Probably the oldest American shipyard, the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard started operations in 1801. Soon relocated from Southwark District to the point where the Delaware river and the Schuylkill river meet, the shipyard was quite active near the beginning of the Civil War, with large renovations taking place. At the time, 1700 people were working on the site. But by 1876, demand lowered, and a plan was devised to get the shipyard back on track. In 1903, the site became the home of the 4th Naval District.

WWI was the shipyard´s first golden age. Barracks, a new dock, a lab, and shipways were built, as well as a Naval Aircraft manufacturing facility. Later on, famous battleships were built there during WWII, such as the Wisconsin destroyer and the Princeton carrier. The shipyard was the first in building two destroyers in under 5 months. At these busy times, the place employed over forty five thousand people. After doing some aircraft carrier refurbishing in the eighties, the shipyard was shut down in 1996.

While the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was in operation,  its thousands of workers were constantly exposed to asbestos, as this used to be a prime ingredient for the shipbuilding industry. Asbestos was the material of choice because of its insulating powers. Regrettably, many people who worked at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and similar facilities have been affected by asbestos exposure, developing mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis.

Mesothelioma, also known as asbestos cancer, is a malignant form of cancer that can take many decades to manifest itself, but once it does, it is fatal.  If you have been employed at the Philadelphia or any other shipyard, you should consider contacting one of the experienced Weitz & Luxenberg Asbestos Lawyers. The treatment of asbestos-related conditions can have very high costs, and you may be entitled to legal compensation to cover these and other damages.