United States Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility

At the termination of World War II, the United States had the largest naval force of any country in history. Prudent military leaders decided against scrapping surplus vessels, in favor of preserving them so they could be activiated quickly in case of emergency. In August of 1945, the Department of the Navy announced that Orange would be one of the locations for the storage of reserved vessels. The abundant fresh water supply of the Sabine River made Orange an ideal location for such a facility, because of the necessity to minimize marine growth and corrosion. Also, the existing shipyard adjacent to the site could be used for repair and maintenance of the "mothballed" fleet. However, it was still necessary to construct a berthing area for the inactive ships, and a permit for the construction of twelve piers was obtained.The facility was named the U.S. Naval Station, Orange, Texas, in November of 1945. The first vessel to report for inactivation was the USS Matagorda, which arrived on November 5. When the Korean War began in 1950, the facility reactivited over thirty ships, after which many were returned for storage. The facility at Orange was one of fifty-two to be chosen in 1961 by the Department of Defense to be closed or phased down. The facility remained operable, but the military presense was reduced to twenty-five officers and enlisted men, and large numbers of civilians were hired to continue operations. On December 28, 1975, the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at Orange was closed. By 1980 all remaining vessels were transferred to other locations, sold to foreign nations or sold for scrap. (2008)

United States Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility is a historical marker in Orange, Orange County, dedicated in 2008. It is one of 66 historical markers documented in Orange County in the Texas Historical Commission Atlas, among 91 historic sites cataloged across the county.

The site sits at 30.0944, -93.7262 near Orange. The nearest cataloged historic site is Weaver Shipbuilding (historical marker), about under a tenth of a mile away. Others within a short drive include Riverside Addition: World War II Housing in Orange, U. S. S. Aulick, and Levingston Shipbuilding Company and Edward T. Malloy.

This record corresponds to Texas Historical Commission Atlas #5507015073. Use the map below for its exact position and turn-by-turn directions.