Riverfront Wilmington

"Iron Steam Shops, Steam Boats & Iron Sailing Vessels Completed in Every Particular"
Harlan & Hollingsworth & Co., Wilmington, Delaware, 1878

To comply with federal law protecting historic sites, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Delaware State Historic Preservation Office, and the Riverfront Development Corporation worked together on the Riverfront Wilmington project from 1998 to 2000. Archeological excavations at several key points along the Riverfront revealed significant information about Wilmington's historic waterfront industries.

Selected areas of the Harlan and Hollingsworth Shipyard site were stripped, uncovering remains of several launchways as shown below. The remains were sampled to help answer questions about materials and methods used by the shipbuilding industry.

[Captions:]
This photo, taken about 1870, shows the Simpson Patent Drydock installed by Harlan & Hollingsworth to facilitate repair of large ships. The drydock was located west of the Elder Cut stream run and the launchways shown below in excavation.

Below: Sketch plan of excavations on the riverfront that revealed planking of the 19th century Harlan & Hollingsworth shipways now the site of the Harlan & Hollingsworth Overlook.

Workers proudly pose in front of the Wyanoke,



a ship built for the Old Dominion Steamship Company in 1870.

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