George Lawley & Son George Lawley & Son was a shipbuilding firm operating in Massachusetts from 1866 to 1945 . It began in Scituate , then moved to Boston . After founder George Lawley ( 1823 – 1915 ) retired in 1890 , his son , grandson and great - grandson upheld the business , which continued until 1945 . Of the hundreds of ships built by the Lawleys , highlights include the yachts " Puritan " and " Mayflower " , respective winners of the 1885 and 1886 America ' s Cup . Brief history . Founder George Lawley ( 1823 – 1915 ) was born to a " family of boatbuilders in Limehouse ( London ) , England . " He " began his career as an apprentice to Thomas and William Forrest while in England . " In 1852 Lawley " moved his family to Massachusetts . " He " found his first job in America with the East Boston ship designer , Donald McKay . " Lawley worked for McKay from 1852 until 1866 . Scituate , 1866 - 1874 . < / ref > < / ref > In 1866 , " Lawley and fellow [ McKay ] worker William Maybury opened a shipyard in Scituate . . . for the construction of pleasure boats . " When George ' s son George Frederick Lawley ( 1848 – 1928 ) " joined the business . . . the company name became George Lawley and Son . " South Boston , 1874 - ca . 1909 . " In 1874 the yachting boom struck , and the firm transferred its yard to a more advantageous location near the city , a fairly large lot next to the Boston Yacht Club station at City Point in South Boston . " The city directory of 1875 locates George Lawley & Son at the " rear Horse Car Stables . " " Within a few years , the demand for new yachts became so great that the plant was moved to the north side of City Point . " From ca . 1887 through ca . 1892 the city directory locates the firm at East First and O Street , South Boston . " In 1890 the Lawleys associated with them Mr . Thomas Hibbard , who looked after the construction of the new steel shops . The business was then incorporated . . . . Mr . George Lawley , founder of the business , practically retired from active participation in the enterprise . Mr . George F . Lawley was elected president of the corporation . " " In 1901 the Lawleys began working for the United States Navy and launched two torpedo boats . In the years to come they would continue the association , especially during the World War I . " George ' s grandson , Frederick D . Lawley ( 1878 – 1953 ) , " studied naval architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and subsequently joined the company as manager and designer " around 1902 . By 1908 , the firm had built over 800 ships , including " schooners Alcaea , Ingomar , Oonas , Idler , Latona , Endymion ; the sloops Jubilee , Weetamoe , Wayward , Katonah , Independence ; the steam yachts Alcedo , Aquilo , Satilla , Thetis , Kaleda , Carmina , Calumet , Anona , Visitor , Cigarette , Kehtoh , and Halawa ; the three - masted auxiliary schooner Alcyone ; the motor launches Zeeland , Elkhorn , Tonopah , Glenda , and Hupa . " The firm employed " 200 to 400 hands , the majority of whom are highly - skilled mechanics . " Dorchester , ca . 1909 - 1946 . Around 1908 - 1910 , the firm " was practically crowded out of its City Point yard . . . by an overflow of work , and inability to expand , so the plant was moved across Dorchester Bay to the old Putnam Nail Works at Neponset . " " In 1921 the " Guinevere " was built at the Neponset yard . It was the first yacht ever fitted with Diesel oil engines motoring her electric Westinghouse equipment which propelled the boat , hoisted the sails , lighted , heated and " cooked " the craft , and twirled the big gyroscope which keeps the boat on even keel . " Neponset World War 2 Production . " In 1926 , George , Frederick and George II ( b . 1901 ) left the company and set up F . D . Lawley in Quincy , Massachusetts . " The firm of George Lawley & Son continued on in Neponset until it ceased in 1945 - 1946 . During WW2 , the Neponset George Lawley and Son shipyard was instrumental in helping to design and build over 100 Landing Craft Infantry ( Large ) ships . The Lawley shipyard was the primary design yard and their drawings were shared by 9 other U . S . shipyards all building LCI ( L ) for the war effort . Lawley ' s Neponset shipyard was also asked by the U . S . Navy to pioneer the design and development of Landing Craft Support ships . The LCS ( L ) 3 ships , ( " Mighty Midgets " ) used the same hull and propulsion systems as the LCI ( L ) , but had no facilities for landing troops on the beach . These well armed ships were requested by the US Navy in response to a need for a shallow draft ship that could approach the beaches and give substantial direct naval gunfire support ( NGFS ) to the newly landed troops . This request came about after the US Marine Corps invasion of Tarawa , where there was an absence of close - in gunfire support of this type . Lawley built around 50 of these LCS ships and shared the design with Commercial Iron Works and Albina Engine and Machine Works shipyards , both in Portland , Oregon . A total of 130 LCS ( L ) 3 ships were built during WW2 .