The Historic Monument Area is one of four areas that federal and local authorities created in 1978 from the former Charlestown Navy Yard, also known as the Boston Naval Shipyard. The US Navy closed the Charlestown Navy Yard in 1974 after 174 years of service. At its height, the Navy Yard covered about 130 acres on the Charlestown, Massachusetts waterfront, just north of Boston.
Federal and local officials created these four areas to achieve three major goals: preserve the history of the Charlestown Navy Yard, reserve some space for an urban park, and open the former Navy Yard to commercial development.
Federal officials transferred about 100 acres of the Charlestown Navy Yard to the City of Boston. Officials divided these 100 acres into three areas: the Historic Monument Area, the Public Park Area, and the New Development Area.
The National Park Service received about 30 acres of the Charlestown Navy Yard to be part of the Boston National Historical Park, created in 1974.
Saved
The Historic Monument Area covers 30 acres in the northern, central section of the Charlestown Navy Yard, north of First Avenue. Officials wanted to preserve the industrial history of the Navy Yard by saving about 20 buildings in the Historic Monument Area; the Ropewalk and Chain Forge are two buildings in this area.
Private companies sign long-term leases on buildings in the Historic Monument Area (HMA) if they pledge to preserve the building's exterior. Businesses can renovate the interiors of these buildings to suit their own needs. The City of Boston maintains ownership of most of the HMA.
Federal and local officials set special criteria for three buildings in the Historic Monument Area: The Ropewalk, the Chain Forge, and Building 107. Officials encouraged private developers of the Ropewalk and the Chain Forge to include historical, interpretative exhibition space within these two buildings, guided by the National Park Service. Building 107 became an operations building for the National Park Service.
Open
The Public Park Area, also called the Recreation Area, became an urban park created from the Charlestown Navy Yard. This area includes Piers 3 and 4 and Dry Dock 2. The Public Park area, about 16 acres, now includes the Shipyard Park and the Korean War Memorial. Visitors can also catch the Charlestown Ferry at the end of Pier 4.
The New Development Area, about 58 acres, is the largest of the four parcels created from the Charlestown Navy Yard. It includes piers 5 to 11 and buildings in the southeastern quarter of the Navy Yard. This area is open to development and officials placed fewer restrictions on preserving buildings in the New Development Area than in the Historic Monument Area.
Historic
The 30-acre section of the former Charlestown Navy Yard that became part of the Boston National Historical Park includes the Commandant’s House, the Marine Barracks, Piers 1 and 2, and Dry Dock 1. This area preserves the early 1800s origins of the Charlestown Navy Yard. This area also served as the administrative and ceremonial center of the Navy Yard.
It has been fifty years since federal and local officials created the Historic Monument Area and the three other areas from the former Charlestown Navy Yard. In the decades since 1978, these areas have developed mostly as officials had planned. Yet, more work remains. A big change to the Historic Monument Area will come in the coming years when the new headquarters of the National Parks of Boston opens in Building 107.
Sources
Carlson, Stephen P. Charlestown Navy Yard Historic Resource Study, Vol 1-3. Boston, MA: Division of Cultural Resources, Boston National Historical Park, National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 2010.
“Foundation Document Overview, Boston National Historical Park.” Accessed December 11, 2025. https://npshistory.com/publications/foundation-documents/bost-fd-overview.pdf
“Navy Yard Master Plan Implementation, City of Boston Planning Department.” Accessed December 13, 2024. https://www.bostonplans.org/neighborhoods/charlestown/navy-yard-master-plan-implementation
Stevens, Christopher, Margie Coffin Brown, Ryan Reedy, and Patrick Eleey. Cultural Landscape Report for Charlestown Navy Yard. Olmstead Center for Landscape Preservation, Boston National Historical Park, National Park Service, 2005.