Boston Navy Yard (also known as Charlestown Navy Yard and Boston Naval Shipyard) is a former shipyard in the Charlestown section of Boston in Massachusetts, United States. One of the first shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy, it operated from 1800 until 1 July 1974. The National Park Service (NPS) controls of the decommissioned yard as part of Boston National Historical Park. Three other sections, totaling about , are owned by the Boston Planning & Development Agency (BPDA). The site is a National Historic Landmark.
Plans for the yard date from 1799, soon after the Navy was established. Shipbuilding began in 1812, and a master plan in 1828 influenced the yard's mid-19th century development. The complex was modernized for the American Civil War but declined in the late 19th century as maintenance was deferred. Extensive upgrades again took place in the 1890s and 1930s. The complex became known as Boston Naval Shipyard in its final quarter-century, repairing vessels rather than building new ones. After decommissioning, the NPS and the BPDA's predecessor Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) acquired the yard. Renovation of existing buildings, and some new construction, took place in phases from the late 20th century onward, while many older buildings were redeveloped.
The yard retains more than two dozen buildings from its military era, designed in a variety of styles. These buildings, which include the Charlestown Ropewalk, Commandant's House, and Marine Barracks, have mainly been redeveloped for office, commercial, and residential use. Open spaces include a Marine parade ground and Shipyard Park. The yard also includes several gates, a street grid, eleven piers, three dry docks, and remnants of a former railroad system. Two ships are docked at the yard: Constitution (1797) and Cassin Young (1943). In the 20th century, the yard had several annexes, including South Boston Naval Annex.
Military history
Creation
Before the Boston Navy Yard complex was developed, the plot was in the then-separate town of Charlestown, settled in 1629. It was mostly undeveloped marsh or pasture, with some buildings at the current yard's southwest corner, and may have been used by both American Patriot Paul Revere and British forces during the American Revolutionary War. The Navy was founded with the Naval Act of 1794, under which six frigates were to be built, each at a different new shipyard. Joshua Humphreys, the frigates' contractor, visited New England in 1799–1800 to investigate sites for a shipyard. Humphreys suggested a marshy site in Charlestown, near a mansion owned by Aaron Putnam, where he said could be obtained for $19,350. President John Adams agreed on 9 May 1800 to build a shipyard at Charlestown. Charlestown was among the United States Navy's original six shipyards, along with Brooklyn, Norfolk, Philadelphia, Portsmouth, and Washington navy yards. Putnam was tasked with studying the feasibility of acquiring land in the area. land acquisition for the initial phase of construction began on 26 August 1800. The initial acquisition was completed on 3 April 1801, comprising ten land lots. This gave the Navy a site of , at a cost of $37,348. Employment generally peaked during wars (except for the Vietnam War) and decreased during peacetime.
19th century
1800s to 1820s
thumb|The Commandant's House, among the earliest structures built at Charlestown Navy Yard
Samuel Nicholson, the yard's first commandant, oversaw limited improvements to the complex, which began in 1802. The first wharf was among the earliest structures built; The site was little used before the War of 1812, The Treasury Department leased at the yard's northeastern corner in 1802 for a marine hospital, and the War Department occupied a laboratory. That year, a Marine Corps detachment began guarding the yard and constructed their first barracks there. Quarters G, the commandant's house, was constructed in 1805 as the yard's first residence. Modifications to Quarters G, conducted two years later, marked the earliest repairs to the yard. In 1809, the U.S. Army completed a gunhouse and a firearms magazine that it shared with the Navy, and shortly thereafter, a boundary fence was built between the Army and Navy facilities. The original Marine barracks was replaced with a brick structure in 1810–1811, and a parade ground was built simultaneously.
By 1812, a report by Commandant William Bainbridge found the complex in poor condition. The yard contained Quarters G and I; a blacksmith's shop; various other offices, residences, and storage structures; and a boat landing and wharf. A slipway for manufacturing ships was planned, but construction was deferred for a lack of funds. after Congress finally provided an appropriation for Charlestown Navy Yard. The slipway was enclosed by a shiphouse in late 1813 but was blown apart and replaced within a year. In the mid-1810s, defensive weaponry was installed at the entrances, and a perimeter fence was added. With retrenchment after the war, the Board of Navy Commissioners considered moving all the Navy's storehouses to Charlestown (which never occurred) and erecting a dry dock there. During 1817, the Navy built Quarters A (the porter's and guard's residence) and moved the fence following a land swap. A new spar shed The Navy also acquired land on the western boundary, relandscaped that site, and added outbuildings. It obtained further land in the Lower Yard from the Army in 1821. Afterward, the Navy also sought to take over the Marine Hospital, with which he remained involved for nearly two decades. Also in the 1820s, Parris designed a carriage house; and a shipbuilding ways and a third shiphouse were built. Other upgrades in the late 1820s included a new artillery battery and re-landscaping of the area near Salem Turnpike.
