Collections

Boston National Historical Park's museum and archival collections are available to researchers, by appointment, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Appointments should be made 48 hours in advance, but two weeks' notice is preferred. The collections are closed on all federal holidays. To access the archival collections, must complete and sign an Access & Use Policy form, a Researcher Registration form, and a Copyright & Privacy form. To schedule an appointment, contact Boston National Historical Park's Museum Specialist, Brandon Sexton, at 617-242-5620, or by e-mail.

Collections:

  1. Shipyard records and material from the Navy's time in Charlestown
  2. 70,000 photographs and negatives of the Boston Naval Shipyard and surrounding establishments
  3. 13,000 architectural drawings
  4. Records from the First Naval District
  5. Ship history files of ships that were built, launched, repaired, or commissioned at Boston Naval Shipyard
  6. The Boston Naval Shipyard News (the newspaper of the yard)
  7. USS Cassin Young photographs, blueprints, manuals, and ship records
  8. Visitor registers for Bunker Hill Monument, as well as documents relating to the monument's history
  9. Documents relating to Faneuil Hall, Dorchester Heights, Old North Church, Old State House, and Old South Meeting House
On Line Resources

Below you will find links to some of our on line resources
  1. New Hampshire Participants in the Battle of Bunker Hill (pdf file--322K)
  2. Ships built in the Charlestown Navy Yard (pdf file--461K)
  3. Development of Shipbuilding at the Charlestown Navy Yard














Did You Know?

Colonial Boston Docks

Owning a shop to sell sewing supplies was one of the few occupations available to women in 18th century Boston. Many women were widowed by the French & Indian War and supported their families by working in the sewing trades. By 1770 over 70 shop-owning women in Boston were called "She-Merchants."