V I S I T O R S G U I Charlestown To download and print the corresponding map to this guide, please visit: www.citywalkingguide.com/maps D E
W ELCOME TO C HARLESTOWN! Native Americans established a settlement on the cape above the Charles River known as Mishawum. When European colonists arrived in 1624, they named the area Charlestown. As the first capital of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the community is the oldest neighborhood in Boston. The founders relocated the capital across the Charles River to access fresh water. Once a separate city, Charlestown was annexed by Boston in 1874. It was the starting point for Paul Revere s famous midnight ride and colonial soldiers waited atop a hill until they could see the whites of their eyes. Boston honors the Battle of Bunker Hill with a monument and a spectacular highway bridge. According to historians, the colonial soldiers actually fortified and defended Breed s Hill, which was closer to the city and its wharves. Much of Charlestown and its dockyards were destroyed during the battle, but some of its wharves would become the Charlestown Navy Yard and home to the USS Constitution. The oldest commissioned warship in the United States, the wooden vessel is a stop on the Freedom Trail along with the Bunker Hill Monument. Other popular attractions in Charlestown include the Phipps Street Burying Ground, the Bunker Hill Burying Ground and the U.S.S. Cassin Young, a WWII-era destroyer. The neighborhood is home to 19th century Gothic and Celtic style churches as well as the Training Field that honors Charlestown veterans with plaques and statues. Visitors can experience the community s vibrant Irish community that traces its origin to immigrants who moved to the area when the Potato Famine decimated Ireland in the mid-1800s. Charlestown hosts the nation s oldest semi-pro football team and served as the backdrop for the 2010 Ben Affleck movie The Town. - CityWalkingGuide 1. USS Constitution In 1790, President George Washington directed that six man-o -war be constructed to protect the country s burgeoning maritime industry. Built in master carpenter Edmund Hartt s shipyard in Boston and launched in 1797, the U.S.S. Constitution was one of these powerful frigates. George Washington named the warship in honor of the country s founding document. The vessel is more than 200 feet long and over 43 feet wide. This 44-gun vessel was crewed by over 450 sailors and marines who received daily rations that included grog, which was water mixed with rye whiskey. The vessel served with distinction off the Barbary Coast and against French privateers in the Caribbean. Known as Old Ironsides, she earned this famous moniker during the War of 1812. The Constitution defeated four British warships, including the 38-gun frigate HMS Guerriere, whose cannon balls bounced off the Constitution s 21- inch-thick oak hull. She circumnavigated the world and often served as the flagship of various naval squadrons. During the 1830s, the ship was in a state of disrepair and scheduled to be scrapped or allowed to sink at the dock. A poem entitled Old Ironsides by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr. galvanized the government to salvage the ship, which was partially restored again in 1906. Schoolchildren across the nation raised $154,000 of the $917,000 to fully restore the vessel in 1927. She was the first warship to use the newly constructed Dry Dock #1 in 1833. The US Naval Academy used the Constitution as a training vessel during the Civil War. Some of the earliest photographs of the ship were taken during this period. She carried valuable artworks to the Paris World Fair of 1878. The Charlestown Navy Yard has served as her homeport since 1934. Each year, the Constitution is towed into Boston Harbor, where she fires an honorary 21-gun salute. The cruise also enables the Navy to turn the ship around so that she weathers evenly. In 1997, the cruise took place under full sail in celebration of her 200th birthday. The last time that the vessel sailed under her own power was 1881. The Constitution was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. A fully commissioned US Navy warship, The Constitution is manned by a crew of active duty sailors. In 2004, the Guinness Book of World Records recognized the vessel as the world s oldest commissioned warship still afloat. The special effects engineers who worked on the movie Master and Commander: Far Side of the World used the Constitution as a model. Open to the public, the USS Constitution welcomes more than 100,000 visitors each year. She is berthed at Pier 1 of the Charlestown Navy Yard and is a stop on the Freedom Trail. 2. USS Cassin Young Captain Cassin Young was a US Naval Officer who was awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The captain was in command of the repair ship USS Vestal when explosions blew him into the burning water. He swam back to his ship, saved the severely damaged vessel and rescued 1
