J.B & J.D. Van Deusen
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipbuilding |
| Founded | 1865 |
| Founder | Joseph B. Van Deusen, James D. Van Deusen |
| Defunct | 1875 |
| Headquarters | Williamsburg, Brooklyn , United States |
| Products | Yachts, schooners, steamboats |
J.B & J.D. Van Deusen was an American shipbuilding firm from the 19th century, founded in 1865 by brothers Joseph B. Van Deusen and James D. Van Deusen. Located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the yard focused on crafting yachts, schooners, and steamboats tailored for clients in the New York region. Their final construction was the schooner-yacht Mohawk (which was later renamed Eagre), completed in 1875 and subsequently acquired by the United States Navy in 1903.
History
The Van Deusen brothers, Joseph B. and James D., launched their shipbuilding enterprise in 1865. Initially situated near 16th Street in New York City, they later moved operations to Sixth Street in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, adjacent to the East River. Throughout their tenure, they created a variety of distinguished yachts, schooners, and steamboats.
Engines for at least twelve of their vessels were provided by the Etna Iron Works.
Joseph Benoni Van Deusen
Joseph B. Van Deusen received his shipbuilding education under the guidance of William H. Webb and George Steers before joining forces with his brother James DeWitt Van Deusen to establish J.B & J.D. Van Deusen. Their portfolio included pioneering steamships for the Fall River Line and around thirty gunboats constructed for Spain. Joseph earned a medal from Napoleon III in recognition of his ship models.
He maintained relationships with notable individuals such as yachtsman and publisher James Gordon Bennett Jr. and financier Elias Cornelius Benedict. In 1866, Joseph acted as a judge during a prestigious yacht race where Bennett’s Henrietta triumphed after sailing from Sandy Hook, New Jersey to The Needles on the Isle of Wight.
Joseph B. Van Deusen passed away at age 43 on November 4, 1875, in Brooklyn.