radar Lab, and Humidity Testing. The electricians and technicians here could handle any job the Navy required. During World War II the facility produced over 5,500 propellers of various sizes, and today continues to provide propellers and precision castings for the Navy's fleet.
Naval Foundry and Propeller Center Area, ca. 1990s
Historic Buildings and Original Use
Building 20 1919 Foundry and Sandblasting Equipment
Building 49 1913 Restroom and Laundry forReserve Basin Ships
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Building 121 1920 Electrical Shop
Building 546 1939 Turret Shop
Building 567 1934 Lumber Storehouse
Building 592 1938 Material Assembly Shop
Building 636 1942 Fire House
Building 643 1942 Pier A Service Building
Building 712 1943 Radio and Sounding Radar Laboratory
Building 947 1973 Humidity Test Room
Building 1000 1973 Non-Contributing Building
Building 1029 1977 Non-Contributing Building
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Military • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1919.
Location. 39° 53.387′ N, 75° 10.812′ W. Marker is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia County. It is in Navy Yard. It is on Kitty Hawk Avenue just east of South 17th Street, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 18 Kitty Hawk Ave, Philadelphia PA 19112, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Pennsylvania. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: In Memoriam (approx. Ό mile away); Rear Admiral George W. Melville (approx. 0.3 miles away); 16"/50 Caliber Mark 7 Gun Barrel Number 293 (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Shipyard During World War II (approx. 0.4 miles away); World War II Submariners Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); To the lost at sea (approx. half a mile away); U.S. Naval Aircraft Factory (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Philadelphia.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 1, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 1, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 364 times since then and 90 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 1, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