crewmembers from the USS Arizona. Captain Young was later killed in action during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal while in command of the heavy cruiser USS San Francisco. The US Navy named the USS Cassin Young (DD-793), a Fletcher-class destroyer, in his honor. Christened by the captain s widow, the destroyer was launched by the Bethlehem Steel Corporation in San Pedro, CA on September 12, 1943. The vessel served with distinction in several campaigns during the Second World War. These included raids against Japanese strongholds as well as the invasions of Saipan, Leyte and Iwo Jima. During the Okinawa Campaign, the Cassin Young provided fire support for underwater demolition teams and defended the invasion force from kamikaze attacks. Although she shot down numerous enemy aircraft, the Cassin Young was struck by kamikazes on two separate occasions. During the campaign, she also aided in the rescue of sailors from several sunken destroyers. For her actions, the ship was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation. The Cassin Young was the last US warship to be struck by a kamikaze in World War II. The ship had a small terrier as a mascot that was trained to go below deck during air raids. One of the kamikaze attacks struck the ship where the dog normally waited. The crew thought that the dog had been killed until it emerged from a position on the bridge. It is unknown why the dog remained on deck during this particular attack. After the Second World War, the Cassin Young participated in several training exercises and an around the world cruise in 1954. One of her overhauls was conducted in the historic Dry Dock #1 in the Charlestown Navy Yard. She served until 1960 when the ship was decommissioned. The Cassin Young remained in the reserve fleet until 1974 when she was loaned to the National Park Service to serve as a museum ship. The Cassin Young arrived in Boston on June 15, 1978 and was opened to the public three years later upon completion of her transition into a floating museum. Operated and maintained by the park service and volunteers, the Cassin Young is berthed just off 55 Constitution Road at Pier 1 near the USS Constitution. Visitors can explore the ship in self-guided or 40- minute, ranger-led tours. The USS Cassin Young was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. 3. Charlestown Navy Yard Although the Charlestown Navy Yard traces its roots to the Revolutionary War, the shipyard was not formally established until Congress authorized the construction of six new warships in 1799. The Charlestown facility, later known as the Boston Navy Yard, was selected as one of six cities where future warships would be built. The shipyard s Morton s Point location is the site where the British landed on their way to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. Until the War of 1812, the navy yard was used primarily as a military depot when workers built the 74-gun USS Independence. The massive vessel was America s first warship designed to engage other ships with powerful broadside gunfire. In the ensuing decades, the shipyard was again used mainly as a storage, supply and repair facility. Renowned Quincy Market architect Alexander Parris designed several buildings on the navy yard, including the granite Greek Revival Ropewalk in 1837. Most of the rope that the US Navy used for the next 137 years was produced in this edifice. One of the most important naval engineering feats of the 19th century was the construction of Dry Dock #1 at the Charlestown Navy Yard. Mr. Parris and Loammi Baldwin Jr., who was America s preeminent civil engineer, designed the maintenance facility. The first ship to use the newly opened dry dock in 1833 was the USS Constitution. The structure, which took six years to build, was used extensively during both world wars as a facility to repair battle-damaged vessels, including the USS Cassin Young. Dry Dock #1 was designated a National Landmark in 1966. The shipyard has the distinction of being the location where the Merrimack, the ship that the Confederate Navy turned into the ironclad CSS Virginia, was constructed. Ironically, the first ship sunk by an ironclad was the USS Cumberland, which was also constructed at the shipyard. The ironclad was the CSS Virginia. The USS Harford, flagship of Admiral Farragut, and the Monadnock, a Monitor-class ironclad, were also built here in the years leading up to and during the Civil War. 2
