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Lenthall retired in 1871. He remained active in retirement, serving on a board which advised the U.S. Navy on new ship design and construction at a time when the Navy was making a transition from wooden and iron ships to the construction of the modern steel navy which would begin to appear in the
604:
operations against
Confederate forces. With his experience limited to deeper-draft seagoing ships, Lenthall doubted that a shallow-draft ship could house a successful steam propulsion plant, but he nonetheless drew up a preliminary design for a 170-foot (52 m) warship with a beam of 28 feet
169:
John
Lenthall was born in Washington, D.C., on 16 September 1807, the son of John Lenthall and Mary King Lenthall. His British-born father was an architect who had emigrated to the United States in 1793 and from 1803 worked as Clerk of the Works and Principal Surveyor at the
265:
Humphreys nominated
Lenthall to become an assistant naval constructor at the Philadelphia Navy Yard in 1828. With Humphreys monopolizing naval ship design, Lenthall and his fellow constructors and assistant constructors occupied at least some of their time with designing
319:
was built. He was promoted from assistant naval constructor to naval constructor on 21 July 1838, and in that year he appears to have been solely responsible, albeit in consultation with
Humphreys, for the design of a particularly handsome and popular class of
482:– in Washington, D.C., the position he held until his retirement 18 years later. During his tenure as chief of the bureau he was responsible for the design of some of the most significant U.S. Navy ships constructed in the years just prior to the onset of the
663:
s initial lack of interest in ironclads, the Bureau of
Construction and Repair oversaw the design and construction of monitors and other ironclads under his direction during the Civil War, and Lenthall himself designed the ironclad monitors of the successful
277:. He continued to work mainly at the Philadelphia Navy Yard through the 1830s and 1840s, and by about 1860 was referred to as a civilian employee of the Navy and as "Mr. Lenthall," so any career he had in uniform appears to have ended by that time.
294:
Surviving papers from the 1830s demonstrate that
Lenthall was well informed about the latest ship design theories of the era and used extensive calculations in his design work. Under his superintendence at Philadelphia the first American
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ever built. She was still incomplete at the end of the Civil War in April 1865, by which time the threat of war with
Britain had long since receded. Built of poor materials and not completed until 1867,
1333:
432:. As the steamship era dawned, he appears to have been one of the more forward-looking naval architects of his time when it came to his interest in the adaptation of steam propulsion to naval ships.
1343:
254:, where he continued to spend most of his time. Humphreys took on all the design work at the navy yard himself, and Lenthall worked closely with him and excelled as his assistant and
695:
was unsuccessful and the U.S. Navy rejected her for service, but her design made a great impression worldwide and was influential among foreign naval architects. France bought
1138:
s date of death on 11 April 1882, and displays a photograph of his gravesite with a headstone etched with a date of death of 11 April 1882. Tucker, p. 349, places
Lethall
788:
The GW and Foggy Bottom
Historical Encyclopedia: "Hamburg: The Colonial Town That Became the Seat of George Washington University" by Jesse Fant Evans, A.B., Ed.D, 1935.
1328:
1338:
273:
Various sources state that
Lenthall "entered" the U.S. Navy on 1 May 1835, but none provide any further information on any career he had as a naval
547:
Lenthall initially expressed little personal interest in the design of ironclads, referring to them as "humbug" and writing in a letter to Captain
1353:
44:
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137:(16 September 1807 – 11 April 1882) was an American shipbuilder and naval architect. He was responsible for the construction and repair of
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s north wing in September 1808 when he prematurely removed props holding up the vaulted ceiling in what is now known as the
1203:
497:
246:; Humphreys had become Chief Constructor of the Navy in 1826 while retaining his position as the Naval Constructor at the
24:
428:
Lenthall left the Philadelphia Navy Yard to become Chief Constructor of the Navy in Washington, D.C., in 1849, replacing
821:
Washington DC Biographies Personal Recollection of Early Washington with a Sketch of the Life of Captain William Easby
535:
s first ship with more than two gun turrets – under the direction of Lenthall and the Engineer-in-Chief of the Navy,
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251:
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of the newer ship, with some researchers arguing that she was an entirely new ship with no connection to the old.
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During his tenure as Chief Constructor, he handled the matter of the reconstruction of the sailing frigate
548:
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524:, the first clash between ironclads. Another Lenthall design of the period was the wooden steam frigate
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until 1843, and she emerged as a speedy ship for her day. In the mid-1840s he designed the sloop-of-war
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185:
s construction superintendent. The senior John Lenthall died in a construction accident in the building
145:(1861–1865), as well as in the years immediately before and after it. His career spanned the U.S. Navy
1323:
1318:
787:
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531:, which the U.S. Navy converted during the Civil War into a three-turret ironclad monitor – the world
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359:. He also continued his commercial endeavors, designing ships for Philadelphia merchants, including
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The younger John Lenthall began his career in 1823, when as a teenager he became an employee of the
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so that he could devote his own time to ocean-going ships. Pook and Eads in turn modified Lenthall
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s Bureau of Construction, Equipment, and Repair – known after an 1862 reorganization as the
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that served on rivers in what is now the central United States as the core of the U.S. Army
270:, and papers survive from the Philadelphia shipbuilding firm of John Lenthall and Company.
