"The Yard as Home" Sign

Sign titled, "The Yard as Home."

NPS Photo/Famico

Quick Facts

Location:

Northwest side of 1st Avenue along the grassy lawn.

Description

Low-profile wayside that is 36.5 x 24.5 inches. It has a black semi-cylindrical base with two rectangular pillars supporting the panel. The panel is framed in black metal. The sign is located on the sidewalk at the bottom of a sloped grassy lawn, directing the viewer to look up the hill towards the Commandant’s House.

Layout

At the top of the sign is a black banner with white text. The text includes the title, “The Yard as Home,” aligned to the left. Aligned to the right in the banner are two columns of two lines of text. The first column of text is “Boston National Historical Park,” followed by “Charlestown Navy Yard.” The second column states “National Park Service,” followed by “U.S. Department of the Interior.” The rest of the panel has a gray background with black text and black and white images. The text and images are arranged in three columns and three rows. The first row contains text to the far left, with two images to the right. Captions are in between the two images. The captions are bold with additional information italicized. The next row has three large square images side by side. The square images have rounded top corners. The third and final row are italicized captions beneath each of the three images. The headers of the captions are bolded and the sub-text is italicized.

Main Text (Top row, Left corner)

Thousands of civilians spent their work days in the yard, then returned home to their Boston neighborhoods. For a few naval personnel, however, the yard was both a work-place and a home. For those who lived here, whether in the luxurious Commandant’s House on the hill, the elegant officers’ quarters to your left, or the spartan Marine Barracks on the hill to your right, the navy yard became their “community.”

Image (Top row, Middle)

Black and white of an interior porch. The far left wall is full of grid-paned windows with blinds. A man in black stands by the window, with his left hand resting on the window. He looks outside the window. In the foreground in front of the man is a glass table with white trim and ornamental designs on the edges of each corner. White chairs have matching designs for the backs. Further in the room behind the man are additional chairs with a woman in a dark outfit resting in a chair. Her chair is next to a glass-paned door that has rectangular windows on either side and above it. To the right edge of the photograph are two chairs with a cabinet between them.

Image Caption

(Left) The porch of the Commandant’s House in the 1960s, facing the yard.

Image (Top row, Right corner)

Black and white sketch of four men sitting around a table. Two of the men are in dark clothing with the other two in light colored clothing. Two men sit on a long bench next to table, another sits across from them, and the final man sits on top of the table with his right leg resting up on the table. Above them are wooden beams.

Image Caption

(Right) Sleeping quarters in the Marine Barracks in 1850. The Marine Corps enforced law and provided security for the yard. Over the years the detachment varied from 15 marines to its World War II strength of 600 marines.

Image (Bottom row, Left)

Black and white image of a row of five town houses with people wearing late 19th century clothing posed on the lawn in front of the houses. These town houses are two stories with a basement. The basement has visible windows flush with the ground, while staircases lead up to the first floor. The doors are on the right side of each town house and two windows are to the left of the doors. The second floor of each house is three windows across. Each house has a dormer and two chimneys. Young children and women stand in front of the homes, a couple of the women have strollers in front of them. There are trees in front of the far-left town house and the far-right town house. The trees do not have leaves.

Image Caption Title (Bottom row, Left)

Officers’ Row in 1882

Image Caption Text (Bottom row, Left)

In 1833, the Navy built a row of five houses for master tradesmen. These warrant officers, such as the master sailmaker and the master carpenter; managed the principal shops of the yard for the commandant. Today these houses are private residences for National Park Service and Navy families.

Image (Bottom row, Middle)

Black and white print of a garden in the foreground with a building in the background to the right. A tall tree with leaves borders the left edge of the image. Grass or dirt is in the foreground. The garden is contained by a four-bar fence. The garden has shrubbery and a few tall trees. A person and a child stand facing the fence with backs turned. Additional people walk along the fence of the garden. The building is three stories. The side facing the garden consists of two adjoined curved walls, similar to two towers side by side. Each curved wall has a window with shutters on each floor. A staircase leads up to the second floor of the building.

Image Caption Title (Bottom row, Middle)

Commandant’s House in 1852

Image Caption Text (Bottom row, Middle)

Built in 1805, the house on the hill was a home for the commandant of the yard and his family. For 170 years, the 14-room mansion was also the scene of local, national, and international receptions. Today the house continues to host receptions and special events.

Image (Bottom row, Right)

Two rows of marines standing at attention outside a multi-story building. The Marines are dressed in 19th century uniforms, carrying rifles. The butt of the guns rest on the ground while the marines hold the barrel in front of them. A few people watching the marines stand in the background underneath the awning of the building. Large windows with shutters are under the awning. The two stories above the awning each have nine windows with shutters visible.

Image Caption Title (Bottom row, Right)

Marine Barracks in the 1860s

Image Caption Text (Bottom row, Right)

Today’s Marine Barracks still contain elements from the original structure built in 1810, and are thus the oldest surviving marine barracks in the United States. The Barracks now provide offices for the National Park Service and living quarters for the Park Service and the U.S. Navy.