When the government closed the Boston Navy Yard in 1974, 30 acres was designated to serve as a national historic park. Open to the public, the Charleston Navy Yard is the mooring location for the USS Constitution, a stop on the Freedom Trail. Visitors can also see the historic dry dock and the destroyer USS Cassin Young, which is now a museum ship. 4. Bunker Hill Monument The Bunker Hill Monument is a 221- foot-tall granite obelisk that commemorates the famous battle, which took place on June 17, 1775. The memorial stands on the pinnacle of Breed s Hill, the actual site of the battle. In 1794, the King Solomon s Lodge erected an 18- foot-tall wooden pillar capped with a gilt urn to honor fellow mason Dr. Joseph Warren, a valiant military commander who died during the historic skirmish. The physician was the person who dispatched Paul Revere to warn the patriots about British troop movements. In 1823, a group of distinguished local citizens, including Daniel Webster and William Tudor, met to form a committee to erect a more substantial and permanent monument. Amos Lawrence, a 19th century philanthropist, donated $10,000. The committee purchased 15 acres on the summit of Breed s Hill in 1825 and held a contest for a suitable design. An obelisk designed by Solomon Willard was selected over 49 other submissions. The Marquis de Lafayette, a French general who served with distinction in the Continental Army, laid the cornerstone on June 17, 1825. The special railway constructed to bring the granite blocks from the quarry in Quincy became the nation s first common carrier commercial railroad. A portion of the rail network was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. The blocks were delivered to a pier on the Neponset River. From there, a barge transported the granite to the construction site in Charlestown. Due to frequent shortfalls in funding, the committee frequently suspended work on the monument. In order to complete the project, the committee sold 10 of the original 15 acres in 1838 as residential lots. The group retained five acres on the crest of the hill. When the new residents suggested that the designer demolish the partially finished monument, editor and writer Sarah Josepha Hale raised the $30,000 that was required to complete the project. Ms. Hale is also the author of the nursery rhyme Mary Had a Little Lamb. Daniel Webster spoke at the capstone ceremony as he had when the cornerstone was laid 17 years earlier. The site also includes a statue of Colonel William Prescott and a 19th century lodge. Prescott is believed to have been the person who ordered the colonial soldiers not to fire their weapons until they saw the whites of the enemies eyes. Inside the lodge is a diorama of the battle and a monument honoring Dr. Warren. Visitors can climb the 294 steps to the top for a panoramic view of the historic neighborhood and the harbor. Located at Monument Square in Charlestown, the national landmark is a stop along the Freedom Trail and is open to the public. 5. Bunker Hill Burying Ground After the Revolutionary War, Charlestown realized that its first municipal cemetery could no longer accommodate the demands of its rapidly expanding population. The city purchased a second burying ground in 1807 for $3,500. The land that the Bunker Hill Burying Ground occupies once served as pasture for grazing animals. The site is best known as the location of British fortifications during the famous battle. Although the city originally acquired the land to inter its indigent citizens, individual gravestones indicate that some people of means also chose the site as their final resting place. The cemetery originally encompassed approximately 2.5 acres and extended toward the Mystic River. When Charlestown constructed the Warren- Prescott School in 1857, it took a portion of the land from the cemetery. The marble headstones, winding pathways and meticulous landscaping heralded the national movement to cemeteries with park-like settings that Christopher Wren promoted during the early 18th century. The English style garden setting created a park-like atmosphere for the bereaved and members of the community to enjoy the natural surroundings while paying respects to their loved ones. Located on Bunker Hill Street, the cemetery is locked, but the city can open the burying ground with a 24-hour advance request. 3
6. Phipps Street Burying Ground Established in 1630, the Phipps Street Burying Ground is the oldest cemetery in Boston. Originally known as Burial Hill, the graveyard was named in honor of Solomon Phipps, a farmer who owned the land. Unlike other historical cemeteries where caretakers rearranged the headstones to improve the aesthetics, the grave markers are still in their original locations. The cemetery was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The earliest recorded burial was Maud Russell who died in 1652. Other notable burials include casualties from the 3-year Metacomet War, which claimed the lives of one-tenth of the military-age men in New England. At least three graves have markers that honor decedents as Sons of the American Revolution. Other notable figures interred here include Nathaniel Gorham, a wealthy merchant and president of the Continental Congress, and John Harvard, a clergyman who bequeathed his personal library and funds to establish a college. Thomas Beecher was one of the original settlers who took the Oath of Freemen in 1632 as a member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The hallowed ground also serves as the final resting place for many other early Charlestown community leaders and their families. As the only municipal cemetery, it served the entire population, including African Americans. In the 1660s, a stonecutter colloquially known as the Charlestown Carver used granite, marble and slate to create grave markers that influenced other gravestone artisans. Guests can tour 4 the cemetery on Phipps Street by contacting the city 24 hours before the visit. 