43:
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in February 1861 that ironclads instead should be built by "some of these young, smart,
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161:, and in retirement he participated in early planning for an eventual steel navy.
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Lenthall died suddenly in Washington, D.C., on 11 April 1882. He is buried in
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605:(8.5 m) and a draft of only 5 feet (1.5 m) before passing it along to
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of 1854, effectively a new ship John Lenthall designed to rebuild the earlier
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in Washington, D.C., where his father had once worked as Superintendent of
1168:
The History of the American Sailing Navy: The Ships and Their Development
618:
501:
367:. In the early 1840s he completed his efforts to refine the plans of the
223:
158:
1198:
The Army and Navy Chronicles, Volume VI: From January 1 to June 30, 1838
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should war break out with the United Kingdom. At 377 feet (115 m),
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626:
443:
227:
799:
Architect's Virtual Capitol 1808 – Lenthall Killed in Ceiling Collapse
678:, an ocean-going ironclad steam frigate intended to fight the British
258:. Lenthall also was exposed to the work of the noted naval architect
671:. Early in the Civil War, Lenthall also designed the revolutionary
718:
643:
584:. After the outbreak of the Civil War in April 1861, however, the
406:
279:
1118:’’Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1860–1905’’, p. 119.
1255:
Lincoln's Tragic Admiral: The Life of Samuel Francis Du Pont
1227:. Annapolis, Maryland: United States Naval Institute, 1965.
392:, renowned as a fast sailer, particularly in light winds.
1294:
Independence Seaport Museum Guide to the Lenthall Papers
893:
Independence Seaport Museum Guide to the Lenthall Papers
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866:
830:
828:
783:
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559:." He also expressed skepticism about the efficacy of
1334:
People of Washington, D.C., in the American Civil War
1142:
s death on 15 April 1882, but appears to be in error.
193:
and was crushed to death when the ceiling collapsed.
1170:. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 1949.
1218:
A History of Ironclads: The Power of Iron Over Wood
122:
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100:
88:
72:
50:
34:
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703:from acquiring her, and she served briefly in the
1183:Conway’s All the World’s Fighting Ships 1860–1905
1036:Conway's All the World's Fighting Ships 1860–1905
1344:People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War
844:
842:
1181:Chesneau, Roger, and Eugene M. Kolesnik, eds.
242:Around 1827, Lenthall became the apprentice of
1242:. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 2011,
470:Chief of the Bureau of Construction and Repair
8:
1280:Volume VI, p. 169, digitized by Google Books
1235:. (1990 reprint edition by Arno Press, Inc.)
1091:
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1087:
1085:
1083:
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1079:
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637:, later transferred to the U.S. Navy as the
446:in 1853 in poor condition after languishing
1225:Benjamin Franklin Isherwood: Naval Engineer
1134:obituary of 12 April 1882, placing Lenthall
771:
769:
767:
903:For example, see Tucker, pp. 348–349, and
474:In 1853, Lenthall became chief of the Navy
458:, since 1845. The ship was rebuilt into a
222:and received training in Europe, visiting
42:
31:
19:For other people named John Lenthall, see
1289:, pp. 348–349, digitized by Google Books
1114:
1112:
1110:
510:– famously the opponent of the U.S. Navy
810:The Old Supreme Court Chamber 1810–1860.
723:Grave of Lenthall at Rock Creek Cemetery
462:. This would lead a century later to a
763:
617:s design to produce the first American
1257:. University of Virginia Press, 2005.
1156:Beard, Rick, "A Cheesebox on a Raft,"
1048:Beard, Rick, "A Cheesebox on a Raft,"
7:
754:, has been named for John Lenthall.
500:later seized and converted into the
208:United States Department of the Navy
157:propulsion and from wooden ships to
127:United States Department of the Navy
1185:, New York: Mayflower Books, 1979,
14:
1329:American Civil War industrialists
1210:, at http://www.perseus.tufts.edu
480:Bureau of Construction and Repair
226:in the United Kingdom, France,
16:American shipbuilder (1807–1882)
1339:Engineers from Washington, D.C.
586:United States Department of War
395:In 1843, he was elected to the
218:. He learned the trade of ship
1354:Burials at Rock Creek Cemetery
580:would sink as soon as she was
566:s revolutionary design of the
397:American Philosophical Society
172:United States Capitol Building
1:
498:Confederate States of America
464:controversy over the identity
403:Chief Constructor of the Navy
25:USNS John Lenthall (T-AO-189)
1349:United States Navy civilians
1287:Civil War Naval Encyclopedia
1240:Civil War Naval Encyclopedia
592:s help in designing shallow-
486:. Among them was the wooden
1285:John Lenthall reference in
1276:John Lenthall reference in
1204:Porter, David D., Admiral.
576:, expressing the view that
1370:
1200:, Washington, D.C., 1838.
