LEVINGSTON SHIPBUILDING

Orange TX

Most recent update: January 23, 2022.

Levingston Shipbuilding Company was started by Captain George Levingston, whose father, Samuel H. Levingston, an immigrant from Northern Ireland, had started a yard in Orange in 1859 - building paddle-wheel  steamers for service on the Sabine River and converting river steamers to gunboats for the Confederate States Navy.  After his father retired, Captain George had been Joe Weaver's partner from 1896 through WWI  and in 1919 had started his own yard at the foot of Moss Avenue - where Orange Shipbuilding is today.  In 1930 he moved the business to the east end of Front Avenue and in 1933 it was incorporated as Levingston Shipbuilding Company.  In 1945, George Levingston sold the business to Edgar W. Brown Jr., a major figure in the lumber industry in East Texas, who in 1970 also bought Gulfport Shipbuilding, in Port Arthur.  Brown died in 1976 and his estate sold the two shipyards to Ashland Oil, but Ashland never had a clear strategy for the business and sold it in 1982 to the company's CEO, Ed Paden.  Paden strengthened the company by diversifying into commercial shipbuilding and steel fabrication, and by introducing Japanese shipbuilding technology, a move that resulted in a significant improvement in productivity and was promptly copied by several other yards, notably NASSCO and Avondale.  Levingston closed in 1985, however, in the general collapse of the industry, and the facility was liquidated. 

Levingston was a remarkable yard.  In WWII, it was the Navy's leading builder of ocean tugs, producing more than any other U.S. yard.  After the war, when the offshore market got started, the company was in the forefront of the design and construction of many of the early models: it was the only U.S. builder of all five types of offshore drilling rig and established Singapore's Keppel FELS in the business (the L in FELS stands for Levingston.)  See the site of the shipyard from the air on Google here and an aerial photograph taken in 1982, here.  Thanks to Rollie Webb for his contribution to this table.
Hull # O.N. Original Name Original Owner Vessel Type GT Feet Delivered Disposition
Built at the Moss Avenue Yard (1919-1930)
    Lutcher Brown Higman Towing Co Wooden Tug       First boat built in this yard
      Higman Towing Co Wooden Tug        
      Higman Towing Co Wooden Tug        
      Higman Towing Co Wooden Barge       "Several" barges
      Sabine River Ferry Wooden Tug        
      Sabine River Ferry Wooden Barge        
      Neches River Ferry Wooden Tug        
      Neches River Ferry Wooden Barge        
  225273 Charles Richard Wm. T. Burton Wooden Tug 17 49 1925 Abandoned 1959
  227163 Edgar Brown Jr. Higman Towing Wooden Tug 54 61 1927 Later Gulf Fueler II, scrapped 1972
  228129 Edna L  M. P. Crochet Wooden Tug 11 37 1928 Later Frankie C., burned 1961
  228130 Dolphin The Texas Co. Wooden Tug 12 37 1928 Burned 1965
  257251 San Leon Gissel & Co. Wooden Tug 12 37 1930  
  230031 Vivian George Jacomin Wooden Tug 16 43 1930 Foundered Southwest Pass 1967
  230128 Charles Aro C. A. McKinley Wooden Tug 21 43 1930  
  230427 Admiral Sabine Towing Wooden Tug 25 48 1930  
Built at the Front Avenue Yard (1931-1933)
      Wm. T. Burton Wooden Barge        
      Wm. T. Burton Wooden Barge        
      Wm. T. Burton Wooden Barge        
      Wm. T. Burton Wooden Barge        
      Higman Towing Wooden Barge        
      Higman Towing Wooden Barge        
      Clooney Construction Wooden Barge        
