Smith and Dimon Shipyard

Smith and Dimon Shipyard or just Smith & Dimon was a renowned shipyard on the east side of Manhattan during the 1840s.

Smith & Dimon

Smith & Dimon Shipyard, 1833 by James Pringle
Formerly	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

History

The Liberator

The shipyard was located along the East River between 4th and 5th Street.[1] It was 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
• Fulton, 1855

References

1. Dripps, Matthew (1852). "City of New York Extending Northward to Fiftieth St". David Rumsey Map Collection. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
2. Ships and Shipping of Old New York. Bank of the Manhattan Company. 1915. p. 46. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
3. "Biography of Donald McKay (September 4, 1810 – September 20, 1880)". www.ppreservationist.com. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
4. 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.
5. Wines, Richard (2007). "History of the Jamesport Manor, owned by the Dimon family" (PDF). Retrieved 2015-02-16.
6. Pringle, James. "The Smith and Dimon Shipyard on the East River, New York". Fenimore Art Museum. Retrieved 2015-02-16.
7. 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.