Harlan & Hollingsworth Shipbuilding & Railroad, Wilmington Riverfront Delaware – Antique Steel Engraving, 1890

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Original 19th-century hand colored steel engraving depicting the Harlan & Hollingsworth Company of Wilmington, Delaware, one of the nation’s important … Read more Original 19th-century hand colored steel engraving depicting the Harlan & Hollingsworth Company of Wilmington, Delaware, one of the nation’s important early iron shipbuilding and railroad-car manufacturers.

The engraving features two detailed panoramic views of the company's extensive Wilmington works. The upper image, “View of the Harlan & Hollingsworth Company’s Iron-Ship Building Establishment,” shows the bustling waterfront shipyard with vessels under construction, workshops, docks, and steamships along the Christina River. Below is a sweeping bird’s-eye view of the company’s Railroad Car Works, including factory buildings, rail lines, locomotives, and the surrounding industrial landscape.

Founded in Wilmington in 1836, Harlan & Hollingsworth became particularly significant for its pioneering work in American iron shipbuilding while also producing railroad cars and other heavy industrial equipment.

This is essentially today’s Wilmington Riverfront, along the Christina River. The Harlan & Hollingsworth complex occupied approximately 43 acres between the Pennsylvania Railroad and the river, centered around the West and Water Streets area. Much of this former industrial landscape has since been transformed into Wilmington’s redeveloped Riverfront district, giving the engraving a fascinating then-and-now connection to the modern city.

An especially appealing piece of Wilmington and Delaware history, combining maritime, railroad, industrial, and local history in one highly detailed period view.

Dimensions: 18 × 24 inches See less