General Plan of the United States Navy Yard. New York, N.Y.

Improving the Brooklyn Naval Yard in the early 20th century.

“A copy of a report made by the board appointed by the Commandant of the Navy-Yard, New York, to consider and recommend what improvements are necessary on the water front at the Navy-Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y., for the berthing of battle ships and fleets.” – Subtitle

This fascinating diagram of the Brooklyn Navy Yard was published in 1903 by the Government Printing Office as part of a bound volume of reports issued to members of the Senate in the 57th Congress. It depicts proposed improvements to the massive shipyard and industrial complex established in 1801 and situated on the East River, across from Manhattan.

The recent victory in the Spanish-American war encouraged President Theodore Roosevelt (former assistant secretary of the Navy) to embark on a massive shipbuilding operation, spearheaded by the design and construction of new Connecticut-class battleships. The Brooklyn Naval Yard required significant renovations to accommodate the larger vessels, and several of the proposed updates are shown here. Eight new piers, coal storage facilities, an extended dockyard, and the excavation of the artificial cob dock are among the recommended improvements, highlighted in red atop a base map showing existing facilities.

The accompanying three-page letter from R.C. Hollyday predicts an overall cost of about $1.5 million for the modifications, with an itemized estimate ranging from electric lighting for the piers ($15,000) to the purchase of land along the waterfront near “A” (uncalculated and omitted from the total).