Smith and Dimon Shipyard
Coordinates: 40°43′13″N 73°58′26″W / 40.7202°N 73.9739°W
 Smith & Dimon Shipyard, 1833 by James Pringle | |
Formerly called |
Blossom, Smith and Dimon Smith, Dimon and Comstock |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipyard |
| Headquarters | Manhattan, New York, United States |
Key people | John W. Griffiths, naval architect |
| Products | Clipper ships, steamships |
| Services | Ship construction and repair |
| Owners | Stephen Smith and John Dimon |
Smith and Dimon Shipyard or just Smith & Dimon was a renowned shipyard on the east side of Manhattan during the 1840s. The shipyard was located along the East River between 4th and 5th Street.[1] Founded by partners Stephen Smith (1794–1875) and John Dimon (1795–1879). Dimon was in charge of the more profitable ship repair business and described the partnership saying, "Smith builds the ships, I make the money."[2] John W. Griffiths was a famed naval architect who designed revolutionary, fast clipper ships for Smith & Dimon.[3] The shipyard became famous for its work in the 1840s under the name Smith & Dimon. It was formerly Blossom, Smith and Dimon in the 1820s and then Smith, Dimon and Comstock in the 1830s.[4]
In addition to clipper ships, the shipyard also built steamships, including the 1848 steamship Oregon.[5]
James Pringle painted the shipyard in 1833. The painting is on display at the Fenimore Art Museum.[6]
Ships built at Smith & Dimon
- Liberator, 1826. (Later named Hudson)
- Mary Howland, 500 ton, noted for its size.[2]
- Roscoe, Packet boat[2]
- Independence, 1834 Packet boat[2]
- Rainbow, 1845. Said to be the first extreme clipper.[7]
- Sea Witch, 1846, a model for American fast clippers.[7]
- Oregon, 1848
- Memnon, 1848
References
- ↑ Dripps, Matthew (1852). "City of New York Extending Northward to Fiftieth St.". David Rumsey Map Collection. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
- 1 2 3 4 Ships and Shipping of Old New York. Bank of the Manhattan Company. 1915. p. 46. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
- ↑ "Biography of Donald McKay (September 4, 1810 – September 20, 1880)". www.ppreservationist.com. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
- ↑ McKay, Richard Cornelius (1934). South Street, a maritime history of New York. New York: Haskell House. p. 174. LCCN 76-160128. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
- ↑ Wines, Richard (2007). "History of the Jamesport Manor, owned by the Dimon family" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-02-16.
- ↑ Pringle, James. "The Smith and Dimon Shipyard on the East River, New York". Fenimore Art Museum. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
- 1 2 Crothers, William L (1997), The American-Built Clipper Ship, 1850–56: Characteristics, Construction and Details, Camden, ME: International Marine, p. ix
External links
- "The Smith and Dimon Shipyard on the East River, New York," by James Pringle, 1833 at the Library of Congress.