“Boston Common on the Water.” The neighborhood now known as Fort Point lies along the east bank of the Fort Point Channel. Fort Point stands center stage, linking the waterfronts of downtown and South Boston. At this point in history, its main purpose is to serve as the geographic boundary between
South Boston and Boston proper. Easily accessible from
South Station and major highways, the Channel is also within walking distance of major Boston attractions. The Fort Point Channel is home to residents, artists, offices, well-known cultural and Harbor destinations, a growing
Harborwalk and much more. The giant milk bottle on
Museum Wharf is Fort Point's best known landmark.
Fan Pier, site of the new
Federal Courthouse, is at the northern end of Fort Point. Places to visit are the
Children's Museum,
Independence Wharf,
Rowes Wharf, the Boston Fire Museum and the
ICA.
This area was originally sluggish, muddy tidal marsh. The original Fort Point no longer exists, and was located on the opposite side of the Channel. Using earth and rubble from other sections of Boston, the Boston Wharf Company filled in the land, and the first structures here were storage sheds. Although less than two miles long, the Channel was once a teeming industrial waterway serving thriving industries. From the 1880s to the 1930s, ships carrying everything from wool and molasses to safety razors plied the Channel.
Seven bridges span the channel - The
Evelyn Moakley Bridge, the
Old Northern Avenue Bridge, as well as the
Congress Street,
Summer Street,
West Fourth Street (formerly Dover Street),
Broadway and
Dorchester Avenue (formerly Federal Street) bridges. Although the Channel has gone into retirement, (used mostly by recreational boaters), and its bridges slated for removal or to become museum pieces, it is still there, still a part of Boston's geography.
The first resident artist was Christopher Sproat in 1976, and soon more followed. The neighborhood's first Open Studios event was held in 1980, and the
Fort Point Arts Community (FPAC) was formed. New organizations have recently sprung up, such as the
Seaport Alliance for a Neighborhood Design (SAND) and the
Fort Point Cultural Coalition, as well as others such as
Mobius and the
Revolving Museum (which has since moved to Lowell).
