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The origins of the Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston (NHHC DET Boston), which performs USS Constitution‘s restorations, can be traced to September, 1897, when Constitution arrived at the Boston Navy Yard (a.k.a. the Charlestown Navy Yard), one month before the 100th anniversary of her October 21, 1797 launch. Although no one in 1897 could have predicted the ship’sRead more

When USS Constitution entered Dry Dock 1 in the Charlestown Navy Yard on June 24, 1833, her docking had been delayed so that President Andrew Jackson and Vice President Martin Van Buren, who were en route to Boston, could be in attendance. By the time the presidential party arrived in  Boston, however, Jackson was too unwellRead more

CAISSON /ˈkāˌsän,ˈkāsən/ Origin: late 17th century: from French, literally ‘large chest,’ from Italian cassone, the spelling having been altered in French by association with caisse ‘case.’ The caisson, a large floating gate, seals Dry Dock 1 from Boston Harbor. The original caisson built in 1833 was made of wood. In 1902, it was replaced with a steel caisson, whichRead more

On June 9, 2015, CDR Sean D. Kearns, the 73rd Commanding Officer of USS Constitution, and USS Constitution Museum President Anne Grimes Rand, ceremoniously removed the first sheet of copper from the ship’s hull. This ceremony, akin to a ground breaking, commemorates the start of restoration work for Old Ironsides. Media surround USS Constitution MuseumRead more

On Wednesday, June 3, 2015, Constitution‘s late 19th-century galley stove, also known as a “camboose,” was removed from the forward gun deck in preparation for the stove’s de-leading and repairs. Late 19th century “camboose,” or galley stove, being lifted out through the main hatch, June 3, 2015. [Courtesy Naval History & Heritage Command Detachment Boston]The ironRead more

Construction of Dry Dock 1, originally known as the Adams Dry Dock, began on July 10, 1827 during John Quincy Adams’ presidency. The opening of the dock was delayed so as to coincide with President Andrew Jackson’s visit to Boston in late June of 1833. This allowed the Gosport, Virginia dry dock to open seven days earlier on JuneRead more

  The building of the Charlestown Navy Yard dry dock between 1827 and 1834 included the construction of the Engine House, also known as Building 22. Completed in 1833, the Engine House was the first major Charlestown Navy Yard building designed by Boston architect Alexander Parris. He also designed Quincy Market in downtown Boston andRead more

Loammi Baldwin, Jr., a pioneering American civil engineer, designed the first two naval dry docks built in the United States. Born in Woburn, Massachusetts on May 16, 1780, Baldwin showed an interest in engineering at an early age. As a civil engineer, he designed and constructed public works, including canals, dams, and tunnels. Baldwin contributedRead more

The Charlestown dry dock and the one built concurrently at Norfolk, Va., both designed by Loammi Baldwin Jr., were the first such naval structures in the United States.

“Old Ironsides” was able to resist enemy fire in battle, but her oak structure is liable to wood rot. In her long career, sailing out of Boston to the Mediterranean Sea, around-the-world in 1844-46, and later as a navy training ship from the 1860s to the 1880s, she has needed periodic repairs and overhauls – some minor, some extensive – to keep her sailing.