Boston Waterfront – Historic timeline highlights

During the 18th Century the Port of Boston, centered on Long Wharf, was North America’s busiest port.  To expand the port landfill was used to expand the port for warehouses and additional wharfs, including Commonwealth Pier which opened in 1901.

From 1801 to 1974, Boston was home to one of the oldest shipbuilding sites for the US Navy. The main shipyard was in Charlestown, with extra locations in Chelsea, East Boston, and South Boston. Nowadays, about 30 acres of this area are preserved as a historical park, where you can find the USS Constitution, launched in 1797 and known as the oldest warship still afloat.

After things went downhill from post-WWII through the 1960s, the 1972 Clean Water Act made Boston kick off a big cleanup of its harbor. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Waterfront got a new lease on life as old warehouses were turned into spaces for both living and business.

Today, after South Boston pushed back against the New England Patriots building their stadium at Fan Pier, the Seaport has taken off with a bunch of new buildings like a federal district court, office towers, fancy condos, and a bunch of restaurants and shops. Now, the big thing they're tackling is figuring out how to deal with flooding risks from climate change.