National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Boston National Historical Park Charlestown Navy Yard Charlestown Navy Yard Historic Resource Study Volume 3 of 3 2010 Front Cover: This aerial photograph of the Charlestown Navy Yard was taken by Airphoto of Wayland, Mass., on Apr. 10, 1971. At this time, the Charlestown Navy Yard was still a fairly busy facility, with all three dry docks being occupied and a variety of ships found at the yard’s piers. The LSD at Pier 7 West is possibly USS Pensacola (LSD-38), commissioned at the yard in March 1971. BOSTS-13344 Charlestown Navy Yard Historic Resource Study by Stephen P. Carlson Volume 3 of 3 Produced by the Division of Cultural Resources Boston National Historical Park National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Boston, MA 2010 Boston National Historical Park Charlestown Navy Yard Boston, MA 02129 www.nps.gov/bost Publication Credits: Other than U.S. Navy images which are in the public domain, photographs and graphics may not be reproduced for re-use without the permission of the owners or repositories noted in the captions. Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data Carlson, Stephen P., 1948- Charlestown Navy Yard historic resource study / by Stephen P. Carlson. v. cm. “Produced by the Division of Cultural Resources, Boston National Historical Park, National Park Service.” Includes bibliographical references and index. 1. Boston Naval Shipyard (Boston, Mass.)—History. 2. Charlestown Navy Yard (Mass.)—History. 3. Boston National Historical Park (Bos- ton, Mass.). 4. Historic buildings—Massachusetts—Boston. 5. Bos- ton (Mass.)—Buildings, structures, etc. I. Boston National Historical Park (Boston, Mass.). Division of Cultural Resources. II. Title. [VA70.B68C37x 2010] Contents Volume 1 of 3 Statement Of Significance, Charlestown Navy Yard .................... iii Contents ....................................................................................... v Figures & Tables .......................................................................... vi Galleries & Sidebars .................................................................... vii Illustrations & Style ..................................................................... ix Acknowledgments ....................................................................... xi Chapter 1 – Management Summary .............................................. 1 Chapter 2 – Historical Overview ................................................... 9 Chapter 3 – South Boston Annex.............................................. 279 Chapter 4 – Overview And Assessment ................................... 359 Volume 2 of 3 Chapter 5 – Resource Inventory ............................................... 395 Volume 3 of 3 Appendix A – Chronology .......................................................1077 Appendix B – Ships Built By The Navy Yard...........................1159 Appendix C – Navy Yard Collections.......................................1175 Appendix D – Glossary ............................................................1193 Appendix E – Bibliography ......................................................1227 Appendix F – Existing Conditions Drawings ...........................1239 Index ........................................................................................1245 – iii – Appendix A Chronology HIS CHRONOLOGY presents events relating to the his- 1775 tory of the Charlestown Navy Yard. Events are arranged in June 17 British troops landed in Charlestown to assault Colonial Tincreasing order of specificity (i.e., events during a year are fortifications on Breed’s Hill; town of Charlestown burned listed before events for which a quarter or month is known, and during the battle. events during a month are listed before events occurring on a spe- cific date in the month). 1794 Completion dates shown for facilities construction projects are Mar. 27 Naval Armament Act of 1794 signed; legislation autho- generally contract completion dates; when a single contract involved rized construction of six frigates and marked the birth of multiple facilities, individual structures may have been completed the U.S. Navy. and occupied at an earlier date (see dates shown in Table 5-1). Build- 1797 ing numbers for pre-1870 structures are those assigned in 1868. With a few exceptions where the keel-laying or commissioning Oct. 21 USS Constitution launched at Hartt’s Shipyard, Boston. date is significant, ship construction is listed by the date of launch- 1798 ing. Full details of shipbuilding are given in Appendix B. Apr. 30 Department of the Navy established with Benjamin Contextual events are shown in blue. Events relating to the Stoddert as first Secretary of the Navy. South Boston Annex/Boston Army Base are shown in red, while those relating to facilities in East Boston, Chelsea, and elsewhere 1799 are shown in violet. Events relating to USS Constitution and USS Feb. 25 Act authorizing construction of six 74-gun ships-of-the- Cassin Young are shown in green and brown, respectively. line signed; act used as authority for the establishment of navy yards. 