Willmington Navy Yard
| Willmington Navy Yard | |
|---|---|
| Willmington | |
 Aerial view of Willmington Navy Yard | |
| Type | Military base |
| Site information | |
| Controlled by |  Ibican Navy |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1701 |
| In use | 1702 – present |
| Garrison information | |
| Current commander | Secretary of the Navy Milford Alexander |
The Willmington Navy Yard (WNY) is the former shipyard and ordnance plant of the Ibican Navy in Southeast Willmington It is the oldest shore establishment built by the Ibican Navy.
The Yard currently serves as a ceremonial and administrative center for the Navy, home to the Chief of Naval Operations, and is headquarters for the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Reactors, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Naval History and Heritage Command, the National Museum of the Ibican Navy, the Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, Marine Corps Institute, the Ibican Navy Band, and other more classified facilities.
History
The history of the yard can be divided into its military history and cultural and scientific history.
Military
The land was purchased under an Act of Congress on July 23, 1701. The Willmington Navy Yard was established on October 2, 1702, the date the property was occupied by the Navy. It is the oldest shore establishment built by the newel formed Ibican Navy.
From its first years, the Willmington Navy Yard became the navy's largest shipbuilding and shipfitting facility, with 22 vessels constructed there, ranging from small 70-foot (21 m) gunboats to the 246-foot (75 m) steam frigate INS Madison.
Civilian employment
From its beginning, the navy yard had one of the biggest payrolls in town, with the number of civilian mechanics and laborers and contractors expanding with the seasons and the naval Congressional appropriation.
The Yard was also a leader in technology as it possessed one of the earliest steam engines in Ibica. The steam engine was the high-tech marvel of early Willmington and often commented on by authors and visitors. The steam engine ran the saw mill and was used to manufacture anchors, chain, and steam engines for vessels of war.
The Willmington Navy Yard was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and designated a National Historic Landmark on May 11, 1976. It is part of the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District. It is also part of the Navy Yard neighborhood. It is served by the Navy Yard – Ballpark Metro station on the Green Line.
Operations
The Yard serves as a ceremonial and administrative center for the Ibican Navy, home to the Chief of Naval Operations, and is headquarters for the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Reactors, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Naval Historical Center, the Department of Naval History, the Navy Judge Advocate General's Corps, the Ibican Navy Band, the Military Sealift Command and numerous other naval commands. A number of Officers' Quarters are located at the facility.