7. Warren Tavern In colonial times, the tavern was a focal point of social activity. According to legend, the building housing the Warren Tavern was the first to be constructed after Charlestown was ravaged by fire after the Battle of Bunker Hill. The tavern was established in 1780 by Captain Eliphelet Newell, an ardent patriot who is believed to have participated in the Boston Tea Party. He named the public house in honor of General Joseph Warren, a member of the Sons of Liberty who died heroically during the battle. The tavern was frequented by Paul Revere as Grand Master of the King Solomon s Lodge of Masons who held regular meetings there for twenty years. After the war, George Washington stopped by the tavern while in Charlestown visiting his old friend Benjamin Frothingham. The oldest establishment of its kind in Massachusetts, the Warren Tavern is more than 225 years old and a favorite watering hole for both tourists and locals. Located at 2 Pleasant Street, it is open to public. 8. City Square Charlestown laid out the historic Market Square in 1629. It was a central gathering place for community events for centuries. The square became congested with traffic from an elevated train track, two elevated roadways and the nearby Tobin Bridge that passed through the area starting in 1901. A major construction project during the 1990s, known as the Big Dig, placed these transportation routes underground enabling the community to restore the parkland that once adorned the site. Now called City Square, the open space is heralded as a model for successful urban landscape design. The mini-oasis has more 70 varieties of trees, shrubs and flowers to complement its expanses of green lawn. Decorated with gas lamps, artwork and a central fountain, City Square was designated a Boston Landmark in 1992 and serves as gateway to the Charlestown community. Visitors can stroll along the park s winding walkways admiring the sculptures or relax among the natural beauty while enjoying a picnic lunch. 9. Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge The Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge has become one of Boston s iconic symbols since it opened in 2003. Constructed during the transportation project derisively known as the Big Dig, the bridge takes eight lanes of Interstate 93 traffic over the Charles River. The span also has two cantilevered lanes that convey vehicle traffic out of the Sumner Tunnel. These two lanes merge with the other eight north of the bridge. The new cable-stayed span replaces the Charlestown High Bridge that engineers built in 1954 and demolished in 2004. The bridge s name honors Leonard P. Zakim, a tireless civil rights activist, and the historic Battle of Bunker Hill. Local residents call the span Bunker Hill Bridge, but the media identifies it as the Zakim Bridge. The
dazzling white cables summon the image of a ship under full sail, and the gray towers resemble the Bunker Hill Monument obelisk. Landscape architects created a park beneath the span with illuminated public works of art that complement the bridge at night when it glows in cobalt blue lights. Before the bridge opened, the Ringing Brothers Circus marched 14 elephants across the bridge. This event re-created a test that civil engineers used during the 19th century to evaluate the structural integrity of a bridge. The Travel Channel included the span on its list of the World s Top 10 Bridges. Visitors can view the bridge from the North Station rail platform or the locks located near the Lovejoy Wharf on the Charles River. The bridge is located at the site of a colonial era ferry. The profits from the ferry were given to Harvard in perpetuity as a way to fund the college. When a bridge replaced the ferry, an annual cash stipend was awarded to the college for over thirty years to compensate it for the lost ferry revenue. The bridge made it feasible to lay out the Medford Turnpike in 1803. A red painted line on the bridge s pedestrian walkway marks the part of the Freedom Trail that takes visitors to the Charlestown Navy Yard and the USS Constitution. 10. Charlestown Bridge The Charlestown Bridge is an iron truss swing bridge designed by William Jackson that crosses the Charles River and connects the Charlestown neighborhood with the rest of Boston. The eastern most bridge across the river, it is also known as the North Washington Street Bridge and has been in place for more than 100 years. It has three openings and, prior to 1975, carried the elevated Orange Line trolley as well as vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The trolley lines and elevated portions of the bridge were dismantled except for a section of the support structure located in the middle part of the span. The bridge is a total of 241 feet long, while the swing arm portion measures 119 feet. 5
V I S I T O R S G U I D E Charlestown To download and print the corresponding map to this guide, please visit: www.citywalkingguide.com/maps