Boston Harbor is an
unincorporated community
An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...
in
Thurston County, Washington
Thurston County is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its population was 294,793. The county seat and largest city is Olympia, Washingto ...
. The community is home to the
Dofflemyer Point Light, built in 1934 and listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1995.
History
Seattle real estate developer
C. D. Hillman platted the site in 1907 and promoted sale of lots by offering cash prizes to buyers.
Geography
Boston Harbor is located at the intersection of
Pickering Passage
Pickering Passage is a strait, in the southern end of part of Puget Sound in the U.S. state of Washington. Entirely within Mason County, the Pickering Passage separates Hartstine Island from the mainland, and connects Totten Inlet with the nor ...
and
Dana Passage, with outlying parts also falling along
Budd Inlet
Budd Inlet is an inlet located at the southern end of Puget Sound in Thurston County, Washington. It is the southernmost arm of Puget Sound.
Etymology
Budd Inlet was named by Charles Wilkes during the United States Exploring Expedition, to honor ...
. It is located between Dover Point and Dofflemyer Point, which is marked by a distinctive concrete
lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid, for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways.
Lighthouses mar ...
that is not publicly accessible by land. Boston Harbor is a formerly rural area that has now become an
exurb
An exurb (or alternately: exurban area) is an area outside the typically denser inner suburban area, at the edge of a metropolitan area, which has some economic and commuting connection to the metro area, low housing density, and growth. It s ...
of
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region.
European ...
.
Parks and recreation
The community is home to the Boston Harbor Marina and sits near
Squaxin Park (formerly Priest Point Park) and
Burfoot Park. The marina is often the location for community social gatherings, most notably in the Spring and Summer months. A public
boat launch
A slipway, also known as boat ramp or launch or boat deployer, is a ramp on the shore by which ships or boats can be moved to and from the water. They are used for building and repairing ships and boats, and for launching and retrieving small ...
adjacent the marina is jointly owned by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and
Thurston County.
Education
Children in the area attend the formerly independent
Boston Harbor SchoolBoston Harbor School
official website. Retrieved 9/7/11. since the early 1900s, now part of the Olympia School District. The school also serves as a community center for the rural area of northern Thurston County.
See also
* Dofflemyer Point Light
References
Unincorporated communities in Thurston County, Washington
Unincorporated communities in Washington (state)
{{ThurstonCountyWA-geo-stub