Jackson and Sharp Company
Encyclopedia
Jackson and Sharp Company was an American railroad car
manufacturer and shipbuilder in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company was founded in 1863 by Job H. Jackson (b. 1833), a tinsmith
and retail merchant, and Jacob F. Sharp (b. 1815), a carpenter
who had worked for rail car manufacturers and shipbuilders.
near the mouth of Brandywine Creek. In the early years the facility had storage capacity for 6 cars and about 100 employees. By 1880 the plant produced 400 passenger cars per year. Through facility expanasions on the 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) site, the capacity grew to 75 cars, with about 1,000 employees in the late 1880s. At that time it was considered to be the largest rolling stock
plant in the Americas. Clients included Great Western Railroad (Illinois), South Side Elevated Railroad
(Chicago), Denver and Rio Grande Railway, King Oscar II of Sweden
, and Emperor Dom Pedro of Brazil
.
such as schooners and barges, as well as steam
-powered vessels. By 1900 the rolling stock and shipyard facilities totalled 30 acres (121,405.8 m²), with 1,200 to 1,500 employees.
, although shipbuilding continued as well.
During World War I
the plant built wooden submarine chaser
s, rail cars and munitions equipment to support the war effort. After the war, the shipyard continued to build yacht
s, but wooden shipbuilding ended in 1938. Rail car production also ended in the 1930s. The plant then focused on steel
shipbuilding, and built small craft for the U.S. Navy during World War II
. After the war, limited rail car production was resumed. Due to a small amount of orders, ACF stopped production in 1950, and sold the plant to a warehouse company in 1952.
Railroad car
A railroad car or railway vehicle , also known as a bogie in Indian English, is a vehicle on a rail transport system that is used for the carrying of cargo or passengers. Cars can be coupled together into a train and hauled by one or more locomotives...
manufacturer and shipbuilder in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The company was founded in 1863 by Job H. Jackson (b. 1833), a tinsmith
Tinsmith
A tinsmith, or tinner or tinker or tinplate worker, is a person who makes and repairs things made of light-coloured metal, particularly tinware...
and retail merchant, and Jacob F. Sharp (b. 1815), a carpenter
Carpenter
A carpenter is a skilled craftsperson who works with timber to construct, install and maintain buildings, furniture, and other objects. The work, known as carpentry, may involve manual labor and work outdoors....
who had worked for rail car manufacturers and shipbuilders.
Rolling stock plant
Jackson and Sharp built a fabrication plant, called the Delaware Car Works, in Wilmington, DelawareWilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
near the mouth of Brandywine Creek. In the early years the facility had storage capacity for 6 cars and about 100 employees. By 1880 the plant produced 400 passenger cars per year. Through facility expanasions on the 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) site, the capacity grew to 75 cars, with about 1,000 employees in the late 1880s. At that time it was considered to be the largest rolling stock
Rolling stock
Rolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
plant in the Americas. Clients included Great Western Railroad (Illinois), South Side Elevated Railroad
South Side Elevated Railroad
The South Side Elevated Railroad was the first elevated rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois. The line ran from downtown Chicago to Jackson Park, with branches to Englewood, Normal Park, Kenwood, and the Union Stock Yards...
(Chicago), Denver and Rio Grande Railway, King Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II of Sweden
Oscar II , baptised Oscar Fredrik was King of Sweden from 1872 until his death and King of Norway from 1872 until 1905. The third son of King Oscar I of Sweden and Josephine of Leuchtenberg, he was a descendant of Gustav I of Sweden through his mother.-Early life:At his birth in Stockholm, Oscar...
, and Emperor Dom Pedro of Brazil
Pedro II of Brazil
Dom Pedro II , nicknamed "the Magnanimous", was the second and last ruler of the Empire of Brazil, reigning for over 58 years. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was the seventh child of Emperor Dom Pedro I of Brazil and Empress Dona Maria Leopoldina and thus a member of the Brazilian branch of...
