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San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

The Naval Architectural and Marine Engineering collections are part of the larger Archival and Museum collections holdings. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park is home to the largest maritime museum and research collections the West Coast and in the National Park Service.

Description

The Naval Architectural and Marine Engineering collections includes over 150,000 drawings dealing almost entirely with West Coast built vessels, shipyards and facilities. Significant collections document technology in the design, construction, and repair of vessels, especially in the Bay Area. This representative list hints at the depth and breadth of our collections:

  • Highlights of the collections include plans that document the Park’s six National Landmark ships docked at the Hyde Street Pier, as well as the Park’s National Historical Landmark buildings (HDC0555 and HDC1609). These are active and growing collections.
  • Irving Murray Scott Jr. business papers and plans (HDC0125) contains business records and more than 500 drawings and plans from Union Iron Works, Moore & Scott Iron Works and the Pacific Coast Shipbuilding Company, all of the San Francisco Bay Area.
  • David W. Dickie records (HDC0128) includes the personal papers and office records of David W. Dickie , including nearly 6000 architectural drawings and plans, from the 1880s through the 1950s.
  • Nearly 2000 Original architectural drawings and supporting plans of the Stone Boat Yard are represented in several collections, including the Stone Boat Yard records and marine architectural drawings (HDC 0277) and The Jack Ehrhorn collection of Stone Boat Yard drawings (HDC1611).
  • Nearly 50,000 plans dated from the 1870s-1960s from Union Iron Works/Bethlehem Steel, are housed in 1600 original tubes from the Pier 70 shipyard in San Francisco. These are cataloged as part of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Shipbuilding Division, San Francisco, records (HDC0345). The collection is not fully processed, and is available only by special arrangement.
  • Hicks Engine plans and marketing materials (HDC1092) includes 2800 pattern and parts plans for small marine engines.
  • Moore Dry Dock Company ships plans (HDC1065) includes over 6000 plans from the 1880s through the 1960s.The collection is not fully processed, and is available only by special arrangement.
  • Myron Spaulding and Spaulding Boatworks records (HDC1576) includes over 2300 drawings and plans of small craft built in Sausalito, California by the master builder dated 1940s – 1990s.
  • George H. Wayland naval architectural drawings (HDC1534) included 725 original drawings of small wooden working and pleasure craft by the noted navel architect, who was active in San Francisco, 1920s – 1940s.
  • John Gustaf Sjoberg naval architecture and marine engineering drawing and plans collection (HDC1648) includes 750 blueprints of barges, derricks and dredgers built by Union Construction Co., and Pacific Coast Engineering Company between the 1870s and the start of World War II.
  • Two large collections of Meri Jaye and Associates records (HDC1397 and HDC 1529) include the business records and working design drawings for American President Lines cargo and cruise liner interiors (1963-1972). Meri Jaye was one of the first women to enter the male dominated arena of naval architecture and engineering.

­­Vessel Types

  • Military – vessels built in San Francisco Bay civilian shipyards by contract
  • Military / Cargo
  • Other Government, i.e., Lighthouse Service, U.S.C.G., etc.
  • Commercial / Cargo
  • Commercial / Passenger
  • Commercial / Fishing
  • Recreational / Pleasure
  • Small Craft
  • Sailing
  • Steam
  • Diesel
  • Research
  • Other: dredges and barges

Comment

The collection also includes drawings relevant to non-maritime industries, including western gold and silver mining and other developing California industries of the 1880s -1940s.

Type of Access

  • Online – A selection of reference guides and finding aids
  • Email
  • By appointment
  • Written request
  • Telephone request

Collection URLs:

General Information about the Collection: https://www.nps.gov/safr/learn/historyculture/research-center.htm

Online Cataloges of materials: https://www.nps.gov/safr/learn/historyculture/catalogs.htm

Duplication Services policy: https://www.nps.gov/safr/learn/historyculture/upload/DuplicationServicesMain201503.pdf

Contact

Maritime Research Center – Reference Librarian
2 Marina Boulevard, Building E, 2nd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94123

415-561-7030