Reaney, Son & Archbold
Encyclopedia
Reaney, Son & Archbold was a short-lived 19th-century American
iron shipbuilding company located on the Delaware River
at Chester, Pennsylvania
. The company was established in 1859 by Thomas Reaney (formerly of the firm Reaney, Neafie & Levy
) but it was undercapitalized from the outset, and like many other American shipbuilding companies, fell victim to the shipbuilding slump that followed the American Civil War
.
Notable ships built by the company included the Passaic class monitors and , and the Casco class
monitor . It also built the sidewheel steamer Samuel M. Felton, which was the fastest ship on the Philadelphia-Wilmington
route for some years.
After the yard went into receivership in 1871, it was purchased by John Roach
, who would subsequently transform it into America's largest, most modern and most productive shipyard from the 1870s through the mid-1880s.
After fifteen years with the company, during which time he acquired experience in the building of both iron and wooden ships, Thomas Reaney decided to establish a shipyard of his own in partnership with his son, William B. Reaney. Selling his share of Reaney, Neafie & Levy to the other two partners (who renamed it Neafie & Levy
) Thomas Reaney purchased the property of the Pennsylvania Oil Works at Chester, Pennsylvania
, whose plant had recently been destroyed by fire. With its 1,200 feet of frontage along the Delaware River
, at a point where the River was a mile wide and 21 feet deep, the property was an ideal location for a shipyard. Reaney named his new company Reaney & Son, and spent about a million dollars outfitting the yard for iron shipbuilding. The yard was thereby very well equipped, but the large expenditure on plant and machinery was to leave the company chronically short of cash.
The yard's first vessel, a tugboat, was launched in 1861, and in the same year the firm was joined by Samuel Archbold, former Chief Engineer with the U.S. Navy, who brought with him useful connections to government. With Archbold's partnership, the firm was renamed Reaney, Son & Archbold.
The first few vessels built by Reaney, Son & Archbold were mainly tugboats and barges, in addition to which it built a number of general purpose steam engines. With the outbreak of the Civil War however, the company had an opportunity to secure more substantial contracts. In May 1862, the yard secured contracts from the U.S. Navy to build the hulls for two of the new Passaic class monitors, and , although the Navy contracted the engines to another firm.
The heavy armor plates required to build the two monitors forced the company to upgrade its ironworking facilities, leaving it with as little as $25,000 to $30,000 in working capital. The shortage of capital may have contributed to the fact that, of all the companies contracted to build Passaic class monitors, Reaney, Son & Archbold was the last to make delivery, which was achieved respectively in February and April 1863. With a displacement of 1,875 tons apiece, these would be the two largest-tonnage vessels ever built by the company.
Reaney, Son & Archbold built a number of other warships for the Navy during the war, including the 1,370-ton gunboats and and the 974-ton gunboat . It was also contracted to build one of the ill-fated Casco class light draft monitors, the . In the case of the latter, the company was amongst the first to deliver, in July 1864, but the Navy-designed Casco class monitors, including Tunxis, proved so unseaworthy as to be virtually useless, and Tunxis was never to see action. The last two Navy vessels built by the company were two 420-ton tugs, and , but neither were delivered until some months after the war's end.
Between 1865 and 1868, Reaney, Son & Archbold secured contracts for only two vessels of over 1,000 tons—the 1,430 ton passenger-cargo ship Thomas Kelso in 1865, and the 1,074 ton passenger-cargo vessel Tioga in 1867. In 1866 it also built the 671-ton sidewheel steamer Samuel M. Felton, which for some years was the fastest vessel on the Delaware River on the route between Philadelphia and Wilmington
. Apart from these however, the yard could secure little more than a handful of contracts for tugboats and barges and for ship repairs.
To try and make up for the lack of activity on the waterfront, the company attempted to diversify. In late 1865, it built the engines for two locomotives, Nos. 263 and 264 for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, at a cost of $20,000 each, along with the tender wheels for twenty more. Later, it built sawmill engines, blast engines, boilers, and even a steam fire engine.
In 1868, the company finally secured a substantial contract, for the construction of five cargo ships for the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company, which were duly completed between 1869 and 1870. Briefly it appeared as if the company, with the patronage of the Railroad, might be able to overcome its difficulties, but then the Railroad decided to cancel its plans for more ships.
