United States Naval Districts

The naval district was a military and administrative command ashore. Apart from Naval District Washington, the Districts were renamed Navy Regions about 1999, and are now under Commander, Naval Installations Command (CNIC).

They were established for the purpose of decentralizing the U.S. Navy Department's functions with respect to the control of the coastwise sea communications and the shore activities outside the department proper, and for the further purpose of centralizing under one command:

The limits of the naval districts are laid down in article 1480, Navy Regulations. Those limits extend to seaward so far as to include the coastwise sea lanes (art. 1486 (1), Navy Regulations).

"Each naval district shall be commanded by a designated commandant, who is the direct representative of the Navy Department, including its bureaus and offices, in all matters affecting district activity" (Art. 1481, Navy Regulations.).

The boundaries of the First Naval District, to be headquartered at Portsmouth Navy Yard in Kittery, Maine (and later in Boston), were established on 7 May 1903 in accordance with General Order No. 128, signed by Acting Secretary of the Navy Charles H. Darling. Until late 1915 no personnel were assigned to the district staff. In 1945 the district was headquartered at Boston, Massachusetts, and consisted of the following geographic areas: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island (including Block Island). The First Naval District was disestablished on 7 October 1976 and control passed to the Fourth Naval District.

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