240 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1944 
Commission, and for private companies and individuals, this practice 
fulfilling the requirements of the act which created the establishment. 
The construction of the Taylor Model Basin was authorized by Act 
of Congress of May 6, 1936. This act gave authority for the purchase 
of a suitable site and the construction of a new model basin establish- 
ment for the United States Navy. This was to replace and extend the 
work of the original Experimental Model Basin which had been in 
service at the Washington Navy Yard for nearly 40 years. The old 
experimental basin had become too small to carry out its work for the 
Navy and private individuals, and its equipment was, moreover, be- 
coming obsolete. 
To commemorate the work of that officer who had been responsible 
for the original Experimental Model Basin and under whom that basin 
had operated for the greater part of its existence, the Secretary of the 
Navy directed that the new establishment be known as “The David W. 
Taylor Model Basin” in honor of Rear Admiral David Watson Taylor, 
Construction Corps, United States Navy, Retired, former Chief Con- 
structor of the Navy. 
The location chosen for the new establishment was in the valley of 
the Potomac some 12 miles from the center of Washington. This site 
was selected not only because land was available but principally be- 
cause three basic requirements were fulfilled. First, solid rock was 
at the surface in this location; this meant that the foundations for the 
rails of the towing carriages of the basins could be carried down to 
solid rock and the extremely accurate alignment needed could be prac- 
tically guaranteed. Second, an ample supply of clean fresh water 
necessary for the testing basins was available, since the main conduits 
to Washington were close at hand. Finally, the location was away 
from heavy traffic which might disturb the alignment of the towing- 
carriage rails and their foundations, but it was still fairly close to the 
Navy Department which permitted easy communication and frequent 
visits. 
The new establishment was planned and laid out by Capt. H. E. 
Saunders, who had been stationed at the old Experimental Model 
Basin for a number of years. Based on long experience there and 
reports from model basins the world over, the new model basin was 
planned to provide not only the best and most up-to-date facilities and 
equipment for model testing, but in such size and capacity as to ensure, 
as far as could be foreseen, that it would meet all needs of the Navy for 
many years to come. 
The actual design was undertaken in 1933-34 by the Bureau of 
Yards and Docks of the Navy Department and construction was 
started in September 1937. The basins were filled with water in March 
1939 and the plant was completed in July of that year. Because of the 
