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Castle Island is a great place to spend an
afternoon. It's located at City Point in South Boston, and can be
reached by public transportation. It's a nearby destination to escape the
bustle of the city, and to obtain great views of Boston Harbor and Logan
International Airport. Sullivan's take-out only restaurant (seasonal) is located at
the base of the castle, and is very popular with the local residents. Public restrooms are also available on the island. Please
note it can be very windy at Castle Island, so dress appropriately for the
weather conditions.
The MBTA public transportation network has multiple bus lines to City Point. Bus Line #9 departs from Copley Station (Green Line), to Broadway
Station (Red Line), then onto City Point. At Farragut Road, the end of
the bus line, you have to walk a moderate 3/4 of a mile to get to the
castle. If you can brave Boston traffic, from South Boston just
drive east on Broadway until you reach the ocean, and then take a left on the
road to the island (ask your hotel for specific driving directions). There is
a parking lot at the base of the
castle.
Fort Independence, like so many other places in Boston, has great history.
The view above is from 1906, many years before the island was joined to the
mainland. Guided tours of the castle are available to the public on
weekends in June through August, from 12:00pm to 3:30pm. The tours are
conducted by volunteers of the Castle Island Association, a local historic
preservation entity. Purchasing historic souvenirs is encouraged to
help fund this volunteer organization (this author was very impressed with
their free tour).
Below are excerpts from the Castle Island Association's brochure, which
describes some of the rich history of Fort Independence:
"In 1634, Governor Dudley of Massachusetts Bay Colony, selected Castle
Island for the sea defense of Boston. The first fortifications were an
earthwork and two platforms, with three cannons. A pine log fort
(1644), the second fort, was replaced with a more substantial structure in
1653. This burned down and was quickly replaced with the fourth fort
(1673).
...
In 1703, Colonel Romer's brick, four-bastioned fort, begun in 1701, was
dedicated, and for most of the 1700's thereafter, was generally known as
'Castle William,' after William III of Orange, King of England. It was
armed with 72 cannons, ranging from 9 to 42 pounders. In 1775 the
British, evacuating Boston, destroyed the island's fortifications, which were
repaired shortly thereafter by troops under Lt. Colonel Paul Revere.
...
President John Adams, came to dedicate a new fort as 'Fort Independence' in
1799. This, the island's seventh fort, five-bastioned and of brick, was built by
Colonel John Foncin between 1801 and 1803. By 1851, Colonel Sylvanus
Thayer, the 'Father of West Point,' completely reconstructed the eight and
present fort on Castle Island; doubling the former height, expanding its
perimeter, constructing casemate interiors, and replacing brick with granite
from the quarries at Rockport, Massachusetts.
...
[Some other historic events include,] when the Stamp Act was passed in 1765, packages of offending stamps were landed and stored at Castle William. As a result of the
Boston Massacre [1770], the 14th and 29th British
regiments were withdrawn from Boston to the safety of Castle William. At the time of the
Boston Tea Party [1773], many loyalists, including
consignees of the tea, sought refuge in Castle William. The duel
between Lts. Massie and Drane in 1817, has resulted in a legend that still
lives. Edgar Allen Poe served on Castle Island in 1827, under the name
of Perry, and his story of 'The Cask of Amontillado' is alleged to have been
influenced by the Drane-Massie duel."
—
Castle Island Association Brochure
Of special historical interest, is a description of
testing cannon at Castle Island during
the Civil War.
MORE PHOTOS
Contact Information
Street Address:
William J. Day Blvd, South Boston, MA 02127
Street Map:
Map This Location
Association Address:
Castle Island Association
P.O. Box 342
South Boston, MA 02127
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