The current incarnation of Rowes Wharf (built 1987)[1] is a modern development in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is best known for the Boston Harbor Hotel's multi-story arch over the wide public plaza between Atlantic Avenue and the Boston Harbor waterfront. Along the waterfront can be found a marina, restaurants, a water transportation terminal, and a floating stage offering free concerts and movies during the summer.[2]
In 1666 a protective battery called the "Sconce", or the "South Battery", was built at the foot of Fort Hill in the area now known as Rowes Wharf. In peacetime, the Battery had a company assigned to it in case of invasion, but had only one gunner. During the 1740s, the Battery was extended into the harbor and was defended by thirty-five guns. In 1764, John Rowe bought the land and built the first Rowes Wharf, which extended a short distance into Boston Harbor, and in 1765 Foster's Wharf was built on the site of the old Battery.
Foster's Wharf was originally called "Apthorp's Wharf". Charles Ward Apthorp was a staunch Tory and backed the losing side in the American Revolution; it was his confiscated land and wharf that merchant William Foster bought for 6,266 pounds, 12 shillings in May 1782.[3][4] Rowes Wharf, however, has carried its original builder's name since its inception. For the next 150 years or so, commercial shipping continued to be a main user of the area.[5][6]
19th-20th century
[edit]Detail of 1899 map of Boston, showing Rowes WharfYachts moored at Rowes Wharf, 2007
With the opening of the Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad in 1875, a ferry connection was established from Rowes Wharf to the railroad's southern terminus in East Boston. With the construction of the Atlantic Avenue Elevated in 1901, a station at Rowes Wharf connected the wharf to Boston's elevated and subway rail system. However, by the middle of the 20th century, both the railroad - and by October 1938, the elevated railway - had closed, and the wharf had become dilapidated, the victim of changing patterns in shipping. This remained the case until the 1980s, when the current development was constructed.[5]