Wollaston Beach is the largest public beach in the
Boston harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeastern United States.
History
Since ...
. The beach is located parallel to Quincy Shore Drive in North
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy ( ) is a coastal U.S. city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the largest city in the county and a part of Greater Boston, Metropolitan Boston as one of Boston's immediate southern suburbs. Its population in 2020 was 1 ...
, which was constructed to provide access to the bay beach for Greater Boston. Wollaston beach expands
Quincy Bay
Quincy Bay is the largest of the three small bays of southern Boston Harbor, part of Massachusetts Bay and forming much of the shoreline of the city of Quincy, Massachusetts. Locally in the Wollaston neighborhood of Quincy it is known as Wollasto ...
forming part of
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeastern United States.
History
Since ...
. The northern end of the beach is the Native American historical site,
Moswetuset Hummock
Moswetuset Hummock is a Native American site and the original name of the tribe (Mosetuset) in the region named Massachusetts after them. The wooded hummock in Squantum, Massachusetts, is formally recognized as historic by descendants of the Ponk ...
which is where the original Moswetuset Sac'hem (Chief) had a tribal council.
Wollaston Beach is now part of the
Quincy Shore Reservation
Quincy Shore Reservation is a public recreation area and protected shoreline on Quincy Bay, Boston Harbor, in Quincy, Massachusetts. Its primary attraction is a beach, accessible along its entire length by Quincy Shore Drive. The largest beach ...
which was introduced by the legislative act in 1899. Quincy Shore Drive parallel to the beach was opened on May 30, 1908. It is maintained (waste management) in summer by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
Wollaston Beach is the largest in Boston Harbor with roughly of shoreline. The promenade stands the entire length of the beach and is often busy with walkers, dog walkers, runners, and casual cyclists. The Wollaston beach promenade has a significant seawall as it is impacted by coastal tides. There are seasonal restaurants that predominately offer battered seafood and become popular on weekends. There is ample parking along the Wollaston Beach promenade.
The views from Wollaston beach include Boston, South Boston, Squantum, Houghs Neck, and Nut Island. Boston Harbor Islands are also visible. These islands are; Moon, Long, Georges and Peddocks, Spectacle. The
Hull Wind Turbine #1 () is visible beyond Peddocks. The
Hull Wind Turbine #2 ({{cvt, 330, ft) is visible beyond Houghs Neck.
Based on water quality tests determining levels of ''enterococcus'', currently, the beach is not ''unacceptable for bathing''. This research was conducted in 2019 by the City of Quincy Health Department.
Wollaston Beach has two yacht clubs and is adjacent to the commercial
Marina Bay. The southern end of the beach attracts fishing activities. The Squantum Yacht Club and Wollaston Yacht Club have piers to their clubhouse starting at the beach. The Squantum Yacht Club was founded in 1898. The yacht clubs host annual sailing tournaments.
History
In the 1970s, former FBI agent
John Connolly reports having convinced the organized crime boss of the Winter Hill Gang,
James Bulger (Whitey) to comply to be an FBI informant. The discrete discussion occurring in a secluded parking area at Wollaston Beach.
In the decade of 1980s, Quincy Bay was recorded as was one of the most polluted in the United States of America. This was as a result of the archaic sewerage system dumping approximately 138 tons of waste daily into Boston Harbor. Pollution and water quality had then been less of a concern for the City of Boston and there had been little resistance from the City of Quincy. The outfall pipe was commonly known as the 'bubbler'. Wollaston Beach had to be permanently closed for shellfishing and swimming given the toxicology of the water quality. In 1982, it was determined that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts had knowingly violated and breached the federal
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Its objective is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters; recognizing the responsibiliti ...
. The City of Quincy successfully sued the Commonwealth for the breach of daily dumping sewerage into Quincy Bay.
In 1990, Wollaston Beach was selected by the
Environmental Protection Agency
A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...
as an Estuary of National Significance given the history. The intent is to monitor sewerage waste, drainage, stormwater waste, and illegal dumping.
Attempts to improve water quality, sanitation and hygiene continue though current tests indicate the water quality is acceptable for bathing.
Despite the environmental challenges, Wollaston Beach is a populated summer destination for enjoying the considerably large promenade.
Gallery
File:Wolsouth.jpg, Southern end of Wollaston Beach
File:Wol_Birds.jpg, View of the city of Boston
File:Wol_club.jpg, Wollaston Yacht Club
See also
*
List of beaches in New England
References
^ "2012 Acreage Listing" (PDF). Department of Conservation and Recreation. April 2012. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
^ "Wollaston Beach". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey.
^ "About FWB". Friends of Wollaston Beach. Retrieved February 24, 2017.
^ "Quincy Shore Reservation". MassParks. Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Department of Conservation and Recreation. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
External links
City of Quincy/ WollastonQuincy Shore Reservation Massachusetts GovernmentDiscover QuincyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Beaches of Massachusetts
Landforms of Norfolk County, Massachusetts
Tourist attractions in Quincy, Massachusetts