Meanwhile, the U.S. executive branch had begun thorough studies of the country's navy yards in 1826; Baldwin was appointed as chief engineer for the Charlestown Navy Yard study. It recommended removing several buildings and adding a dry dock, shipbuilding way, and street grid, along with several ultimately-unbuilt canals. Most of the existing buildings to date were grouped in two areas, while marshland and a creek took up the remaining site. The administration of President Andrew Jackson studied the country's seven navy yards in 1829, finding that the Charlestown yard could not be eliminated "without injury to the naval service".
1830s to 1850s
thumb|The Charlestown Ropewalk (depicted here in 1852) was built in 1837.
The Upper Quarters, housing non-commissioned officers, was completed in 1833. Due to granite shortages and inclement weather, work on the dry dock (later Dry Dock 1 it was finally inaugurated on 24 June 1833. With Dry Dock 1's completion, steam-powered equipment was introduced to the yard, Jackson approved plans for the Charlestown Ropewalk in 1834. The ropewalk, approval of which followed years of negotiations, During that decade, Congress also gave the U.S. Marine Corps permission to acquire land for a new barracks near the Navy Yard, which never happened. and initially supplied rope for the entire Navy. Other buildings, including hemp, tar, and engine houses, were built to support the ropewalk's operations. By later that decade, the new Dry Dock 1 was already too small for ships such as Fulton. The perimeter wall was also expanded to surround the entire yard, and another entrance was built. By then, Charlestown Navy Yard was a major facility for the Navy, maintaining the Navy's wooden-hulled ships. Only one wharf could accommodate long ships, so the Navy added two more wharves during that decade, each with various ancillary buildings. Ten ships involved in the war were serviced at Charlestown, and successive commandants remodeled the grounds around their house.
By the early 1850s, Gleason's Pictorial described Charlestown Navy Yard as having three shiphouses, two storehouses, a parade grounds, and a landscape with tree-lined avenues. Charlestown Navy Yard remained a busy facility a new Gate 4, allowing the yard to install and repair ship engines. The yard was retrofitted with natural gas illumination the next year. The Navy also renovated numerous buildings, lengthened the fences, paved more roads, and landscaped the yard.
1860s and 1870s
Activity increased again during the American Civil War (1861–1865). The yard built 17, launched 23, and converted 40 vessels for wartime use, in addition to repairing over a hundred more vessels. Various temporary buildings were constructed at the yard. and installed hydrants, replacing older wells. Other new facilities during the war included a heavy hammer house, The Navy also acquired White's Wharf and two buildings west of the existing complex. Ship construction proceeded slowly, and in 1866 the Navy canceled work on the remaining incomplete vessels. The yard was downgraded to an equipment and recruit facility. By 1868, the U.S. House of Representatives was considering closing the yard, citing its limited area and the region's increasing demand for industrial waterfront space. The next year, a U.S. Navy board proposed a new master plan that included constructing three dry docks, various shops, and residential quarters; moving the ropewalk to the Chelsea Naval Hospital; and obtaining the Mystic Flats to the east. Through that decade, Charlestown Navy Yard declined as maintenance lagged, though the yard remained an important repair and ropemaking facility. By then, the public could enter the yard except on Sundays. Upgrades in the early 1870s included a new shiphouse, a scale house, and an experimental timber-bending mill. The complex had four wooden wharves, which needed constant upkeep. The yard became part of Boston in 1874, when that city annexed Charlestown. The Navy installed a wood treatment plant in 1877, the functionality of which The New York Times called questionable at best.
1880s and 1890s
thumb|Map of Charlestown Navy Yard in 1892
Four workshops and three storage sheds were built during the 1880s. and an 1880 fire damaged several buildings near the ropewalk. An attempt to close the yard in 1882 elicited outcry. Local residents disputed the U.S. government's ownership of the land, though the Navy said all previous landowners had given up their ownership claims. Afterward, the ropewalk was the main facility keeping the yard open. In 1887, Charlestown became a "general manufacturing yard" for equipment, specializing particularly in anchors, sails, rope, and chains. By then, employment had increased again to 260.
