This concrete barge building yard is identified as located in Fort Edward NY. That would make it the Holler-Davis-Flood Company, responsible for eight concrete barges just over a century ago. More precise dates can be found here.

The sharpness of these images can be seen here, as these shipyard workers enjoy lunch on the job.

When I zoomed into this detail from the image above, I first saw one lunching worker, then two, three, and finally four. I hope i didn’t miss anyone.

In this photo identified as Waterford, we see US 114 being assisted by unidentified steam tugboats, mone alongside and the other on the stern.

Just east of Lock E-13 in Randall NY, this remnant of a concrete barge can be seen even today. West of Lock E-9 another batch can be seen here and here.

In the era depicted in the 1910s photos above, concrete barges were not considered a success. As diverse types of concrete have been developed, has the use of concrete and ferro-cement in boat building evolved?

Click here and here for views of other barge builders.

3 responses to “Concrete Barges Then and Now”

  1. Eight guys eating lunch in that photo and nobody’s gazing at a smartphone. Such a different time.

  2. […] For other photos of Matton workers, click here. Workers transshipping bags of salt train cars to barges, click here. For dam builders on the Oswego Canal in Fulton, click here. More wooden barge builders can be found here, and concrete barges, here. […]

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