Heffernan Engine Works

Heffernan Engine Works (1899–1925)

As early as 1892, John T. Heffernan had a small marine repair and construction business in Port Townsend, Washington called Puget Sound Engineering Works.^[1][2] This business built USRC Scout and USRC Guard, both of which were launched in 1896,^[3] and the original steam engine for the tug Prosper.^[4] In 1899, at 33 years old, Heffernan moved to Seattle and established a similar marine repair and construction business, Heffernan Engine Works.^[5] His machine shop was located at 108 Railroad Avenue.^[6] The original wood-frame structure was replaced by a brick building in 1918^[7] which still stands at what is now 110 Alaskan Way in the Pioneer Square area.^[8]

The company's products included marine steam engines, pumps, boilers, windlasses, winches, and related installation and repair services.^[6] Heffernan Engine Works began as a sole proprietorship. It became a Washington State corporation on 17 July 1903 with a capitalization of $50,000.^[9]

Heffernan Engine Works remained in continuous operation through at least 1927.^[10]

East Waterway shipyard (1904–1913)

In 1904, Heffernan Engine Works bought most of block 375 of Seattle tidelands at the junction of the East Waterway and the Canal Waterway for $28,500. It bought the remainder of the block for $12,000 in 1905.^[11] The company had the marshy area filled, and built workshops and docks. With 1,300 feet (400 m)^[12] of waterway frontage, Heffernan could berth multiple ships. In 1910, Heffernan bought the adjacent block 386, which also fronted the East Waterway, for $375,000.^[13] This land became the site of Heffernan's first shipyard.

In April 1907, the Heffernan Dry Dock Company was incorporated with a capitalization of $250,000.^[14] That same month, the new company purchased one of the largest floating drydocks on the west coast, which was then located at Quartermaster Harbor on Vashon Island.^[15] The company operated the drydock at Quartermaster Harbor while preparations, including dredging, were made to move it to Heffernan's property on the East Waterway. On 11 August 1909, the dock was towed to its new location.^[16] The drydock was 385 feet (117 m) long with a beam of 100 feet (30 m) and a lifting capacity, variously reported to be up to 7,500 tons.^[17]

In August 1910, Heffernan purchased the marine railway of Seattle Ship Yards Company. It was 250 feet (76 m) long and 56 feet (17 m) wide with a capacity to lift ships up to 4,000 tons.^[18] It was towed to the company's property on the East Waterway. With the addition of this facility, by 1912 the Heffernan shipyard grew to 75 employees.^[19]

Heffernan sold block 375, and the waterfront halves of blocks 376 and 386 to the Port of Seattle on 5 September 1913 for $440,000 to facilitate the port's plans for a deep-sea dock and cargo handling facility.^[20][21] In conjunction with the land sale, the company sold its drydock and marine railway to Seattle Construction & Drydock Company for a reported $550,000. This sale closed on 27 September 1913.^[22] While Heffernan Engine Works remained in operation building and repairing marine machinery, these transactions marked the end of Heffernan's first shipyard.

West Seattle shipyard (1918–1925)

American shipping needs in World War I brought about significant Federal funding for ship construction through the Emergency Fleet Corporation. John Heffernan went back into the shipyard business to take advantage of this opportunity and signed his first contracts with the Emergency Fleet Corporation on 22 May 1918. The company purchased 800 feet (240 m) of waterfront land consisting of lots 1 to 15 of block 449 of the Seattle tidelands. A new Heffernan shipyard was built there on Elliot Bay in West Seattle.^[23]

On 3 May 1918, the Heffernan Dry Dock Company purchased the floating drydock of the Oregon Drydock Company.^[24] It was towed from Portland to Seattle. This dry dock was 340 feet long, with a beam of 80 feet, and a capacity to lift 3,500 tons.^[25] The dock was moored at 1650 Harbor Avenue SW at the company's property in West Seattle. The company also installed a marine railway that was 250 feet long and could accommodate vessels up to 2,500 tons.^[26] In 1918, Heffernan built a 1-story machine shop that was 84 feet by 160 feet at the new shipyard.^[27] By 1919, the company employed 400 workers there.^[28]

The Heffernan Engine Works machine shop in Pioneer Square moved to the Heffernan Dry Dock Company shipyard in 1923.^[29] The new shop was located at 1722 Harbor Avenue SW.^[30]

At the end of World War I, it became apparent that the Emergency Fleet Corporation had contracted for many more ships than were needed for peacetime. The four design 1001 ships for which Heffernan Engine Works built engines in 1918 were broken up in 1922.^[31] The worldwide glut reduced the cost of existing ships so much that new shipbuilding activities contracted.^[32] John Heffernan, now 60 years old, with significant real estate development, financial, and political interests, chose to close the shipyard in 1925. Heffernan's drydock was sold to Lake Union Dry Dock & Machine Works.^[33]