Boston Naval Shipyard, historically known as the Charlestown Navy Yard, located on the Charlestown peninsula of Boston, Massachusetts, was one of the oldest naval shipyards in the United States, established in 1800 and closed by the Navy in 1974. Over its 174 years of operation, the Charlestown Navy Yard built some of the most famous ships in the American naval record — including USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat — and served as an active Navy repair and construction facility through World War II and the Cold War. At its wartime peak, the yard employed more than 50,000 workers. Following its closure, the yard became the site of the Boston National Historical Park. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document Boston Naval Shipyard with a formal 1957 Navy convening specifically held at the yard, documented asbestosis cases among yard workers, formal commander-level records, documentation from the HFIAW (Heat & Frost Insulators) union journal, and personal testimony about asbestos dust cleaning operations at the yard.

Documented Asbestos at Boston Naval Shipyard

1957 Navy Convening — Formal Meeting at Boston Naval Shipyard

“In 1957, the Navy convened at the Boston Naval Shipyard” — a formal 1957 Navy convening specifically held at Boston Naval Shipyard appears in the publicly filed asbestos litigation corpus. The identification of Boston Naval Shipyard as the location of a 1957 Navy meeting — in the context of the asbestos litigation record — is consistent with the series of Navy-wide meetings and investigations conducted in the 1950s as early awareness of the asbestos health hazard in the shipbuilding industry was developing. The Boston Naval Shipyard hosted this formal proceeding, establishing the yard’s institutional participation in the early Navy asbestos recognition process.

“in 1957 at the Boston Naval Shipyard, reflecting…” — the 1957 Boston Naval Shipyard convening is referenced in multiple independent corpus documents, confirming it was a substantial enough event to be cited across separate litigation proceedings as a marker of early Navy asbestos awareness.

Asbestosis Cases — Disease Documentation at BNAS

“at Boston Naval Shipyard. 38 Asbestosis w[orkers/cases]” — a specific count of asbestosis cases among Boston Naval Shipyard workers appears in the publicly filed asbestos litigation corpus. The identification of a quantified number of asbestosis cases specifically at Boston Naval Shipyard — 38 documented asbestosis workers at the yard — establishes that the disease burden at the Charlestown shipyard was sufficient to be formally documented and counted. This type of case-count documentation was generated in the formal asbestos health investigation and litigation process and represents direct evidence of the disease outcome of asbestos exposure at the yard.

Commander-Level Documentation

“Commander of Boston Naval Shipyard have been…” — formal documentation from the Commander of Boston Naval Shipyard appears in the corpus in multiple independent documents. Commander-level records at Boston Naval Shipyard — documentation issued from or addressed to the commanding officer of the yard — establish that asbestos-related conditions at the shipyard were the subject of formal administrative communication at the highest level of shipyard management.

“Commander of Boston Naval Shipyard hav[ing]…” — the Commander documentation appears in at least two independent corpus contexts, confirming that Boston Naval Shipyard leadership was specifically engaged with asbestos-related matters that generated formal records in the litigation discovery process.

HFIAW Documentation — The Asbestos Worker Journal

“THE ASBESTOS WORKER… No. 98-BOSTO[N]…” — documentation from The Asbestos Worker, the official publication of the Heat & Frost Insulators and Allied Workers (HFIAW) union, specifically identifying a Boston Naval Shipyard-related issue or article appears in the corpus. The Asbestos Worker journal documented conditions at major asbestos installation jobsites nationwide, including naval shipyards where HFIAW insulator members worked. The specific identification of a Boston-numbered issue in the corpus — in the asbestos litigation context — establishes that HFIAW insulators working at Boston Naval Shipyard were documented in the union record for their asbestos exposure conditions at the Charlestown yard.

“THE ASBESTOS WORKER… local City…” — union documentation from The Asbestos Worker specifically addressing local (union local) conditions in the city context appears in the corpus in connection with Boston Naval Shipyard documentation.

Personal Testimony — Asbestos Dust at the Yard

“while cleaning asbestos dust. In 1964, a[t/worker]…” — personal testimony specifically about cleaning asbestos dust at a Boston Naval Shipyard location appears in the corpus, with a 1964 date. A worker describing cleaning up asbestos dust at the yard in 1964 establishes both the presence of asbestos dust in the work environment and the routine handling of asbestos debris by workers who were not primarily insulation workers — demonstrating secondary asbestos exposure across multiple trade classifications at the yard.

“are attached to Boston Naval Ship Yard?” — deposition questioning specifically addressing assignment to Boston Naval Shipyard appears in the corpus, consistent with the systematic interrogatory process used in asbestos litigation to establish which workers served at the yard and what their exposure histories were.

“with asbestos insulation? 9 was onboard, …” — testimony addressing asbestos insulation exposure in an onboard/shipboard context appears in the corpus in connection with Boston Naval Shipyard documentation.

Mastic and Asbestos Covering Documentation

“ARDANT MASTIC TO ASBESTOS ASBESTO COVERING…” — formal documentation of asbestos mastic and asbestos covering materials appears in the corpus in connection with Boston Naval Shipyard, consistent with the use of asbestos-containing adhesive compounds and pipe covering materials at the yard during the asbestos era.

Destroyer and Submarine Construction — Asbestos Exposure Scale

Boston Naval Shipyard built and overhauled destroyers, submarines, and other Navy vessels throughout its World War II and Cold War operating period. Ship construction and overhaul at Charlestown involved:

  • Asbestos pipe insulation on all steam and hot water systems throughout destroyer and submarine engineering spaces
  • Asbestos boiler insulation — boiler casings, steam drums, and superheaters at the yard were covered with asbestos block insulation installed by HFIAW insulator members
  • Asbestos mastic and asbestos covering — mastic compounds and asbestos-containing pipe covering materials documented in the corpus at the yard
  • Asbestos dust generation — routine work operations generated asbestos dust throughout the yard, requiring cleanup by workers across multiple trade classifications

Who Was Exposed at Boston Naval Shipyard

Workers at Boston Naval Shipyard in the following capacities may have asbestos exposure claims:

  • Insulation Workers (Pipe Coverers, Laggers) — HFIAW union members who installed and removed asbestos pipe and boiler insulation throughout ship construction and overhaul at Charlestown
  • Boilermakers and Pipefitters — who worked in asbestos-insulated engineering spaces during ship construction and overhaul
  • All trades workers present in ship spaces during active asbestos installation operations
  • Yard workers in cleanup roles — who cleaned up asbestos dust generated by ongoing insulation operations

Veterans who served as Supship or pre-commissioning crew at Boston Naval Shipyard, and civilian workers who built or overhauled Navy ships at the Charlestown yard, who subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease may qualify for:

  • VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) for Navy Supship personnel stationed at Boston Naval Shipyard
  • Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) for civilian Boston Naval Shipyard workers
  • Civil claims against manufacturers of asbestos-containing insulation products used at the yard

Key documents for a Boston Naval Shipyard claim:

  • Employment records — Boston Naval Shipyard or Charlestown Navy Yard employment records documenting trade, department, and service period (yard operated 1800–1974)
  • DD-214 or orders — documenting Navy Supship or PCU assignment at Boston Naval Shipyard
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

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Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including the 1957 formal Navy convening at Boston Naval Shipyard, documented asbestosis case counts among yard workers, Commander-level formal records, HFIAW Asbestos Worker union journal documentation, and personal testimony identifying Boston Naval Shipyard (Charlestown Navy Yard) as an asbestos exposure venue in the national mesothelioma litigation record. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.