The Submarine Industry
Rooted in Connecticut
Just as the early settlers recognized the fine qualities of the New London harbor, so did the US Government. At the end of the Civil War, the Federal Government accepted land in Groton and Ledyard, purchased by New London, for a new naval base. America’s first submarine base was established there at the beginning of World War I.
The Thames River has long been an active shipbuilding center. Following World War I with the beginning of submarine construction, the area became a major part of the military industrial complex. In 1954, the world’s first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, was launched into the Thames River. The Navy’s research center for submarine warfare was located at Fort Trumbull. The Navy continues to homeport submarines at Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton.
Marker is at the intersection of State Street and Bank Street, on the right when traveling west on State Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
