Stone, Lester F.

Historical or Biographical Note

Company History: Stone & Swann boatyard; Stone & Van Bergen boatyard; W.F. Stone & Son boatyard; and Stone Boat Yard. Between 1853 and 1970 three generations of the Stone family built more than 225 wooden boats on the shores of San Francisco Bay. After 1970, Stone Boat Yard continued to operate until 2004 under various proprietors. Beginning in about 1937 Jack Ehrhorn (1919-2005) was a master shipwright; he became operations foreman at the W.F. Stone & Son boatyard where he developed a reputation as one of the west coast's premier craftsmen and builders. Jack Ehrhorn preserved the W.F. Stone & Son records that form the core of this collection.

William I. Stone emigrated from Dartmouth, England and established a boatyard in the Hunter's Point area of San Francisco in 1853, where he specialized in building small commercial boats as well as racing and recreational yachts. He was in business until 1892, and he died in 1914.

W.I. Stone's eldest son, William Frank Stone (1868-1923; known as Frank Stone) opened a boatbuilding yard on Beach Street in Tiburon in 1893, in partnership with someone only identified as Swann. Between 1893 and 1898, the Stone & Swann boatyard specialized in building yachts, smaller gas power launches, and row boats. Vessels built and repaired at this location are represented in Series 1 of this collection.

In 1899 Frank Stone moved his operations to Harbor View, San Francisco, and opened a partnership with Edgar N. Van Bergen. In 1911, Stone & Van Bergen was evicted from this location because the planning and construction of the 1915 Pan Pacific Exposition. Vessels built and repaired at this location are represented in Series 2 of this collection.

After being evicted from the Harbor View site in 1911, Frank Stone moved his operations to Oakland, at the foot of Diesel Way and Kennedy Streets, adjacent to the Union Diesel Engine company. His son, Lester F. Stone (1892-1975) was formally brought into the family business at this time, and the business name changed to W.F. Stone & Son. When Frank Stone died in 1923, Lester Stone became the sole proprietor. After finishing his apprenticeship in the late 1930s, Jack Ehrhorn was hired by Lester Stone to work in the Oakland yard as the lofts-man, master shipwright, and crew foreman. Following the entry of the United States into World War II and the subsequent expansion of Union Diesel, W.F. Stone & Son was evicted from the Oakland yard and moved across the estuary to Alameda. Vessels built and repaired at the Oakland yard are represented in Series 3 of this collection.

From its new location on Blanding Avenue in Alameda, W.F. Stone & Son boatyard built mine sweepers, sub chasers and fire tugs for the U.S. Navy during the War. From 1946 until Lester Stone's retirement in 1970, Jack Ehrhorn and Lester Stone worked collaboratively to design and build the expertly crafted recreational and racing yachts for which the yard was renowned. By the late 1960s, however, the custom yacht building business was fading. Lester Stone retired in 1970 at the age of 78; he passed away in 1975. Vessels built and repaired at this location under the W.F. Stone & Sone business name are represented in Series 4 of this collection

After Lester Stone's death in 1975 the yard was sold at least two times, but continued doing business as Stone Boat Yard, thereby retaining the historical name and connotations. When the business declared bankruptcy in 1986 it was purchased by Bill and Grace Bodle, who refurbished the machinery and rehired some former employees, including Jack Ehrhorn. Stone Boat Yard closed in 2004. Jack Ehrhorn passed away in 2005. This period is represented in Series 5 of this collection.

Sources:

Robinson, Judith. 'Transcript of an oral history interview with Jack Ehrhorn.' 2005 June 2. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

O'Grady, Roberta Stone. 'Wooden shipbuilding in San Francisco Bay: one family's story. A Memorial of the Stone family' Presentation at the Contra Costa Hiking Club annual meeting, 2010 March 21. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Brooks, Douglas. 'The Stone Boatyard: Three Generations of quality,' Wooden Boat # 109 (November / December 1992). pp 60-68

Saint Francisco Yacht Club. History at http://www.stfyc.com

Stone Boat Yard Catalogue of Boats. Stone Boatyard Pamphlet File. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park

Crocker-Langley San Francisco City Directories (years 1908, 1910, 1911)

Heig, James (ed.) Pictoral History of Tiburon (San Francisco: 1984)