USS Stewart - Galveston, TX - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

From the National Register of Historic Places -
Continuation Sheet
USS Stewart Galveston, Galveston County, Texas

USS Stewart (DE238)

Most of the destroyer escorts of World War II were named for active duty naval personnel, (both Regular Navy and Naval Reserve) who died in the line of duty. Indeed, many of these heroes actually died during World War II. The Stewart bears the name of Charles Stewart, born 28 July 1778. It is the third naval ship to bear his name. He went to sea at the age of 13 as a cabin boy. Rising through the ranks of the merchant service, he was commissioned as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy on 9 March 1798. Given command early in his career, Stewart fought a variety of naval ships through the conflicts of his times, including, successively, Argus ,Hornet and Constellation. Following two brilliant cruises as commander of the USS Constitution, he was placed in command of the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Stewart retired as a Rear Admiral on 16 July 1862. The DE238 is the third ship to bear his name.

Setting

USS Stewart is not afloat. But integrity of setting is surely maintained by association "with the water by means of a waterfront location". (NRB 20, Nominating Historic Vessels, p.9) Lying only 35 feet from the edge of the Galveston Ship Channel, visitors approaching her site by car have the feeling that she is actually in the water. Positioned alongside the submarine, USS Cavalla, highlights her purpose as an anti submarine ship. She is fortunate, also, to be at the intersection of the Galveston Ship Channel and the Houston Ship Channel, where there is a high concentration of marine traffic. She is constantly exposed to the view of passing ferries, yachts, tour boats and large cruise ships. The waterfront setting is enhanced by nearby ferry docks and a major Coast Guard Station.

Statement of Significance

Of the 563 Destroyer Escorts built during the early years of World War Two, the USS Stewart, DE238, is one of only two which remain in existence in the United States.' She saw extensive duty in the Atlantic Theater during the latter half of World War Two, where she was involved in convoy duty, training and escort duty. She was selected to travel with the President's Yacht as it traveled down the Potomac River when President Roosevelt left the country for the talks at Yalta. She engaged in "Hunter-Killer" group activities with small aircraft carriers and other destroyer escorts - efforts which were significant as part of the successful campaign against Germany's deadly submarines. Deactivated after the war, the ship has remained in almost the same configuration as when she was active. She now is dry berthed at the edge of the Galveston Ship Channel in Galveston, Texas.

The USS Stewart's role in the major war effort to neutralize Germany's submarine blockade, as described elsewhere herein, constitutes a significant contribution to a broad pattern of our Nation's history. Although not directly associated with an individual person significant in our past, she was named for one of the most outstanding Naval Officers of the years following the Revolutionary War, Charles Stewart. She also was one of the ships chosen to escort President Franklin Roosevelt's yacht down the Potomac River as he set out on his trip for the meetings at Yalta. Perhaps more significant were the men who served on ships like the Stewart. Without enough members in the Regular Navy to man the large numbers of new warships, the Navy turned to its reserves. Although some reservists had meaningful experience, 90% of the crews of the DE's were made up of young men with no maritime experience whatsoever. Coming from farms and cities across the land, the success of the DE Program is a tribute to their adaptability and determination. She is also a good example of the type of ship construction which enabled U.S. shipyards to produce an enormous number of ships efficiently, quickly and economically during the early stages of World War II. Located between two oceans. The U.S. would have been virtually helpless had its Navy not been quickly rebuilt after the disaster at Pearl Harbor. Finally, the visual presentation of USS Stewart's physical characteristics makes it easy for visitors to understand how she was operated. She was a specially designed vessel with a specific mission. A visit aboard quickly reveals the elements of her design that made her an effective Anti-submarine warship.

The Stewart is a good example of the type of ship construction which enabled U.S. shipyards to produce an enormous number of ships efficiently, quickly and economically during the early stages of World War II. As a rare intact example of a destroyer escort, one of only two remaining in the United States, the ship is nominated under Criteria A and C in the areas of military and architecture, at the national level of significance

In summary, the USS Stewart, DE238 is worthy of a place on the National Register of Historic Places because it is one of only two examples of these small effective ships left in the US, the other being the USS Slater at the Port of Albany, New York (listed at the national level of significance, 1998). Certainly, all naval ships involved in WWII did heroic duty. But the DEs were more than warships involved in general naval warfare; the Stewart is part of a group of very special small ships, designed and built to eliminate a major obstacle to the Allied success in Europe. Surely, the uniqueness of its mission warrants special historical commemoration.

Street address: Seawolf Park Galveston, TX USA 77550 County / Borough / Parish: Galveston Year listed: 2007 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event Periods of significance: 1925-1949 Historic function: Defense: Naval Facility = Destroyer Escort Current function: Recreation and Culture: Museum Privately owned?: yes Hours of operation: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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