Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot
Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot | |
---|---|
Part of United States Navy | |
Hingham, Massachusetts | |
Coordinates | 42°14′8.12″N 70°54′58.61″W / 42.2355889°N 70.9162806°W |
Type | Ammunition Depot |
Site information | |
Controlled by | Navy |
Open to the public | Yes |
Site history | |
In use | 1903-1961 |
The Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot, is a former United States Navy ammunition depot located in Hingham, Massachusetts. At its peak, it employed over 2,400 people.[1] It also consisted of 90 buildings at that time.[2] The Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot Annex was located nearby, and served as a storage area for the depot.
History
From 1903 until 1961, The Hingham Naval Ammunition Depot (originally called the Hingham Naval Reserve) was a major supplier of U.S. munitions, occupying 990 acres (4.0 km2) on the Weymouth Back River (in the section once known as The Hockley). At peak capacity in 1945, over 2,400 civilians and military personnel worked there. In the mid 1950s, the site contained over 90 buildings, its own telephone exchange, and 15 cranes. The base was decommissioned in 1961, though the Navy held on to the property until 1971, when it was turned over to the town of Hingham. Today much of the site is now occupied by the town's Bare Cove Park.