The St. Johns River Shipbuilding Company was created in Jacksonville, Florida during World War II to build Liberty ships.

[1] The company was established by local shipbuilder and repairer Merrill-Stevens with $17 million invested by the United States Maritime Commission.

[2] The company began operations in April 1942.

The workforce grew from an initial 258 to 7,000 by August 1942, and to 20,000 by 1944.

[3] The yard was one of those "owned outright" by the Maritime Commission, with total investment estimated at $16,145,471 plus $1,375,010 for land.