Subsequently, Savannah Shipyards, Inc. failed to perform adequately fulfill the contracts.  Thus, in 1942, the Commission contracted with a construction company to complete building the yard, and with Southeastern Shipbuilding Corporation (SSC) to manage the yard.

The management contract obligated SSC to manufacture various shipping vessels, as well as to engage in real estate ventures as needed to supply housing for the yard's employees.

Housing-wise, SSC saw to the establishment of the nearby Pine Gardens, a neighborhood of modest, free-standing homes, for its workers.  

To provide additional housing for SSC, the Housing Authority of Savannah erected three  nearby apartment complexes:  Moses Rogers Grove, Josiah Tattnall Homes, and Deptford Place, none of which exists today

In the case of Pine Gardens, the only one of these neighborhoods consisting of free-standing, privately-owned  homes, SSC bought the property, saw to the establishment of a private corporation called Pine Gardens, Inc., and sold the land to PGI, who proceeded to build the homes.  The first PG homes were built in 1942.  To learn more about the Pine Gardens neighborhood, click the link at the bottom of this page.

The apartment homes - provided by the Housing Authority of Savannah,  in Moses Rogers Grove and josiah Tattnall were ready for occupancy in January 1943.  The homes in Deptford Place came into being in September of 1943.  

Pine Gardens is the only remaining neighborhood created as housing for SSC workers.  

Two other firms in Savannah produced ships for the US military during World War II.  These were: Savannah Machine & Foundry Co., and McEvoy Shipbuilding Corp.  Two additional "war housing" neighborhoods were erected for workers at those shipyards, Cherokee Homes (completed in February 1943) and Augustine Park  (completed in April 1943).  Neither of these latter neighborhoods exist today.

As confirmed in the preceding several paragraphs, Pine Gardens remains the surviving  neighborhood created to house workers at the three war-time Savannah shipbuilding companies.  This fact supports the nomination of Pine Gardens to be listed on the National Register of Historic Districts.

During the time that SSC operated the yard, from early 1942 until late 1945, 106 vessels, including 88 Liberty Ships,  were manufactured and launched.  The first Liberty Ship was the SS James Oglethorpe on November 20, 1942; the last was the Half Knot, on September 14, 1945.  

During its time in Savannah, SSC employed 46,766 workers.  The maximum staff  at any single time was approximately 15,000.

To contact this site's web master:

Charles Varner  -  663 William Hilton Parkway  -  Unit 1107  -  Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

Phone: (843) 785-9680  -  

E-mail:  cevarner@fastmail.fm