      Clooney Construction Wooden Barge        
  231238 Henry Gray Clooney Construction Wooden Tug 31 53 1931 Burned 1948
  230587 J. F. Rader Sabine Pilots Pilot Boat 38 57 1931  
  231798 W. T. Burton Wm. T. Burton Wooden Tug 41 55 1932 Abandoned 1970
Built by Levingston Shipbuilding Co. (1934-1982)
1     A. F. Wilson Barge   50 31-May-34  
2     A. F. Wilson Barge   50 15-Sep-34  
3     A. F. Wilson Barge   50 17-Oct-34  
4 233479 Brown Kraft Brown Paper Mill Yacht 41 42 31-Oct-34 Later Dixie Belle, now Gold Dust
5   HTCO No. 12 Higman Towing Oil Barge   170 6-Apr-35  
6   Housebarge No. 1 Humble Oil & Refining Barge   80 6-Apr-35  
7   Housebarge No. 2 Humble Oil & Refining Barge   80 16-Apr-35  
8 234148 Keith McKerrow Wm. T. Burton Tug 40 60 10-Jul-35 Burned at Burton SY
9   HTCO No. 13 Higman Towing Oil Barge   116 17-Jul-35  
10     Wm. T. Burton Barge   172 1-Aug-35  
11 233974 George Levingston Wm. T. Burton Tug 65 61 1-Aug-35 Scrapped 1975
12     Corps of Engineers Motor Boat   25 12-Aug-35  
13     Wm. T. Burton Barge   172 31-Aug-35  
14   HTCO No. 14 Higman Towing Oil Barge   116 18-Sep-35  
15     Wm. T. Burton Barge   172 12-Oct-35  
16     Wm. T. Burton Barge   130 30-Oct-35  
17     J. G. McMullen Dredge   36 31-Oct-35 Hull only
18     Wm. T. Burton Barge   130 16-Nov-35  
19   WTB-D4 Wm. T. Burton Barge   130 23-Nov-35  
20   WTB-D5 Wm. T. Burton Barge   130 30-Nov-35  
21   WTB-D6 Wm. T. Burton Barge   130 12-Dec-35  
22 279815 Miss Edna Arroyo Colorado ND Tug 13 37 27-Dec-35 Active
23     Shell Petroleum  Barge   40 30-Dec-35  
24   HTCO No. 15 Higman Towing Oil Barge   116 31-Dec-35  
25     Wm. T. Burton Barge   130 31-Dec-35  
26 235405 Texas Girl II The Texas Co. Launch 7 40 29-Aug-36  
27     Union Bridge Co. Barge   40 31-Oct-36  
28     Austin Bridge Co. Derrick Barge   45 6-May-36  
29     Austin Bridge Co. Derrick Barge   45 6-May-36  
30     Austin Bridge Co. Barge   45 6-May-36  
31     Austin Bridge Co. Pontoon Barge   40 6-May-36  
32     Austin Bridge Co. Pontoon Barge   40 6-May-36  
33     Austin Bridge Co. Pontoon Barge   40 6-May-36  
34     Austin Bridge Co. Pontoon Barge   40 6-May-36  
35     Austin Bridge Co. Pontoon Barge   40 6-May-36  
36     Austin Bridge Co. Pontoon Barge   40 6-May-36  
37     Austin Bridge Co. Pontoon Barge   40 6-May-36  
38     Austin Bridge Co. Work Barge   50 6-May-36  
39     Austin Bridge Co. Work Barge   40 6-May-36  
40     Austin Bridge Co. Work Barge   40 6-May-36  
41 235201 Sue B. Austin Bridge Co. Tug 12 37 30-May-36 NLD
42     Austin Bridge Co. Work Barge   40 20-Jul-36  
43     Austin Bridge Co. Work Barge   40 20-Jul-36  
44     Austin Bridge Co. Speed Boat   26 20-Aug-36  
45     Austin Bridge Co. Barge   50 19-Sep-36  
46 235656 Minnie S Atlantic Gulf & Pacific Tug 30 53 26-Oct-36 To Panamanian flag 1968
47     Austin Bridge Co. Barge   40 30-Sep-36  
48     Austin Bridge Co. Barge   50 28-Sep-36  
49   HTCO No. 16 Higman Towing Oil Barge   116 11-Jan-36  
50   HTCO No. 17 Higman Towing Oil Barge   156 14-Aug-36  
51   HTCO No. 18 Higman Towing Oil Barge   140 21-Nov-36  
52     Stanolind Oil & Gas Barge   70 19-Sep-36  
53     Stanolind Oil & Gas Barge   70 30-Jul-36  
54     Stanolind Oil & Gas Barge   70 18-Jun-36  
55     Parker Brothers Barge   140 3-Jul-36  
56   Sutton Pure Oil Co. Tug   36 15-Jun-36  
57     Pure Oil Co. House Barge   80 30-Jun-36  
58     J. G. McMullen Barge   32 16-Jul-36  
59 235404 Lena B C. M. Bowman Tug 30 53 31-Aug-36 Later Mary R, scrapped 1974
60     Stanolind Oil & Gas Boiler Barge   70 19-Sep-36  
