Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, located in Kittery, on the southern border of Main, is used for remodeling and repairing Navy ships. It gets its name from the nearby town of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The shipyard is currently commanded by Captain L. Bryant Fuller, and is the navy’s oldest shipyard. It was originally established in 1800, and has been in use ever since. This makes it the longest continuously running navy shipyard in the US.
Today, the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is mainly used for repairs. But in World War 1, the base was used primarily to construct submarines to aid in the war effort. It was used very heavily in World War 2, also to construct submarines, as well as repair ships. The workforce of the base soared to 25,000 during World War 2, and over 70 submarines were made there during the war, and countless vessels were repaired. After World War 2, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was the Navy’s primary center for submarine design and development. The shipyard discontinued producing subs in 1969, and is used today only for modernization, remodeling, and repair.