History & Culture

"The islands of Boston Harbor are an essential part of the history of this community." - William M. Fowler in The Islands of Boston Harbor

The Boston Harbor Islands have played countless roles for the dwellers of this area. For thousands of years, the islands served as ceremonial sites and seasonal homes for local Indigenous communities. European settlers radically transformed the purpose of teh islands over the following generations. The islands became the home of farms, lighthouses, quarantine stations, military forts, prisons and internment camps, as well as maritime communities. Boston Harbor and its islands has witnessed Boston as a trading port, an asylum for freedom seekers and immigrants, and a city of industry and innovation.

Learn about the stories the islands have to share.