Legacy Vault
Established in 2020 and in celebration of Maine’s bicentennial, The BIW Legacy Vault is an archive of photographs, plans and ephemera that chronicles our contribution to American shipbuilding and celebrates the unique place that BIW holds for the people of our state and our country.
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The Origin of “Bath Built is Best Built”
Question: What is the source and attribution of the phrase “Bath-built is best-built”? Response: “You can’t get there from here” is a phrase familiar to all who have confronted the…
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Modern Era – May 20, 2016
ZUMWALT
On May 20, 2016, Bath Iron Works delivered USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000), the most advanced ship in the world. Zumwalt generates enough 4160 volt power to electrify a small city…
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Post War America
The Postwar Years
As WWII ended, BIW faced a familiar situation, as a sudden surplus of military and commercial ships led to an inevitable plunge in shipbuilding orders. Although construction of many wartime…
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Modern Era
Pier Support Center
As BIW accelerates the DDG 51 Program shipbuilding rate, Pier 2 has become an essential location for execution of post-launch ship construction work. This pier, compared to Pier 4, has…
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Great Depression and WW II, Post War America
Boiler Shop History
Designed to support the assembly/erection of steam boilers for U.S. Navy WWII destroyers, the Boiler Ship was used for more than 50 years.
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Modern Era
Modernizing Our Shipyard
Under General Dynamics’ ownership, BIW teamed up with the City of Bath and the State of Maine to support a long-term capital investment plan which included the Land Level Transfer…
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Lead Shipyard for DDG-51 Destroyers
In 1985, BIW won the competition for detail design and construction of USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51), the Lead Ship for the Navy’s most capable class of AEGIS guided missile…
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The New Nation – 1880
Shipbuilding on the Kennebec River
Shipbuilding has been a way of life along the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, since 1762, when the sailing ship Earl of Bute was launched on the site of present…
