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William Lanson

Biography

United States

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Biography

William Lanson (born c. 1776-1782; died 1851) was an African-American man of New Haven, Connecticut remembered as an engineer and builder, and as a leader of New Haven’s African-American community. Lanson built nearly 1500 feet of New Haven’s Long Wharf in 1810 and 1811, bringing it nearly to its longest length, ultimately 3480 feet, the longest in the United States at that time.

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Biography text · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

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