In June 1871, the New York-based industrialist John Roach
bought the Reaney shipyard for $450,000. Roach initially tried to retain the services of Thomas Reaney's son William, by making him manager of the yard and selling him $40,000 worth of stock for $10,000. In the second year of Roach's ownership however, both William Reaney and assistant manager Henry Steers, who had accepted a similar deal, sold their stock and quit the company, fearing it was about to go broke.
Roach renamed the yard the Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works
. He subsequently transformed it into America's largest and most modern shipbuilding facility, building more tonnage of ships in almost every year from 1871 to 1885 than America's next two biggest iron shipyards combined. Following Roach's retirement in 1885, the yard remained in the hands of the Roach family until 1908 when they retired from the business. The yard was reopened by Charles Jack and W. Averell Harriman
for several years during and after World War I
to manufacture ships for the U.S. Shipping Board, under the name of Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
iron shipbuilding company located on the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
at Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
. The company was established in 1859 by Thomas Reaney (formerly of the firm Reaney, Neafie & Levy
Neafie & Levy
Neafie, Levy & Co., commonly known as Neafie & Levy, was a Philadelphia shipbuilding and engineering firm that existed from the middle of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century...
) but it was undercapitalized from the outset, and like many other American shipbuilding companies, fell victim to the shipbuilding slump that followed the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Notable ships built by the company included the Passaic class monitors and , and the Casco class
Casco class monitor
The Casco-class monitor was a unique class of light draft monitor built on behalf of the United States Navy for the Mississippi theatre during the American Civil War. The largest and most ambitious ironclad program of the war, the project was dogged by delays caused by bureaucratic meddling...
monitor . It also built the sidewheel steamer Samuel M. Felton, which was the fastest ship on the Philadelphia-Wilmington
Wilmington, 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...
route for some years.
After the yard went into receivership in 1871, it was purchased by John Roach
John Roach
John Robert Roach was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis from 1975 to 1995.-Biography:...
, who would subsequently transform it into America's largest, most modern and most productive shipyard from the 1870s through the mid-1880s.
Origins
In 1844, three mechanics, Thomas Reaney, Jacob Neafie and William Smith, established the Penn Works in Philadelphia for the manufacture of steam engines and other products. The Works, which eventually became known as Reaney, Neafie & Levy, soon added shipbuilding to its product line.After fifteen years with the company, during which time he acquired experience in the building of both iron and wooden ships, Thomas Reaney decided to establish a shipyard of his own in partnership with his son, William B. Reaney. Selling his share of Reaney, Neafie & Levy to the other two partners (who renamed it Neafie & Levy
Neafie & Levy
Neafie, Levy & Co., commonly known as Neafie & Levy, was a Philadelphia shipbuilding and engineering firm that existed from the middle of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century...
) Thomas Reaney purchased the property of the Pennsylvania Oil Works at Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester, Pennsylvania
Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a population of 33,972 at the 2010 census. Chester is situated on the Delaware River, between the cities of Philadelphia and Wilmington, Delaware.- History :...
, whose plant had recently been destroyed by fire. With its 1,200 feet of frontage along the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
, at a point where the River was a mile wide and 21 feet deep, the property was an ideal location for a shipyard. Reaney named his new company Reaney & Son, and spent about a million dollars outfitting the yard for iron shipbuilding. The yard was thereby very well equipped, but the large expenditure on plant and machinery was to leave the company chronically short of cash.
The yard's first vessel, a tugboat, was launched in 1861, and in the same year the firm was joined by Samuel Archbold, former Chief Engineer with the U.S. Navy, who brought with him useful connections to government. With Archbold's partnership, the firm was renamed Reaney, Son & Archbold.
American Civil War
The heavy armor plates required to build the two monitors forced the company to upgrade its ironworking facilities, leaving it with as little as $25,000 to $30,000 in working capital. The shortage of capital may have contributed to the fact that, of all the companies contracted to build Passaic class monitors, Reaney, Son & Archbold was the last to make delivery, which was achieved respectively in February and April 1863. With a displacement of 1,875 tons apiece, these would be the two largest-tonnage vessels ever built by the company.
