History of the East Boston Shipyard

James Simpson began building dry docks at this site back in 1853. These dry docks were used for ship maintenance and repair since they allowed workers direct access to the ship's hull. Traditionally, dry docks at this time had been built with stone and it was a very expensive process and was not always effective at preventing leaks. Simpson, though, built his upon a watertight clay bed with wood, and went on to patent his design. The three dry docks Simpson built in East Boston were used for ship repair for over 100 years. 

One of the vessels outfitted at Simpson Dry Dock was the Mary E. Smith, which was transporting slaves 47 years after the slave trade was prohibited in the United States. The vessel was illegally outfitted in 1855 and evaded marshals in Boston to complete a voyage before being captured off the coast of Brazil. 170 out of 400 captives died on board or soon after. 

Source: Friends of the Boston Harborwalk

In 1928, the Simpson yard was purchased by Bethlehem Steel and became Bethlehem Atlantic Works. Bethlehem Steel Corporation was a steelmaking company originally based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The Shipbuilding Division of Bethlehem Steel was established in 1905. 

Bethlehem Atlantic Works operated until 1951.

Sources: Friends of the Boston Harborwalk, MIT Museum, Wikipedia

In 1985, the shipyard was granted to Massport in an auction. Roseland Properties leased the shipyard in the early 2000s, before hiring Sea Chain Marine to manage the property in 2012. Sea Chain Marine managed the shipyard until 2018 when Ocean Havens took over.