history
These boats were located on the ground of the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in shallow waters. The last time they were probably in use was around 1988, which is suggested by the large amounts of paperwork left inside the cabins.
The yard was shut down in 1995 during a round of base closings. Buildings on the grounds were razed in the fall of 2007 after the land ownership was sold to the city of Philadelphia. The city plans to lease the grounds to commerce and it hopes to create approximately 3,000 jobs in the process.
Opened in 1801, the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was once one of the country's largest shipbuilding sites. It was included in a list of 26 bases the military recommended shutting down in a 1991 report now that the Cold War was no longer a threat.
More than 100 ships were built and thousands were repaired at this facility before its closing.