Reaney, Son & Archbold built a number of other warships for the Navy during the war, including the 1,370-ton gunboats and and the 974-ton gunboat . It was also contracted to build one of the ill-fated Casco class light draft monitors, the . In the case of the latter, the company was amongst the first to deliver, in July 1864, but the Navy-designed Casco class monitors, including Tunxis, proved so unseaworthy as to be virtually useless, and Tunxis was never to see action. The last two Navy vessels built by the company were two 420-ton tugs, and , but neither were delivered until some months after the war's end.
Postwar period
Following the end of hostilities, the U.S. government, which had requisitioned hundreds of ships during the war, dumped more than a million tons of shipping onto the market, depressing prices and leaving U.S. shipyards with little or no work. Many U.S. shipyards were forced out of business during this period, and the rest struggled to survive.Between 1865 and 1868, Reaney, Son & Archbold secured contracts for only two vessels of over 1,000 tons—the 1,430 ton passenger-cargo ship Thomas Kelso in 1865, and the 1,074 ton passenger-cargo vessel Tioga in 1867. In 1866 it also built the 671-ton sidewheel steamer Samuel M. Felton, which for some years was the fastest vessel on the Delaware River on the route between Philadelphia and Wilmington
Wilmington, 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...
. Apart from these however, the yard could secure little more than a handful of contracts for tugboats and barges and for ship repairs.
To try and make up for the lack of activity on the waterfront, the company attempted to diversify. In late 1865, it built the engines for two locomotives, Nos. 263 and 264 for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company, at a cost of $20,000 each, along with the tender wheels for twenty more. Later, it built sawmill engines, blast engines, boilers, and even a steam fire engine.
In 1868, the company finally secured a substantial contract, for the construction of five cargo ships for the Philadelphia & Reading Railroad Company, which were duly completed between 1869 and 1870. Briefly it appeared as if the company, with the patronage of the Railroad, might be able to overcome its difficulties, but then the Railroad decided to cancel its plans for more ships.
Roach takeover
In February 1870, Reaney, Son & Archbold attempted a financial restructure by creating a new entity called the Reaney Engineering and Shipbuilding Works of Chester, with an authorized capital of $750,000 and shares with a par value of $100. The restructure failed and Reaney, Son & Archbold went into receivership in January 1871.In June 1871, the New York-based industrialist John Roach
John Roach
John Robert Roach was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis from 1975 to 1995.-Biography:...
bought the Reaney shipyard for $450,000. Roach initially tried to retain the services of Thomas Reaney's son William, by making him manager of the yard and selling him $40,000 worth of stock for $10,000. In the second year of Roach's ownership however, both William Reaney and assistant manager Henry Steers, who had accepted a similar deal, sold their stock and quit the company, fearing it was about to go broke.
Roach renamed the yard the Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works
Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works
The Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works, often referred to by its parent company name of John Roach & Sons, or just known as the Roach shipyard, was a major late–19th century American shipyard founded in 1871 by John Roach...
. He subsequently transformed it into America's largest and most modern shipbuilding facility, building more tonnage of ships in almost every year from 1871 to 1885 than America's next two biggest iron shipyards combined. Following Roach's retirement in 1885, the yard remained in the hands of the Roach family until 1908 when they retired from the business. The yard was reopened by Charles Jack and W. Averell Harriman
W. Averell Harriman
William Averell Harriman was an American Democratic Party politician, businessman, and diplomat. He was the son of railroad baron E. H. Harriman. He served as Secretary of Commerce under President Harry S. Truman and later as the 48th Governor of New York...
for several years during and after 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...
to manufacture ships for the U.S. Shipping Board, under the name of Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation
Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation
The Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation was an American corporation established in 1917 by railroad heir W. Averell Harriman to build merchant ships for the Allied war effort in World War I...
.
See also
- John Roach & SonsJohn Roach & SonsJohn Roach & Sons was a major 19th-century American shipbuilding and manufacturing firm founded in 1864 by Irish-American immigrant John Roach. Between 1871 and 1885, the company was the largest shipbuilding firm in the United States, building more iron ships than its next two major competitors...
- Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine WorksDelaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine WorksThe Delaware River Iron Ship Building and Engine Works, often referred to by its parent company name of John Roach & Sons, or just known as the Roach shipyard, was a major late–19th century American shipyard founded in 1871 by John Roach...
- Merchant Shipbuilding CorporationMerchant Shipbuilding CorporationThe Merchant Shipbuilding Corporation was an American corporation established in 1917 by railroad heir W. Averell Harriman to build merchant ships for the Allied war effort in World War I...