The Matton Shipyard

John E. Matton built this shipyard on Van Schaick Island in 1916, shortly after the new Barge Canal opened. Besides building barges and tugboats, the shipyard serviced and repaired the boats that travelled both the Erie and Champlain canals. During World War II, the shipyard worked round-the-clock building submarine chasers for the Navy and tugboats for the Army. The fenced-in configuration of the shipyard today reflects those hectic years. The Mattons continued in business until 1964, after which the Turecamo family carried on the ship building and boat repair tradition under the name of Matton Shipyard Company, Inc. The last of their line of sleek ocean-going tugboats was lanched in 1982, and the shipyard closed forever in 1983. New York State purchased the Matton Shipyard in 1989. It will be developed in the future as part of the Peebles Island State Park complex.

Cohoes, New York · United States