Port Richmond, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Wartime Heritage

Wartime Heritage

Port Richmond played a major maritime role in American wars from the American Revolution and onwards through World War II. The William Cramp & Sons Shipbuilding Company, established in 1830 and located nearby, provided skilled work for local workers, who built the battleships USS Indiana (BB-1) and the USS Massachusetts (BB-2) for the Spanish-American War in the late 19th century.

The shipyard, and others in the area, also built surface ships during the American Civil War—such as the USS Kensington—and during World War I, and World War II when Cramps' workforce employed 18,000 skilled workers.

During World War II, Port Richmond contained numerous docks and wharfs for the loading and unloading of war cargo. In addition, the riverside area contained numerous ancillary facilities, such as warehouses, work shops, and offices.

The Reading Railroad had used the port as a terminus for the transfer of coal, and, during the war, railroad service remained a vital function of the port, for its ability to quickly transfer goods to and from the port. The old Orinoka Mills in Richmond, was used as a training and wartime production facility in association with Mastbaum during the war.

Today, the port is a shell of its former World War II self, although some marine services still remain, such as the Tioga Marine Terminal at Tioga and Delaware Avenue.