639:Mississippi River Squadron
252:Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
18:
1314:American naval architects
1278:Army and Navy Chronicles,
1238:Tucker, Spencer C., ed.
1206:The Naval History of the
745:fleet replenishment oiler
557:spirit of the age fellows
309:, was completed and the
191:Old Supreme Court Chamber
181:, serving as the building
41:
743:One U.S. Navy ship, the
648:An 1865 illustration of
635:Western Gunboat Flotilla
176:Architect of the Capitol
1223:Sloan, Edward William.
1013:1st-Class Sloop-of-War
951:Chapelle, pp. 400, 402.
883:Chapelle, pp. 354, 416.
522:Battle of Hampton Roads
905:Catablogs 9: Lenthall.
724:
656:
549:Samuel Francis Du Pont
425:
291:
248:Philadelphia Navy Yard
238:Philadelphia Navy Yard
179:Benjamin Henry Latrobe
96:Washington, D.C., U.S.
83:Washington, D.C., U.S.
1309:American shipbuilders
1026:Tucker, pp. 348, 349.
873:Catablogs 9: Lenthall
835:John Lenthall papers.
722:
647:
537:Benjamin F. Isherwood
410:
283:
1253:Weddle, Kevin John.
1216:Quarstein, John V.,
984:search.amphilsoc.org
980:"APS Member History"
735:in Washington, D.C.
621:warships, the seven
456:Portsmouth, Virginia
212:Washington Navy Yard
202:Washington Navy Yard
174:in Washington under
23:. For the ship, see
1165:Chapelle, Howard I.
1160:, January 30, 2012.
1052:, January 30, 2012.
733:Rock Creek Cemetery
699:in 1867 to prevent
688:longest wooden ship
611:James Buchanan Eads
93:Rock Creek Cemetery
1104:Quarstein, p. 164.
725:
657:
598:United States Army
553:modern improvement
543:American Civil War
484:American Civil War
426:
292:
149:s transition from
143:American Civil War
139:United States Navy
1248:978-1-59884-338-5
1003:Chapelle, p. 472.
969:Chapelle, p. 444.
960:Chapelle, p. 457.
942:Chapelle, p. 416.
933:Chapelle, p. 417.
860:Chapelle, p. 354.
452:Gosport Navy Yard
141:ships during the
132:
131:
115:Years active
61:16 September 1807
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659:Despite Lenthall
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602:riverine warfare
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381:in 1820 but not
363:for the famous
300:ship-of-the-line
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775:Tucker, p. 348.
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588:sought Lenthall
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369:sailing frigate
260:William Doughty
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89:Resting place
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76:11 April 1882
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21:John Lenthall
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987:. Retrieved
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241:
205:
168:
134:
133:
78:(1882-04-11)
29:
1324:1882 deaths
1319:1807 births
705:French Navy
667:Miantonomoh
448:in ordinary
324:made up of
311:supply ship
216:Shipwrights
109:shipbuilder
1303:Categories
1150:References
748:USNS
715:Later life
709:Rochambeau
697:Dunderberg
693:Dunderberg
684:Dunderberg
680:Royal Navy
675:Dunderberg
652:Dunderberg
623:City-class
389:Germantown
297:first-rate
230:, and the
165:Early life
57:1807-09-16
1208:Civil War
1130:quotes a
1038:, p. 120.
673:USS
650:USS
625:ironclad
571:USS
526:USS
515:USS
493:Merrimack
491:USS
444:drydocked
442:of 1797,
437:USS
419:USS
412:USS
387:USS
379:laid down
372:USS
365:Cape Line
354:USS
347:USS
340:USS
333:USS
326:USS
314:USS
304:USS
285:USS
256:draftsman
224:shipyards
220:carpenter
159:ironclads
118:1823–1871
989:12 April
686:was the
627:gunboats
619:ironclad
582:launched
507:Virginia
502:ironclad
424:of 1797.
383:launched
356:Yorktown
123:Employer
728:1880s.
701:Prussia
600:use in
578:Monitor
573:Monitor
568:monitor
528:Roanoke
520:in the
517:Monitor
512:monitor
374:Raritan
328:Decatur
287:Decatur
275:officer
228:Denmark
210:at the
1261:
1246:
1231:
1189:
1174:
352:, and
349:Preble
342:Marion
316:Relief
197:Career
67:, U.S.
1140:'
1136:'
758:Notes
669:class
661:'
631:'
615:'
594:draft
590:'
564:'
533:'
476:'
187:'
183:'
155:steam
147:'
1259:ISBN
1244:ISBN
1229:ISBN
1187:ISBN
1172:ISBN
991:2021
609:and
505:CSS
335:Dale
151:sail
107:and
73:Died
51:Born
707:as
454:in
450:at
250:in
153:to
1305::
1109:^
1076:^
982:.
865:^
853:^
841:^
827:^
780:^
766:^
711:.
641:.
633:s
555:,
539:.
399:.
377:,
345:,
338:,
331:,
302:,
262:.
234:,
1265:.
1250:.
1193:.
1178:.
993:.
655:.
290:.
59:)
55:(
27:.
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