61     Stanolind Oil & Gas Boiler Barge   70 19-Sep-36  
62 234570 Ethel Burton Wm. T. Burton Tug 50 61  1-Feb-36 Scrapped 1963
63 234942 Billy B. Lawton Wm. T. Burton Tug 56 59 16-Apr-36 Scrapped 1964
64 175374 Sirius II H. A. Merrill  Tank Barge 571 173 13-Feb-37 Later Fleet 500
65   Polaris II H. A. Merrill  Tank Barge 571 173 25-Feb-37  
66 234952 Evelyn Shaddock Wm. T. Burton Tug 33 51 17-Mar-37 Abandoned 1970
67   HTCO No. 21 Higman Towing Oil Barge   156 12-Apr-37  
68     Clooney Construction Barge   173 8-Jan-37  
69 235243 Terrell  Atlantic Gulf & Pacific Tug 33 53 31-May-37  
70     Stanolind Oil & Gas Barge 140 90 24-Mar-37  
71 236810 Pan Two Pan American Refining Tug 55 60 24-Sep-37 Later William Walsh
72     D. M. Picton & Co. Work Barge   80 14-Aug-37  
73 236610 Westside Algiers Public Service Ferry 567 145 1-Oct-37  
74 173650 Pan Am 201 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 509 173 1-Jun-37 Later RTC 51
75   Cenac No. 12 A. J. & O. J. Cenac Tank Barge   90 5-Jun-37  
76 173746 No. 28 H. B. Messenger Tank Barge 189 100 31-Aug-37  
77     D. C. Bonnet Barge   70 30-Sep-37  
78 237444 Pan Three Pan American Refining Tug 56 61 23-Dec-37 Later San Jacinto, Mustang
79 173807 Pan Am 202 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 503 173 21-Oct-37 Later Gissel 874
80 173781 Pan Am 203 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 503 173 10-Nov-37 Later RTC 52, Pfeifer No. 10, Montauk No. 3
81 173822 Pan Am 204 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 503 173 29-Nov-37 Later Gissel 875
82 173843 Pan Am 205 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 503 173 17-Dec-37 Later Gissel 876
83 173849 Pan Am 206 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 503 173 23-Dec-37 Later Gissel 877
84 173842 Pan Am 207 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 503 173 4-Jan-38 Later Gissel 878
85 217013 Pan Four Pan American Refining Tug 56 61 20-Jan-38 Later San Bernard
86 236887 F. Lutcher Brown Higman Towing Tug 84 68 23-Dec-37  
87   S-1 Standard Oil of Texas Tank Barge   100 6-Dec-37  
88   S-2 Standard Oil of Texas Tank Barge   90 6-Dec-37  
89     Shell Petroleum Boiler Barge   80 24-Jan-38  
90     Shell Petroleum Boiler Barge   80 18-Feb-38  
91     D. C. Bonnet Barge   80 28-Feb-38  
92     Tidewater Associated Oil Work Barge   92 21-Mar-38  
93 173981 Pan Am 208 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 503 173 15-Apr-38  
94 174110 Pan Am 209 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 503 173 4-May-38 Later Gissel 871
95 258365 S-3 Standard Oil of Texas Tank Barge 140 90 16-Apr-38  
96     Shell Petroleum Fire Barge   20 22-Apr-38  
97   Cenac No. 13 Cenac Towing Co. Tank Barge   92 5-May-38  
98   Cenac No. 14 Cenac Towing Co. Tank Barge   92 5-May-38  
99   Henrietta The Texas Co. Houseboat Hull   55 14-May-38  
100   Cenac No. 15 Cenac Towing Co. Tank Barge   92 15-Jun-38  
101   Cenac No. 16 Cenac Towing Co. Tank Barge   92 31-Dec-38  
102   Anchor Barge No.1 Corps of Engineers Anchor Barge   55 1-Sep-38  
103   Anchor Barge No.2 Corps of Engineers Anchor Barge   55 1-Sep-38  
104 237995 Especo Solvay Process Co. Tug 97 75 21-Nov-38  
105 174251 Espee No.2 Solvay Process Co. Deck Barge 324 140 21-Nov-38 Later Genco No. 3, Allied Chemical No. 32
106 174252 Espee No.3 Solvay Process Co. Deck Barge 324 140 21-Nov-38 Later Genco No. 4, Allied Chemical No. 33
107 174253 Espee No.4 Solvay Process Co. Deck Barge 324 140 21-Nov-38 Later Genco No. 5, Allied Chemical No. 34