1625 Oct. 2 Washington Navy Yard established. — Thomas and Jane Walford became the first British settlers 1800 in what is now Charlestown; a major influx of inhabitants Apr. 25 Secretary of the Navy Stoddert recommended to Presi- occurred in 1629 and 1630. dent John Adams that navy yards be established at Ports- 1742 mouth, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, and Norfolk. June 1 The Friendship Club, forerunner of the Boston Marine May 9 President Adams approved location of Boston Navy Yard Society, extablished. in Charlestown. 1754 June 2 Secretary of the Navy Stoddert commissioned Dr. Aaron Feb. 2 Boston Marine Society chartered. Putnam to purchase the land for the Navy Yard on behalf of the government. June 12 Portsmouth Navy Yard established at Kittery, Mass. June 15 Norfolk Navy Yard established at Gosport, Va. June 17 Massachusetts General Court approved an act authoriz- ing the United States to purchase land for the Charlestown Navy Yard. Aug. 26 First purchase of land for Charlestown Navy Yard (from Richard Boylston) completed; date is regarded as the es- tablishment date for the yard; additional purchases would continue through Apr. 1801. Nov. 12 Secretary of the Navy Stoddert directed the Naval Agent in Boston to move all naval timber and other property from Hartt’s Shipyard to the Navy Yard. “View of the Attack on Bunker’s Hill, with the Burning of Charles Town, June 17, 1775.” This engraving by Lodge after a drawing by Millar was 1801 prepared for Edward Barnard’s New, Comprehensive and Complete His- Jan. 10 Town of Charlestown agreed to abandon public streets tory of England published in London in 1783. The area in the foreground within the limits of the Navy Yard. where British troops landed for their assault on colonial positions was later Feb. 7 New York Navy Yard established at Brooklyn, N.Y. chosen as the site for the Navy Yard. NARA 148-GW-448 – 1077 – Charlestown Navy Yard Historic Resource Study Mar. 3 Philadelphia Navy Yard established. Mar 3 Naval Appropriations Act for FY 1801 provided first funds “for completing navy yards, docks, and wharves,” effec- tively ratifying the decision to establish navy yards. Apr. 3 Final purchase of land (from Aaron Putnam) for the Navy Yard occurred. May 14 Tripoli declared war on the United States. June 12 Capt. Samuel Nicholson appointed first Superintendent of the Navy Yard. July 13 Secretary of the Navy Henry Dearborn authorized the con- struction of a 1,000-foot-long Cobb Wharf; work was con- tracted to Nathaniel Nottage and William Mills. 1802 Apr. 1 Osgood Carleton commissioned to prepare first map and The Marine Hospital building, located at the northeast corner of the Navy plan for the Navy Yard. Yard, is seen in this ca. 1805 watercolor by Tourges. The west wing and Apr. 6 Naval Agent Samuel Brown transmitted Carleton’s plan to a part of the main structure were destroyed by fire on Feb. 28, 1818. Washington and reported that there were six structures Following the transfer of the property back to the Navy, the remainder of on the property: a Timber Storage Shed, a Saw Pit & Water the structure was demolished and Quarters L-M-N-O constructed on the site. Massachusetts Historical Society Cask Storage Shed, a Marine Barracks (formerly a Lime Shed), a Carpenters Shop, a Blacksmith Shop, and a La- 1804 borers Quarters; the latter two structures predated the July 13 Secretary Smith forwarded plans for Commandant’s House establishment of the yard. (Quarters G) to the yard. May 20 Construction of second Timber Shed approved by Secre- tary of the Navy Robert Smith. 1805 May 21 Permanent Marine Corps detachment assigned to the June 4 Treaty ending war with Tripoli signed. Navy Yard. Summer Commandant’s House (Quarters G) completed and occu- June 21 Secretary Smith approved the transfer of five acres of land pied by Capt. Nicholson. at the yard to the Treasury Department for use as a Ma- 1808 rine Hospital. Sept. 19 Secretary Smith approved construction of an Army bat- Summer Cobb Wharf completed, creating first Timber Dock, which tery at the Navy Yard. measured approximately 9.75 acres. July 14 Former Lime Shed turned over to Marine Corps for use as 1809 a Marine Barracks. Aug. Half-Moon Battery completed and manned by U.S. Army. Oct. 27 Construction of wooden Storehouse approved by Secre- Oct. Magazine K and Gun House completed in lower yard; tary Smith; this structure was completed in 1803. facilities were shared