West Street Foundry

The West Street Foundry was an American steam engineering works notable for producing marine steam engines in the mid-19th century. Based in Brooklyn, New York, the company built at least 27 marine engines between 1845 and 1855, including engines for some of the fastest and finest steamboats of the era. The company also built and repaired steam engines and boilers of all types, as well as doing other metalwork. The company failed and was liquidated in 1855.

History

The earliest known records of the West Street Foundry, also known at this time as Howell & Coffee, date to 1839. Principals of the firm were Joseph E. Coffee, then a 28-year-old engineer, and Maelzaer Howell. With Howell's death in 1842, Coffee became sole proprietor, and would continue his association with the firm throughout its history. Coffee's younger brother, George Wayne Coffee, was also an engineer and an associate of the firm. The business was located on the northwest corner of West and Beach Streets, Brooklyn, New York.

In addition to marine engines, the company built stationary steam engines, and built and repaired both marine and stationary boilers as well as doing a variety of other metalwork. The company also bought and sold steamboats on commission, and sometimes offered steamboats in its possession for excursions or charter. The foundry's services were advertised as far afield as Alabama.

By 1850, the company had been acquired by Wilson Small, a prominent figure in the New York branch of the Democratic Party, with Coffee remaining as superintendent and agent. The company had 140 employees in 1850; by 1851 this number had risen to 200.

The foundry is known to have built the engines for at least 27 steam vessels, though more are likely unaccounted for. Among the more notable vessels powered by West Street Foundry engines were and Mountaineer—two Hudson River passenger steamboats noted for their speedMorrison 1903. pp. 354–355.—and State of Maine and , both considered on debut to be the finest and fastest steamboats in Maine coastal service.

Wilson Small was forced to make an assignment of the business in 1855. He subsequently joined the civil service, while Coffee established a new steam engineering works in Keyport, New Jersey.Reussille 1975. p. 6.

About the proprietors

Joseph Ellis Coffee was born in Philadelphia on December 27, 1811. After training as an engineer and serving as a principal of the West Street Foundry until its closure, he established a new business offering similar services in Keyport, New Jersey, near the steamboat landing. The location was close to the shipyard of Benjamin C. Terry, with whom Coffee and Small had a longstanding business relationship; Coffee sometimes supervised the construction of steamers at Terry's yard,Reussille 1975. pp. 1, 6, 26. and Small was the original owner of at least seven vessels built there.Reussille 1975. p. 16. In later years, Coffee served as Chief of Bureau of Steam with New York's Metropolitan Police.

Coffee was a director and later vice-president of the Mechanics' Institute of New York, and a director of the Brooklyn Fire Insurance Company. He died December 5, 1869, at the age of 58, and is buried at Green Grove Cemetery, Keyport.

Wilson Small was born in New York City on February 13, 1810.Ridgely 1878. pp. 416–422. Entering the workforce at the age of twelve, he trained as a jeweller, continuing in the trade until the panic of 1837. A growing engagement with politics led him to stand for political office, and he was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1846 and 1847. Later, he served as president of New York City's Tenth Ward. Following the failure of the West Street Foundry, Small joined the civil service, and subsequently obtained a variety of government positions. He was a Sachem and later, the longterm Sagamore of Tammany Hall, and a Grand Master of the Odd Fellows. He died October 21, 1886.

