Last updated: October 27, 2023
Place
Sheep Island
Boston Harbor Now
Quick Facts
Location:
Boston Harbor
OPEN TO PUBLIC:
No
Sheep Island is located almost 9.5 miles away from Long Wharf, between Peddocks Island and Grape Island. The island is currently 3.2 acres and has an eroded glacial drumlin with an elevation of 10 feet.
In the 1600s, Sheep Island had a much larger footprint, covering more than 25 acres. Originally called "Round Island," Sheep Island went through several names, including "Sun Island," "Shean Island," and "Sheaf Island." The island was deeded to the town of Weymouth in 1636, which used it for grazing sheep.
Sheep Island also had several private owners throughout the 1600s and 1700s, with William Chamberlain being one of the earliest known owners of the island. In the 1800s, recreational camping parties used Sheep Island, which later housed a residence and hunting lodge.
Over time, the island shrunk from 25 acres to about 3 acres due to erosion. Sheep Island is currently managed by Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and serves as a nesting ground for local birds.
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Footnotes:
- Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation, Cultural Landscape Report: Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park Volume 2: Existing Conditions, (Boston: National Park Service, 2017) 229-30.
- Edward Snow, The Islands of Boston Harbor (Carlisle, MA: Commonwealth Editions, 2002), 164; Moses Foster Sweetser, King’s Handbook of Boston Harbor (Cambridge, MA: Moses King, 1883), 214.
- National Park Service Boston Harbor Islands, “Sheep Island Facts,” date last modified January 6, 2023.