▁the ▁town ▁and ▁before ▁the ▁dock yard ▁was ▁thought ▁of , ▁various ▁sales ▁and ▁ex changes ▁took ▁place ▁between ▁the ▁principal ▁local ▁land own ers ▁– ▁the ▁Adams , ▁O wen ▁and ▁Mey rick ▁families . ▁These ▁ex changes ▁left ▁the ▁Mey r icks ▁in ▁control ▁of ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁on ▁which ▁the ▁dock yard ▁and ▁new ▁town ▁were ▁to ▁develop . ▁By ▁ 1 8 0 2 ▁the ▁P ater ch urch ▁buildings ▁were ▁mostly ▁ru ins . ▁ ▁Naval ▁dock y ards ▁▁ 1 7 5 8 ▁Naval ▁report ▁The ▁orig ins ▁of ▁naval ▁ship building ▁on ▁Mil ford ▁H aven ▁were ▁in ▁the ▁private ▁ship yard ▁of ▁Jacob s ▁on ▁the ▁north ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁water way . ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 7 5 7 , ▁the ▁Admir alty ▁sent ▁a ▁surve ying ▁deleg ation ▁to ▁the ▁haven , ▁which ▁prepared ▁a ▁report ▁for ▁Parliament ▁recomm ending , ▁" the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁Mil ford ▁dock ▁yard ". ▁No ▁such ▁place ▁as ▁Mil ford ▁existed ▁at ▁this ▁time , ▁just ▁the ▁village ▁of ▁Hub ber ston . ▁Second ly , ▁the ▁report ▁showed ▁early ▁signs ▁of ▁lo bb ying ▁existing , ▁with ▁the ▁scale ▁of ▁the ▁local ▁infrastr ucture ▁and ▁ship ▁building ▁activity ▁ex agger ated . ▁ ▁Mil ford ▁H aven ▁ ▁D ock yard ▁development ▁began ▁on ▁the ▁north ▁bank ▁of ▁the ▁water way . ▁By ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁village ▁and ▁the ▁lands ▁around ▁Hub ber ston ▁were ▁owned