Hoosac Stores Warehouse in National Parks of Boston to be Demolished through GAOA Funding

Hoosac Stores Warehouse sits along the Freedom Trail before the Gate 1 entrance to the Charlestown Navy Yard.

NPS Photo/M. Woods

With the financial support of National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, the National Parks of Boston plans to dismantle Hoosac Stores Warehouse to prepare the site for future use. Built in 1895, the Hoosac Stores Warehouse is a six-story brick building constructed by the Fitchburg Railroad as a wool storage facility. The warehouse was acquired by the National Park Service in 1981, in part, due to its proximity to the United States Ship of State – USS Constitution. Today, Hoosac Stores Warehouse stands at the gateway to the Charlestown Navy Yard along Boston's Freedom Trail, which attracts over 1.5 million annual visitors.

For years, Hoosac Stores Warehouse has remained neglected, continuing to deteriorate without action. A recent feasibility study determined that the structure of Hoosac Stores is not suitable for meeting the park's programming needs. The Park would need to make significant structural changes in order to stabilize the structure for use. The deconstruction of the Hoosac Stores Warehouse creates the opportunity to realize an exciting vision for the Charlestown Navy Yard, Freedom Trail, Boston's waterfront and islands, Boston Harborwalk, and the city of Boston. The National Parks of Boston looks forward to this next step in implementing its Master Development Strategy of the Charlestown Navy Yard with the support of Park partners, the U.S. Navy and USS Constitution Museum, and community stakeholders.

Project at a Glance: Throughout the fall and winter of 2024/2025, contractors will be deconstructing Hoosac Stores Warehouse. During this process, the contractors will recycle or salvage approximately 86% of the building. These materials include over 650 old growth pine beams and columns, as well as brick and some steel. The site will be finished in gravel, surrounded by an ornamental iron fence, and used as a material storage area.

What are the Benefits: Demolishing the Hoosac Stores Warehouse will allow the Park to prepare the site for future use. This project is essential for the Park to proceed with its Master Development Strategy to achieve long-term operational and maintenance efficiency.

Project Details

Anticipated Start Date*: Fall 2024

Anticipated Completion*: Mid-2025

Project Costs*: $5.5 million

Visitor Impact: The site will be temporarily under construction, requiring an approved traffic control plan. This plan includes a pedestrian and bike detour route.

*These are estimations and subject to change.

Project Purpose and Goals

The deconstruction of the Hoosac Stores Warehouse aligns with the Park's Master Development Strategy to reactivate the Charlestown Navy Yard. In the short-term, this project will:

• Salvage old growth timbers during the deconstruction and distribute them for reuse in future National Park Service and other organization's projects.
• Recycle other brick and steel materials.
• Prepare the site for future use.

Long-term goals for this project include:

• Improve operational and maintenance efficiency.
• Improve the visitor experience at the at the Charlestown Navy Yard, Freedom Trail, and Boston Harborwalk.
• Strengthen the partnership of the National Parks of Boston, U.S. Navy, and USS Constitution Museum.
• Establish a gateway to the city of Boston, the Charlestown Navy Yard, and the Boston Harbor Islands.

Learn more about the Park's Master Development Strategy and the Reactivation of the Charlestown Navy Yard.

Current Status

September 2024

The National Park Service is currently moving items out of Hoosac Stores Warehouse to prepare for demolition. Deconstruction of Hoosac Stores is expected to begin in mid to late-fall 2024. The planned work hours are from 7:00am to 4:00pm. The demolition process is anticipated to take 11-12 weeks, with project completion estimated to be early 2025.

Early 2024

In early 2024, the demolition of the Hoosac Warehouse went to solicitation using Legacy Restoration Funds (LRF), annual funds that were established with the Great American Outdoors Act. With these funds, the National Parks of Boston, alongside contractors, conducted environmental remediation work, prior to deconstructing the structure from top to bottom.