Boston Naval Shipyard, historically known as the Charlestown Navy Yard, located on the Charlestown peninsula of Boston, Massachusetts, was one of the oldest naval shipyards in the United States, established in 1800 and closed by the Navy in 1974. Over its 174 years of operation, the Charlestown Navy Yard built some of the most famous ships in the American naval record — including USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat — and served as an active Navy repair and construction facility through World War II and the Cold War. At its wartime peak, the yard employed more than 50,000 workers. Following its closure, the yard became the site of the Boston National Historical Park. Publicly filed asbestos litigation records document Boston Naval Shipyard with a formal 1957 Navy convening specifically held at the yard, documented asbestosis cases among yard workers, formal commander-level records, documentation from the HFIAW (Heat & Frost Insulators) union journal, and personal testimony about asbestos dust cleaning operations at the yard.

Who Was Exposed at Boston Naval Shipyard

Workers at Boston Naval Shipyard in the following capacities may have asbestos exposure claims:

  • Insulation Workers (Pipe Coverers, Laggers) — HFIAW union members who installed and removed asbestos pipe and boiler insulation throughout ship construction and overhaul at Charlestown
  • Boilermakers and Pipefitters — who worked in asbestos-insulated engineering spaces during ship construction and overhaul
  • All trades workers present in ship spaces during active asbestos installation operations
  • Yard workers in cleanup roles — who cleaned up asbestos dust generated by ongoing insulation operations

VA Claims and Legal Options — Boston Naval Shipyard MA Workers

Veterans who served as Supship or pre-commissioning crew at Boston Naval Shipyard, and civilian workers who built or overhauled Navy ships at the Charlestown yard, who subsequently developed mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease may qualify for:

  • VA presumptive service connection under 38 CFR § 3.309(d) for Navy Supship personnel stationed at Boston Naval Shipyard
  • Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA) for civilian Boston Naval Shipyard workers
  • Civil claims against manufacturers of asbestos-containing insulation products used at the yard

Key documents for a Boston Naval Shipyard claim:

  • Employment records — Boston Naval Shipyard or Charlestown Navy Yard employment records documenting trade, department, and service period (yard operated 1800–1974)
  • DD-214 or orders — documenting Navy Supship or PCU assignment at Boston Naval Shipyard
  • Diagnosis — mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural disease

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Exposure documentation derived from publicly filed asbestos litigation records including the 1957 formal Navy convening at Boston Naval Shipyard, documented asbestosis case counts among yard workers, Commander-level formal records, HFIAW Asbestos Worker union journal documentation, and personal testimony identifying Boston Naval Shipyard (Charlestown Navy Yard) as an asbestos exposure venue in the national mesothelioma litigation record. This does not constitute legal or medical advice.