Brown Shipbuilding
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipbuilding |
| Founded | 1942 in Houston, Texas, United States |
| Founder | Herman Brown, George R. Brown |
| Fate | Acquired by Todd Shipyards; Houston branch closed in 1985 |
| Headquarters | Houston , United States |
| Products | Naval warships, amphibious assault vessels, landing craft infantry |
| Parent | Brown and Root (currently known as KBR) |
The Brown Shipbuilding Company was founded in 1942 in Houston, Texas, as a division of Brown and Root (currently known as KBR). The enterprise was launched by brothers Herman and George R. Brown with the purpose of constructing vessels for the U.S. Navy throughout World War II. It achieved the 68th position among American corporations based on the value of military production contracts during the war.
In 1941, despite having no prior experience in ship construction, the Brown brothers were invited by Navy representatives to build four submarine chasers, capitalizing on their earlier involvement with Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. With an initial investment of $9 million from the Navy, Brown Shipbuilding was established in 1942, creating the Green's Bayou Fabrication Yard along the Houston Ship Channel.
Starting with submarine chasers and landing craft, the company later obtained contracts to produce destroyer escorts priced at $3.3 million each. Between May 1943 and August 1944, Brown Shipbuilding manufactured 61 destroyer escorts—averaging one per week—including the distinguished , which served in Taffy 3 during the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Additionally, from May 1944 until March 1946, they constructed 254 amphibious assault vessels (LSMs). By the conclusion of World War II, Brown Shipbuilding had delivered more than 350 naval warships under contracts exceeding $500 million.
Following the war, Todd Shipyards acquired the shipyard; its Houston branch ceased operations in 1985. Subsequently, Brown and Root adapted the facility for barge building and maintenance before divesting it in segments by 2004. In a notable diversification into aerospace infrastructure, Brown Shipbuilding secured a $200 million contract in 1961 to construct the Manned Spacecraft Center located in Houston.
Ships built here
61 Destroyer escorts (July 1942 - March 1944)
- 38 of 85 s (July 1942 - December 1943), including prominent ships such as (commissioned May 1943) and (January 1944)
- 23 of 83 s (August 1943 - March 1944), featuring vessels like (February 1944) and (August 1944)
12 of 343 s completed between May 1942 and April 1943; several were subsequently transferred to nations including Venezuela, Mexico, Thailand, and Taiwan.
32 of hull numbers 319–350 from the series of 923 Landing Craft Infantry, constructed from October 1942 to February 1943. Many were either sold after the war or placed into the National Defense Reserve Fleet.
254 out of a total of 558 Landing Ship Mediums produced, spanning series LSM-1 through LSM-125, LSM-354 to LSM-388, and LSM-459 to LSM-552.
This prolific output underscores Brown Shipbuilding's crucial contribution to wartime naval vessel production, strengthening its market presence and competitive standing within military ship manufacturing.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Defunct shipbuilding companies of the United States
- Shipyards of the United States
- History of Houston
- Manufacturing companies based in Houston
- 1942 establishments in Texas
- American companies established in 1942
- Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1942
- Industrial buildings and structures in Texas
- Defunct manufacturing companies based in Texas
- 5
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment