Charlestown Navy Yard Historical/Architectural Tour

From its establishment on Bunker Hill Day in 1800 until its decommissioning on July 4, 1974, the Charlestown Navy Yard emerged and reemerged from slumber a number of times to bolster the nation’s military readiness.

Leading up to World War II, the refinement and development of key inventions by Navy Yard employees and, during the height of the war, the incredible volume of ships launched and repaired at the yard played a key role in tipping the balance in favor of our Allied forces.

The sites and buildings that housed Navy Yard operations and production over 174 years comprise a virtual catalogue of American industrial architecture.

Join historical architect and Charlestown resident Jack Glassman for a roughly 2-hour historical/architectural walking tour of this National Historic Landmark on Saturday, May 18. Meet at 9:30 a.m. in the courtyard of One First Avenue (adjacent to the Tedeschi Food Shop).

The tour will trace the chronological growth and development of the Navy Yard, from its rural origins as pasture land, marshes and mud flats to a humming industrial complex that, at its peak, employed a labor force of 47,000 in round-the-clock shifts.

The tour is free for Charlestown Preservation Society members and $10 for non-members (cash only please).