ESTABLISHED 1854 | ROCKLAND, MAINE

Shaping the Maritime Landscape for Generations.

Tucked into the western inner edge of one of the East Coast’s most iconic natural harbors, our shipyard has stood fast against shifting tides, industrial revolutions, and fierce Atlantic gales for over 170 years.

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A Natural Haven on the East Coast

Rockland Harbor is celebrated as one of the most beautifully shaped natural harbors on the East Coast of the United States. Its prime location on the western inner edge of a broad harbor grants vessels straightforward access, making it a crucial asset for maritime activity.

While limited protection against heavy northeasterly and southeasterly storms initially slowed early development, the city’s maritime destiny was sealed with the completion of the monumental Rockland Breakwater on October 15, 1901.

Over 170 Years of Craftsmanship

The legacy began in 1854 when Ephraim Hall and his partners founded the Rockland Marine Railway Company, building the very first marine railway (Railway #1) for wooden vessel construction and repair. After a devastating accident in 1857 forced the yard into receivership, it was auctioned in 1862 for $4,000 to the Snow family.

Under the Snows, the shipyard built an unrivaled reputation for excellence. Among sailors, the highest praise a ship could receive was a simple statement: “She is a Snow vessel.”

Here is how that legacy evolved from the golden age of wooden sailing ships to modern steel vessel maintenance.

The Schooner Catawamteak, built by Snow, Farwell and Co. in 1864.
1863 – 1876

Snow, Farwell & Co. (Wooden Beginnings)

Vessels Built: 15 Documented

  • Featured Build: Schooner Catawamteak (pictured, 1864)
  • The Story: The very first vessel completed by the partnership. Local folklore says it’s name – meaning “Great Landing Place” – was originally suggested by a local Native American, referring to what is now Lermond’s Cove.
  • Original Cost: $10,000
The Bark John R. Stanhope built by Snow, Pearsons and Co. in 1877.
1876 – 1917

Snow, Pearsons & Co. (The Global Era)

Vessels Built: 13 Documented

  • Featured Build: Bark John R. Stanhope (pictured, 1877)
  • The Story: Originally designed as a schooner, builders raised its deck line by two feet mid-construction to transform it into a Bark. It became the only sailing vessel in the Snow fleet to circumnavigate the globe twice during a single voyage.
  • Original Cost: $28,000
The Ferry vessel named the Governor Brann, built L.L. Snow Co. in 1936.
1917 – 1936

I.L. Snow & Co. (Navigating the ice)

Vessels Built: 7 Documented

  • Featured Build: Ferry Governor Brann (pictured, 1936)
  • The Story: A double-ended ferry powered by a 160HP Fairbanks-Morse diesel engine. Built to carry eight 15-foot vehicles, it featured propellers, rudders, and specialized ice guards on both ends to withstand harsh Maine winters.
  • Original Cost: $30,000
The vessel named the North Star a dragger, built by Snow Shipyards Inc. in 1940.
1937 – 1946

Snow shipyards inc. (The war effort)

Vessels Built: 24 Documented

  • Featured Build: Dragger North Star (pictured, 1940)
  • The Story: A massive 120-foot beam dragger. The shipyard earned a rare, prestigious certificate from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for building a Class A-1 wooden dragger. By 1941, the yard shifted entirely to critical WWII naval contracts, delivering dozens of mine sweepers, mine layers, and submarine chasers.
  • Original Cost: $145,000
The vessel named the Greenport, an oyster boat, built by General Seafoods Corp. in 1946.
1946

general seafoods corp. (the forty fathoms era)

Vessels Built: 2 documented “twin” vessels

  • Featured Build: Twin Oyster Boats Greenport & Milford (pictured, 1946)
  • The Story: Purchased primarily to maintain General Seafoods’ deep-sea fishing fleet. Known locally as the “Forty Fathoms” yard, they constructed twin 50-gross-ton oyster boats, Greenport and Milford.
  • Original Cost: Unknown
The vessel named Henry O. Underwood, a sardine carrier, built by General Foods Corp. in 1949.
1947 – 1957

general foods corp. (The last wood vessel)

Vessels Built: 1 documented wooden vessel, 11 steel tugs

  • Featured Build: Henry O. Underwood (pictured, 1949)
  • The Story: A 43-gross-ton sardine carrier. This vessel marked a major milestone in local history as the final wooden vessel ever constructed in the shipyard.
  • Original Cost: Unknown
1957 to 1991 National Sea Products, Inc. (now Rockland Marine Corporation)
1957 – 1991

national sea products (fleet maintenance)

Vessels Built: Focus shifted entirely to fleet maintenance

  • The Story: Moving away from new vessel construction, National Sea Products utilized the historic marine railways and machine shops exclusively to maintain and service their massive ground-fishing fleets.
Aerial view of Rockland Marine Corporation with the town of Rockland in the background.
1991 – Present Day

Rockland marine corporation (modern era)

Vessels Built: Modern commercial steel vessel repair, fabrication, and hauling

  • The Story: Established in 1991, Rockland Marine Corporation preserved the historic shipyard from being lost. Today, the yard continues to serve the Maine coast with premier marine engineering, custom fabrication, and haul-out services, strictly compliant with modern USCG and ABS standards.

Preserving Our Shared History

This living history would not be preserved without the generous support, photographic archives, and historical research shared by John I. Snow III and his family, as well as our neighboring historians.

Deepen Your Discovery: For a comprehensive look at our shipyard’s legacy and the shipbuilding history of Rockland, Maine, we highly recommend reading The Main Beam by Bertram G. Snow.

You can also visit the Sail, Power & Steam Museum located right next door to our yard, on the very land where part of the Snow Shipyard once stood.