108 Venezuela Coquivacoa La Translacustre Ferry 300 132 4-Jan-39  
109   Brazoa Edwards Transportation Tank Barge   92 24-Dec-38  
110   Cenac No. 17 Cenac Towing Co. Tank Barge   92 15-Jul-38  
111 238341 Coyle W. G. Coyle & Co. Tug 120 82 29-Apr-39 Later Tahiti, sank 1999
112   Sunoco B.B. No. 1 Sun Oil Co. Boiler Barge 170 84 8-Mar-39  
113   Dredge No. 3 J. G. McMullen Dredge   61 28-Feb-39  
114   Miranda Asiatic Petroleum Corp. Tug 160 100 28-Aug-39  
115   HTCO No. 22 Higman Towing Tank Barge   173 14-Mar-39  
116-133               Cancelled
134   Brazos Edwards Transportation Tank Barge   165 17-Feb-39  
135     Clooney Construction Tank Barge   116 17-Mar-39  
136   Cenac No. 19 Cenac Towing Co. Tank Barge   92 21-Mar-39  
137   Cenac No. 20 Cenac Towing Co. Tank Barge   92 7-Jul-39  
138   Cenac No. 21 Cenac Towing Co. Tank Barge   75 15-Aug-39  
139   HTCO No. 23 Higman Towing Tank Barge 503 173 30-Sep-39  
140 239258 E. G. Diefenbach Electric Ferries Inc.  Ferry 565 185 1-Mar-40 Now Fonseca
141   Cenac No. 22 Cenac Towing Co. Tank Barge   92 15-Nov-39  
142 239461 H. T. De Bardeleben De Bardeleben Coal Tug 129 77 20-Apr-40 Later Tony St. Philip
143     E. J. Gracey Drilling Barge   80 24-Oct-39  
144 Venezuela Catatumbo La Translacustre Ferry 321 132 21-Mar-40  
145 239632 Hamilton Electric Ferries Inc.  Ferry 565 185 30-Jun-40 Later Nicoyano
146 174654 Pan Am 210 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 503 173 10-Feb-40 Later Gissel 879
147 174687 Pan Am 211 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 503 173 7-Mar-40 Later Gissel 872
148 174724 Pan Am 212 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 503 173 15-Apr-40 Later Gissel 873
149 174792 Pan Am 213 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 503 173 30-May-40 Later RTC 53
150 239617 Pan Five Pan American Refining Tug 73 66 10-Jun-40 Later San Antonio
151   HTCO No. 24 Higman Towing Tank Barge 500 173 11-May-40  
152   HTCO No. 25 Higman Towing Tank Barge 500 173 22-Jun-40  
153 239910 Sally Atlantic Gulf & Pacific Tug 34 58 12-Jul-40  
154 239717 Julie Atlantic Gulf & Pacific Tug 16 48 24-Jun-40  
155 240282 Dr. E. W. Brown Higman Towing Tug 141 85 1-Jan-41 Now Jefferson
156 176749 HTCO No. 26 Higman Towing Tank Barge 700 205 30-Sep-40  
157 176750 HTCO No. 27 Higman Towing Tank Barge 700 205 30-Sep-40  
158     Sternberg Dredging Barge   60 10-Aug-40  
159   Cenac No. 23 Cenac Towing Co. Oil Barge   50 12-Jun-40  
160 240591 Stemwinder Canal Navigation  Tug 118 85 10-May-41 Sold to Brazilian owners, active
161-184   2119 thru 2142 US Navy Surf Boats   30 19-Feb-41 24 boats
185   Tuscarora (AT 77) US Navy Tug 530 ? 135 13-Dec-41 Later YT 341, ATA 245, sold 1989 as Challenger, now Triton
186   Noka (YN 54) US Navy Net Tender   74 18-Feb-41 Later YNT 22, sold as Doris Loveland
187   Uncas River Terminals Corp. Tug 147 85 26-Apr-41 Later Tamesi (Mexico), total loss 1984
188 240624 Jack Ruff River Terminals Corp. Tug 147 85 12-Jun-41 Later Thames, Linda Giovanna, Claud Hamill, Linda Fisher
189 176751 HTCO No. 29 Higman Towing Tank Barge 700 205 20-Jan-41  
190 240651 Ajax Sabine Towing Tug 95 74 27-May-41  
191 252041 YOG 2 US Navy Tank Barge 700 205 7-Mar-41 To Dom. Rep. as 24 de Octobre
192   HTCO No. 30 Higman Towing Tank Barge 500 173 30-Apr-41  
193 290576 HTCO No. 31 Higman Towing Tank Barge 500 173 29-Mar-41  
194 241267 MAJ George W. Armitage US Army Tug 60 64 31-Dec-41  
195 241303 MAJ Hugh F. Ewing US Army Tug 60 64 20-Jan-42 Sold 1949 as Ewing, later Little Company, NLD