Some wharves were repaired during the late 1880s, and repairs of both civilian craft and older naval vessels took place. Two-fifths of the complex's 88 buildings were wooden structures (many dating from the Civil War), and entire sections of the complex were unusable. Significant upgrades finally took place from the 1890s onward, though one historian retrospectively called these improvements slapdash and sometimes fleeting. At the time, the yard was organized into eight departments and also included a receiving ship, prison, and Marine detachment. Congress allocated $152,000 in 1890, which was used to upgrade several buildings. Initially, appropriations were allocated only for minor repairs,
Congressional legislation for a new dry dock was introduced in 1894; by then, Navy Yard officials perceived the existing Dry Dock 1 as too small. The yard's overcrowded naval prison was upgraded that year, and employment gradually increased. and public access was temporarily restricted. The workforce tripled from 500 to 1,500. It also awarded a contract to build Dry Dock 2, construction of which was delayed by accidents and the contractor's bankruptcy. The complex still had difficulties repairing the Navy's newest vessels, Further legislation in 1899 provided funding for four dry docks nationwide; the legislation allowed up to one granite dry dock, which Secretary John Davis Long decided should be built at Boston.
Early 20th century
thumb|1912 map of Boston Navy Yard (top) and neighboring Mystic Wharf (bottom)
In the early 20th century, the complex was modernized to accommodate larger, diesel-powered vessels and destroyers. In addition to the new dry dock and piers, about 80 buildings were added from 1898 to 1931, After World War I, the Navy acquired several annexes, including Lockwood's Basin and South Boston Naval Annex. Boston Navy Yard's commandant also supervised facilities in nearby towns, including Chelsea Naval Hospital and ammunition and niter storage depots. which then employed about 2,000 people. The Navy carried out upgrades, including rebuilding the railroad system, constructing a utility tunnel, and adding electric and telephone service. Existing piers were expanded or rebuilt, The reconstruction of Pier 1 had required the demolition of several structures, and the Navy built a coaling plant and a radio tower there. The Navy also renumbered the piers and the street grid. while outdoor ordnance-storage "parks" in the Upper Yard were replaced with tennis courts. the carpenter's shop subsequently burned in 1910. These structures, which comprised three-quarters of new construction before 1914, and assorted structures such as workshops, a pitch house, and a toilet. Dry Dock 2 opened in 1905, and an associated pump house, docks, and crane tracks were completed at that time. Buildings such as the equipment and machine shops were modified, Additions in the early 1910s included a wireless station tower and an officer's quarters. However, the yard was working at only one-fourth capacity, and the Navy had considered closing it. The onset of World War I quintupled employment between 1915 and 1919, during which the workforce grew from 2,500 to 12,844. Boston Navy Yard became a significant site for the conversion of civilian vessels to military use. It was also a supply depot and port of embarkation, used by 50 vessels daily on average. The Navy developed 36 structures (including seven temporary structures) during that time. A marine railway, used for hull inspections, was constructed in 1918–1919. Other structures completed in the late 1910s included a bandstand, After the war, the Navy planned to continue operations at Boston Navy Yard.
1920s and 1930s
Relatively little work took place immediately following World War I, The yard's staff, which numbered 5,865 that year, was reduced to less than 3,000 by 1922. and after the yard completed Whitney two years later, shipbuilding also subsided. Modifications during the 1920s consisted mostly of repairs and machinery installations, along with some recreational facilities. the perimeter wall was partly replaced, and some wooden piers were rebuilt. New buildings during the late 1920s included a pump house though the Navy was also considering closing the yard by then. The closure did not occur at the time, but the threat remained for years. most destroyers were built in Dry Dock 2 and completed in Dry Dock 1, while ship repairs were conducted ashore. The National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 enabled the Navy to finance ship construction and upgrade some facilities. From the mid-1930s onward, Works Progress Administration (WPA) forces extensively overhauled the complex. On the waterfront, they rebuilt several buildings; repaired the dry docks, marine railway, and Pier 1; and constructed a gas station and pipe shop. The complex's railroad was rebuilt again. Shipyard workers established a newsletter in 1936,