.
Shipyard
The company purchased the Christina River Shipyards in 1875. The facility built wooden vesselsWatercraft
A watercraft is a vessel or craft designed to move across or through water. The name is derived from the term "craft" which was used to describe all types of water going vessels...
such as schooners and barges, as well as steam
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
-powered vessels. By 1900 the rolling stock and shipyard facilities totalled 30 acres (121,405.8 m²), with 1,200 to 1,500 employees.
Merger and 20th century operations
American Car and Foundry (ACF) leased the Jackson and Sharp facilities for 10 years, beginning in 1901. In 1911 ACF purchased the plant and focused on manufacturing passenger cars for exportExport
The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...
, although shipbuilding continued as well.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the plant built wooden submarine chaser
Submarine chaser
A submarine chaser is a small and fast naval vessel specially intended for anti-submarine warfare. Although similar vessels were designed and used by many nations, this designation was most famously used by ships built by the United States of America...
s, rail cars and munitions equipment to support the war effort. After the war, the shipyard continued to build yacht
Yacht
A yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
s, but wooden shipbuilding ended in 1938. Rail car production also ended in the 1930s. The plant then focused on steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
shipbuilding, and built small craft for the U.S. Navy during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. After the war, limited rail car production was resumed. Due to a small amount of orders, ACF stopped production in 1950, and sold the plant to a warehouse company in 1952.
Products
- Rolling stockRolling stockRolling stock comprises all the vehicles that move on a railway. It usually includes both powered and unpowered vehicles, for example locomotives, railroad cars, coaches and wagons...
- standard gaugeStandard gaugeThe standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
and narrow gauge- Passenger cars
- Freight cars
- BaggageBaggage carA baggage car or luggage van is a type of railway vehicle often forming part of the composition of passenger trains and used to carry passengers' checked baggage, as well as parcels . Being typically coupled at the front of the train behind the locomotive, this type of car is sometimes described...
-mail-passenger cars - Dining carDining carA dining car or restaurant carriage , also diner, is a railroad passenger car that serves meals in the manner of a full-service, sit-down restaurant....
s - Parlor cars and private cars
- Sleeping carSleeping carThe sleeping car or sleeper is a railway/railroad passenger car that can accommodate all its passengers in beds of one kind or another, primarily for the purpose of making nighttime travel more restful. The first such cars saw sporadic use on American railroads in the 1830s and could be configured...
s - Streetcars
- WatercraftWatercraftA watercraft is a vessel or craft designed to move across or through water. The name is derived from the term "craft" which was used to describe all types of water going vessels...
- wood and steel- SchoonerSchoonerA schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
s - BargeBargeA barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s - Carfloats
- Ferryboats
- TugboatTugboatA tugboat is a boat that maneuvers vessels by pushing or towing them. Tugs move vessels that either should not move themselves, such as ships in a crowded harbor or a narrow canal,or those that cannot move by themselves, such as barges, disabled ships, or oil platforms. Tugboats are powerful for...
s - YachtYachtA yacht is a recreational boat or ship. The term originated from the Dutch Jacht meaning "hunt". It was originally defined as a light fast sailing vessel used by the Dutch navy to pursue pirates and other transgressors around and into the shallow waters of the Low Countries...
s - U.S. Navy - small craft
- Schooner
- Woodwork
- Architectural millworkMillworkMillwork is any woodmill-produced building construction interior finish components such as doors, window casing, baseboard, mantels, and crown molding....
for buildings - CabinetsCabinet (furniture)A cabinet is usually a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors or drawers for storing miscellaneous items. Some cabinets stand alone while others are built into a wall or are attached to it like a medicine cabinet. Cabinets are typically made of wood or, now increasingly, of synthetic...
- Architectural millwork
External links
- Photos of Jackson & Sharp plant, rolling stock, ships & other products - Delaware State Archives