Production table

The following table lists marine steam engines known to have been built by the West Street Foundry; the list is likely incomplete. + Marine steam engines built by the West Street Foundry Ship Engine Ship notes; references Name Type Yr. Tons Original owner Intended service # Cyl.(ins) Str.(ft) Steamboat 1845 W. &. T. Collyer 230 Vineyard SBC New England Ch 1 34 8 New Bedford, MA – Vineyard Haven, 1845–48; mail steamer, New York Harbor, 1848–50; Coney Island ferry, 1850–62; animal carcass transport, NY Harbor, 1862-79; broken up 1880.Heyl 1965. IV. pp. 211–213. Steamboat 1845 W. & T. Collyer 385 E. Fitch & Co. Hudson River VB 1 42 10 Ringwald 1981. pp. 136–137. Fast boat. Kingston/Rondout – New York City and Albany – NYC. Converted to towboat 1855,Ringwald 1981. p. 89. rebuilt 1869, broken up 1901. Steamboat 1846 William H. Brown 513 Isaac Newton Hudson River VB 1 54 11 Bartol 1851. p. 94.Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 150. Fast boat. Peekskill – New York City 1846, later NYC – Bridgeport, CT. Stranded and wrecked off Cape Henlopen, Delaware Bay, 1850.Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 283. Steamboat 1848 806 Penobscot SNC New England VB 1 54 11 Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 203.Morrison 1903. p. 396. Largest, fastest and finest steamer in Maine coastal service when new. Boston—Bangor, ME, 1848; Fall River, MA—NYC 1849–60; hospital boat, USQMD and US Sanitary Commission, 1861–65; excursion boat, New York, postwar; sold for Cuban service, 1871; subsequent disposition unknown.Heyl 1956. II. pp. 243–244. George W. Coffee Steamboat 1848 (Jersey City, NJ) 177 O. B. Hilliard South Carolina Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 84. Built to run from Charleston to Sullivan's Island. Destroyed by fire, 1865. Niagara Ferry 1849 411 Williamsburg FC East River VB 1 38 9 Sold to Erie Railroad, ca. 1860; destroyed by fire in alleged arson attack, 1868. Oneota Ferry 1849 Perine, Patterson & Stack 411 Williamsburg FC East River VB 1 38 9 Sold to U.S. govt., 1863. Oneida Ferry 1849 Perine, Patterson & Stack 313 Williamsburg FC East River VB 1 32 8 Abandoned 1876.Cudahy 1990. p. 433. A. H. Schultz Steamboat 1850 164 Wilson Small 1 24 6 Sea Witch Steamship 1850 G. W. Coffee California VB 1 40 9 Independence Steamship 1850 William H. Brown 600 Independent Line San Francisco 1 42 9 San Francisco – San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. Wrecked, Santa Margarita Island, Mexico, 1853.Heyl 1953. I. p. 219. Canada Ferry 1851 Perine, Patterson & Stack 338 Williamsburg FC East River VB 1 32 9 Abandoned, 1876. Wilson Small Steamboat 1851 Isaac C. Smith 258 NYC–New Jersey Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 233. Sunk in collision with steamer Mary Augusta off Poplar Island, Maryland, 1867, 2–3 killed.Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 307. Steamer later raised, wreck sold at auction 1867. Golden Gate Steamboat 1852 Isaac C. Smith 170 Shrewsbury S&TC NYC–New Jersey 1 Sold USQMD, 1863; returned to merchant service 1867. Out of documentation ca. 1880.Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 86. Junior Steamboat 1852 John Terry 204 Mobile Bay VB 1 28 6 Last enrolment 1856.Reussille 1975. p. 16.Lytle-Holdcamper 1975. p. 118. Steamship 1852 (Brooklyn, NY) 341 1 48 9 USN gunboat, 1861–64. Captured and burned by Confederate troops, 1864.Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 217. Steamboat 1852 Capt. Baldwin 1 28 7 "Built at Astoria". Steamer 1852 1 32 9 "[F]or parties south". Steamboat 1853 Isaac C. Smith 250 Wilson Small 1 28 6 Alice C. Price Steamboat 1853 W. Collyer 283 Red Bank SBC 1 32 10 USQMD 1863; sunk by Confederate torpedo (ie mine), St. John's River, Florida, 1864.Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 6. Thomas G. Haight Steamboat 1853 Benjamin C. Terry 256 Red Bank SBC NYC–New Jersey 1 28 8 Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 211. NYC – New Jersey, 1853–55; St. John's River, FL, 1855–56; destroyed by fire Savannah, GA, 1856.Reussille 1975. pp. 20–22. Steamboat 1853 Isaac C. Smith 350 Hudson River VB 1 34 10 Ran on Hudson River for entire career.Morrison 1903. pp. 163–165. Nyack – Albany, later Nyack – NYC.Reussille1975. p. 11. Lengthened 1865, rebuilt and lengthened 1871. Wrecked by boiler explosion, 6+ killed, 1883.Dayton 1925. pp. 78, 431. Steamboat 1853 Samuel Sneden 630 Maine SNC New England VB 1 52 11 Largest, fastest and finest steamer in Maine coastal service when new. Portland, ME – Bangor, ME, 1853–61. USQMD troop transport and Sanitary Commission hospital boat (intermittently), 1861–65.Morrison 1903. pp. 391–392. Boston – Bath, ME, 1864–66. Baltimore, MD – West Point, VA, 1871–72. Excursion boat, Quebec, Canada, 1872–84. Burned and sank, Pointe au Pic, Quebec, Canada, 1884.Heyl 1953. I. pp. 125–126. Towboat 1853 Capt. David Cox 1 28 6 Washington Ferry 1854 John Crawford 435 Peoples FC Boston Inc 1 38 9 Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 226. Boston – E. Boston, 1854–62.Reussille 1975. p. 26. Lengthened and rebuilt 1864 and readmeasured at 618 tons. Cleared New York for Shanghai, China, in 1864 but sold instead at Rio de Janeiro; subsequent disposition unknown. John Adams Ferry 1854 Benjamin C. Terry 465 Peoples FC Boston Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 112. Boston – E. Boston, 1854–62; US Army transport, 1862–65; returned to merchant service, , 1867–76; Hudson River etc. service, 1876–88; destroyed by fire, Port Richmond, NY, 1889.Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 272.Reussille 1975. pp. 26, 33–34. Jefferson Ferry 1854 Joseph Beers 443 Peoples FC Boston Lytle, Holdcamper 1975. p. 110. Boston – E. Boston, 1854–64; USQMD 1864–65; returned to merchant service, , 1867–74; converted to barge, 1874; struck and sank 1877.Reussille 1975. pp. 26, 35.

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Bibliography

OCLC 1626009 OCLC 1626009