Todd Shipyards

William H. Todd Corporation created Todd Shipyards in 1916 in McClellanville, Louisiana. Todd Shipyards was located near Algiers Naval Station at the present-day intersection of Merrill and Patterson Streets on the west bank of the Mississippi. Todd Shipyards was used to repair and construct commercial and military vessels including submarines. In 1936 Todd Shipyards merged with Johnson Iron Works and brought more economic growth to the area. New dry docks were created and brought with it more jobs and other support businesses such as food, utilities, housing, and supplies. The William H. Todd Corporation operated in seven cities: Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Houston, New Orleans, and Galveston.

During World War II Todd-Johnson Dry Docks covered an area of 73 acres and included 50 buildings and 6,400 linear feet of wharves and two dry docks. Todd Shipyards employed up to 4,000 workers. After World War II, shipbuilding and repairs continued for several decades. In 1979 the wharf was lengthened by 450 feet and new dry dock facilities were constructed. In the 1980’s the military defense spending buildup of the Reagan Administration provided more work for the shipyards.

In the late 1980’s Todd Shipyards fell on hard times due to the lack of shipbuilding. On June 3, 1985, 136 employees of the Industrial Union of Maritime Ship Building Workers of America went on strike to fight against pay and benefit cuts. Six months after the strike, Todd Shipyards New Orleans location closed. Todd Shipyards filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In 1987, the Port of New Orleans acquired the remaining 21 acres and equipment for 6.9 million dollars in settlement of their remaining debt. In 2010 Vigor Industrial purchased Todd Shipyards for 130 million dollars. Asbestos exposure claims are estimating that Todd Shipyards owes almost 20 million dollars in damages and settlements.

The docks, wharves, and buildings of the shipyard no longer stand and the site is currently a green space. In 2018 the Port of New Orleans asked the city to change the sites zoning from green space to maritime use to permit shipping. This change was meant with some controversy from citizens who enjoy the current green space. In September of 2019 the Port withdrew its application and no changes are planning to be made to the space. 

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