The contract to build her was awarded to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton , Connecticut , on 14 August 2003 . Construction began in January 2004 . A keel-laying ceremony for the submarine was held at Electric Boat 's Quonset Point facility in North Kingstown , Rhode Island , on 30 April 2007 . The ship 's sponsor was Cheryl McGuinness of Portsmouth , New Hampshire , the widow of Thomas McGuinness , co-pilot of American Airlines Flight 11 , who died in the September 11 , 2001 attacks when the jet was flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center
American Airlines Flight 11
American Airlines Flight 11
USS New Hampshire (SSN-778)