‘The Rocklands’, built in St. Stephen, under sail on the Atlantic
Have you ever seen these remains on the bank on the St. Croix River near the old axe factory in St. Stephen and wondered about their history? Well, this wharf is all that remains of the J & C Short Shipbuilding Company!
Remnants of the J & C Short Shipbuilding site in St. Stephen
The period between 1820 and 1880 was described as the ‘Golden Age of Sail’ in the Maritimes. Hundreds of ships were being built in New Brunswick during this time; assembled from the same lumber being harvested from around our province so that it could then be sailed to world markets on many of those same vessels. And so, Charles Short relocated from Digdeguash to St. Stephen to join his brother John and start J & C Short Shipbuilding in 1861. They opened a shipyard at a location with marine railways directly across the St. Croix River in Calais, Maine; a good example of the international businesses that took advantage of the town’s proximity to the United States. During their years in St. Stephen, the company built 7 ships ranging from 955 tons, to 1606 tons: 1 brig (a smaller sailing vessel with 2 masts) and 12 barques (a large sailing vessel with at least 3 masts and squared sails). The last ship built in St. Stephen was ‘The Rocklands’. It was launched on October 1st, 1878.
‘The Rocklands’ under contruction in St. Stephen
Charles retired after the building of ‘The Rocklands’ and later died in 1895 at the age of 69. He is buried in the St. Stephen Catholic Cemetery. John moved to Kenora, Ontario after Charles retired. As shipbuilding declined in the late 19th century, the local economy shifted toward manufacturing; including industries like textiles, tools, and the famous Ganong Bros candy factory.
The remains of the wharf marking the site of the former J & C Short Shipbuilding Company was formally recognized as a local historic place in February of 2007.
