USS Massachusetts (BB-59) National Historic Landmark
Fast battleship of the United States Navy in Fall River, Massachusetts. Added to the National Register in 1976, and a National Historic Landmark.
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What it is
USS Massachusetts, hull number BB-59, is the third of four South Dakota-class fast battleships built for the United States Navy in the late 1930s. The first American battleships designed after the Washington treaty system began to break down in the mid-1930s, they took advantage of an escalator clause that allowed increasing the main battery to 16-inch (406 mm) guns, but refusal to authorize larger battleships kept their displacement close to the Washington limit of 35,000 long tons (36,000 t). A requirement to be armored against the same caliber of guns as they carried, combined with the displacement restriction, resulted in cramped ships, a problem that was exacerbated by wartime modifications that considerably strengthened their anti-aircraft batteries and significantly increased their crews.
Text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
The record
| Property type | Structure |
| Address | Battleship Cove, Fall River, MA |
| County | Bristol County |
| Listed | Sep 30, 1976 |
| Listed for | Military |
| Level of significance | National |
| Also known as | See Also:USS MASSACHUSETTS |
| Reference number | 76002269 |
| Type of place | battleship, museum ship, preserved watercraft |
| Designations | National Historic Landmark |
| Contributing resources | 1 structure |
| Standing | Yes |
The nomination form, the document that argues why this place matters, is in the National Archives: Read the nomination ↗
Visiting
| Address | Battleship Cove, Fall River, MA |
| Coordinates | 41.7068° N, 71.1629° W · Directions ↗ |
| Also in Fall River | 111 listed places in Fall River → · walking tour → |
| Nearest national park unit | New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park · 13 miles · on Park Atlas |
| Federal campgrounds nearby | West Hill Park 36 miles |
Explore
Map
Nearby in Bristol County
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Local history books for Fall River
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Guidebooks to historic places and travel in Massachusetts
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
When was USS Massachusetts (BB-59) National Historic Landmark listed on the National Register?
Sep 30, 1976. It is also a National Historic Landmark, the higher of the two designations.
Source: National Park Service
Can I visit USS Massachusetts (BB-59) National Historic Landmark?
Yes. USS Massachusetts (BB-59) National Historic Landmark is recorded as open to the public.
Source: Wikidata
Where is USS Massachusetts (BB-59) National Historic Landmark?
Battleship Cove, Fall River, Bristol County, Massachusetts. The nearest national park unit is New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park, 13 miles away.
Where is the nomination form for USS Massachusetts (BB-59) National Historic Landmark?
The National Archives holds the nomination form, the document that made the case for listing.
Source: National Archives
Are there campgrounds near USS Massachusetts (BB-59) National Historic Landmark?
One federal campground is within reach, West Hill Park, 36 miles away.
Source: Campsite Atlas
Is there cell service at USS Massachusetts (BB-59) National Historic Landmark?
FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G at the listed point. Coverage indoors and behind old masonry is another matter.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
Sources
Location, type and contributing counts come from the National Park Service's National Register spatial data. Listing dates come from the National Register office's spreadsheet where it carries the listing. Construction date, architect, style, photograph and encyclopedia link come from Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons, matched on reference number 76002269. Nothing here is transcribed by hand. The nomination form and photographs ↗ at NPGallery are the original nomination as filed with the National Park Service, and the form is often the best description of the place. The description under "What it is" is the opening of the Wikipedia article, CC BY-SA.