National Historic Landmark

U.S.S. NAUTILUS (submarine)

Groton, New London County, Connecticut
Listed
May 15, 1979
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
79002653

About this property

USS Nautilus (SSN-571) was the world's first nuclear-powered boat, nuclear-powered submarine, and the first submarine to complete a submerged transit of the North Pole on 3 August 1958. Her initial commanding officer was Eugene "Dennis" Wilkinson, a widely respected naval officer who set the stage for many of the protocols of today's Nuclear Navy in the US, and who had a storied career during military service and afterwards. Nautilus shares the name of the fictional submarine in Jules Verne's classic 1870 science fiction novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas and the USS Nautilus (SS-168) that served with distinction in World War II. The Nautilus was authorized in 1951. Construction began in 1952, and it was launched in January 1954, sponsored by Mamie Eisenhower, wife of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. It was commissioned the following September into the United States Navy and was delivered to the Navy in 1955. Her nuclear propulsion allowed her to remain submerged far longer than diesel-electric submarines, and she broke many records in her first years of operation and traveled to locations previously beyond the limits of submarines. In operation, she revealed a number of limitations in her design and construction, and this information was used to improve subsequent submarines. Nautilus was decommissioned in 1980 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1982. She has been preserved as a museum ship at the Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, Connecticut, where she receives around 250,000 visitors per year.

Location

Groton, New London County, Connecticut
41.38712, -72.08828

Categories

MILITARYENGINEERINGTRANSPORTATIONINVENTION
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Thames Shipyard
Industrial
0.7 mi
Perkins-Bill House
Industrial
0.9 mi
Ames, Winslow, House
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1 mi
House at 130 Mohegan Avenue
Industrial
1.1 mi
Deshon-Allyn House
Industrial
1.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was U.S.S. NAUTILUS (submarine) listed on the National Register?

U.S.S. NAUTILUS (submarine) was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 15, 1979.

What type of historic resource is U.S.S. NAUTILUS (submarine)?

U.S.S. NAUTILUS (submarine) is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is U.S.S. NAUTILUS (submarine) a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. U.S.S. NAUTILUS (submarine) has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for U.S.S. NAUTILUS (submarine)?

The period of significance for U.S.S. NAUTILUS (submarine) is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near U.S.S. NAUTILUS (submarine)?

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