Pensacola Navy Yard
The Pensacola Navy Yard was a shipyard at the site of present-day NAS Pensacola. Originally constructed in 1826, it was decommissioned and abandoned in 1911; however, it was reopened three years later as Naval Air Station Pensacola.
| Pensacola Navy Yard | |
|---|---|
| Tartar Point at present-day NAS Pensacola | |
| Built | 1826 |
| In use | 1826-1911 |
| Controlled by | United States (1826-1861, 1862-present) Confederate States (1861-1862) |
| Events | Civil War |
| Present status | Decommissioned Now part of NAS Pensacola |
| Current owner | Federal government |
Occupying a roughly square area in the southeast corner of the present-day station, many original structures from the Navy Yard still exist, including portions of the yard's walls.
Construction
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Civil War
On January 10, Florida became the third state to secede from the Union. Shortly after Florida's secession, Lieutenant Adam J. Slemmer decided to abandon Forts Barrancas and McRee and consolidate Union forces at Fort Pickens. His soldiers, along with 30 loyal sailors from the Navy Yard, evacuated to Fort Pickens. On January 12, rebel troops from Alabama and Florida approached the gates of the Navy Yard, demanding surrender. Having no means to defend the yard, Commodore James Armstrong, the commanding officer, signed the surrender. Quartermaster William Conway famously refused to strike the Union colors and was jailed. The two Union naval ships in the harbor, Wyandotte and Supply, were commanded by officers loyal to the Union and did not fall into rebel hands.