The Fore River Shipyard, spanning the cities of Quincy and Braintree, Massachusetts, was established in the early 1900s by Thomas Watson, an employee of the famed inventor Alexander Graham Bell. The Fore River Shipyard, about 10 miles from Boston's downtown, was a 111-acre facility in its heyday, well situated on the Fore River, which flows directly into Boston Harbor.

World War II Years: Fifty Thousand Employees

The peak years of the Shipyard were during World War II, when the yard was part of the "Arsenal of Democracy" program implemented by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Some 50,000 people worked at the Fore River Shipyard in those days, building ships that fought in major naval battles of WWII.

No More Shipbuilding at Fore River

Following the end of WWII, the shipbuilding activities declined, and the last vessel built at the Fore River Shipyard was completed in 1982. Today, the Yard's location is in the planning stages of the Fore River Shipyard Redevelopment Project, which aims to create a mixed commercial/residential waterfront "village" at the site.

Asbestos in Shipbuilding

As was the case with essentially all shipbuilding concerns in the 1930s and beyond, few if any safety precautions were used regarding asbestos-containing ship components at the Fore River Shipyard. The workers who dealt with products such as pipe insulation, boiler room parts, construction materials, and turbines ─ among many others ─ were at risk of being exposed to dangerous levels of asbestos.

Asbestos fibers can be inadvertently inhaled by people in the area of the asbestos work. The inhalation of asbestos can cause cancer, including mesothelioma, and severe respiratory diseases.

Fore River Shipyard Asbestos Victims

If the cause of your asbestos-related disease may have been your work at the Shipyard, you can contact us to learn more about your rights and options.