196 240757 Goliath Sabine Towing Tug 94 74 14-Jul-41  
197 175216 Pan Am 214 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 518 173 27-May-41  
198 175226 S.T. Co. 119 Sabine Towing Tank Barge 820 196 23-Jun-41 Later Rome Sears
199 240870 Patrick River Terminals Corp. Tug 147 85 26-Aug-41 Later Dunkirk, George Peterkin
200 252592 YO 58 US Navy Tank Barge 516 173 22-Sep-41 Sold 1949 as RTC 54
201 273394 YOG 3 US Navy Tank Barge 525 173 21-Jul-41 Sold 1957 as No. 3
202 241125 Pan Six Pan American Refining Tug 94 74 4-Dec-41  
203   Pan Seven Pan American Refining Tug 94 74 27-May-42  
204   Pan Am 116 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 518 173 17-Oct-41  
205 175393 Pan Am 215 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 518 173 18-Nov-41  
206 241201 Corpus River Terminals Corp. Tug 94 74 4-Jan-42 Later Alma D, Matamoros
207 175422 Pan Am 216 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 518 173 4-Dec-41  
208 175435 Pan Am 217 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 518 173 16-Dec-41 Later Amoco 217
209 175455 Pan Am 218 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 518 173 8-Jan-42 Later Amoco 218
210 175465 Pan Am 219 Pan American Refining Tank Barge 518 173 22-Jan-42  
211 241420 Sacagawea (YT 241) US Navy Tug 211 105 26-Feb-42 Sold 1942 as Margot Moran, later Eagle Point, now Resolve Eagle
212 253361 Uncas (YT 242) US Navy Tug 211 105 23-Mar-42 Sold 1947 as Pauline L. Moran, Sewells Point, now Fort McHenry
213 258975 ST 243 US Army Tug 140 85 30-Jun-43 Sold 1953 as Wm. H. McAllister
214 241412 Dottie Dee River Terminals Corp. Tug 94 74 31-Mar-42  
215   Sea Otter II US Navy/US Mar. Com. Cargo Ship 1,575   25-Oct-41 Experimental vessel, struck 1946 and scrapped
216 241575 Sambo Dixie Carriers Inc. Tug 94 74 28-Apr-42 Later Wizard
217   HMS Favourite (BAT 3) US Navy Tug 498 143 15-Jun-42 ATA 28, to Britain as W 19, sold 1946 as Susan A. Moran, Eugene F. Moran, Monsanto, Monte Branco
218   HMS Integrity (BAT 4) US Navy Tug 600 143 25-Jun-42 ATA 29, to Britain as W 14, sold 1946
219   HMS Lariat (BAT 5) US Navy Tug 600 143 10-Aug-42 ATA 30, to Britain as W 17, sold 1946 as Ming 308
220 647250 HMS Masterful (BAT 6) US Navy Tug 498 143 27-Aug-42 ATA 31, to Britain as W 20, sold 1946 as Eugenia M. Moran, now Comanche
221 261383 FBZ-72 F. B. Zigler Tank Barge 702 205 4-Mar-42 Later DXE-72
222 261384 FBZ-73 F. B. Zigler Tank Barge 702 205 12-May-42 Later DXE-73
223 261341 FBZ-74 F. B. Zigler Tank Barge 702 205 1-Jun-42 Later DXE-74
224 261342 FBZ-75 F. B. Zigler Tank Barge 702 205 28-Jul-42 Later DXE-75
225   LSC 225 Levingston SB Co. Tank Barge 585 195 7-Oct-43 Converted by LSC to tank barge 1946
226 175482 Crown 101 Crown Central Petroleum Tank Barge 518 173 3-Feb-42  
227 175513 Crown 102 Crown Central Petroleum Tank Barge 518 173 19-Mar-42  
228 175536 Crown 103 Crown Central Petroleum Tank Barge 518 173 7-Apr-42  
229 241520 Crown Central Crown Central Petroleum Tug 94 74 6-Apr-42 Later Republic
230   ST 25 US Army Tug 94 74 2-May-42 Named Zimmerman, sold 1949 as Breton
231 249790 ST 26 US Army Tug 95 74 20-May-42 Named Hostetter, sold 1949 as Sadie, later Olga (Colombia)
232   ST 27 US Army Tug 94 74 5-Jun-42 Named Jones, sold 1949
233 249572 ST 30 US Army Tug 93 74 26-Jun-42 Named Finley, sold 1949 as Russell 5, later New London
234 249639 ST 28 US Army Tug 94 74 15-Jul-42 Sold 1949 as Hudson
235   ST 29 US Army Tug 94 74 14-Jun-42 Named Rees, sold 1949 as Miller
236 176614 LSC 236 Levingston SB Co. Tank Barge 584