Belle Isle Marsh

1883 Map of Boston Harbor depicting Bell Isle Marsh, which was formerly known as Hogg Island

Map courtesy of the Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library

Quick Facts

Location:

Boston Harbor

OPEN TO PUBLIC:

No

MANAGED BY:

Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation

The last remaining salt marsh in the city of Boston, known now as Belle Isle Marsh, is located in East Boston. This area boasts just over 130-acres of marshland and is home to more than 250 species of birds. The area is designated as an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society, and an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by the Bureau of Land Management. While it might not seem like it, Belle Isle used to be an island.¹ 

Originally called Hog(g) Island, John Gorges granted the island to Sir William Bereton in 1628. Breaton renamed the island Susana Island for his daughter, although many continued to refer to the island as Hog Island. In 1687, Judge Samuel Sewall took possession of the island. Sewall established an orchard, and kept a flock of sheep on the island. In May 1775, colonial forces raided both Noddle's Island and Hog Island. They engaged British Marines on Noddles, after taking 500 sheep from Hog Island. 

John Breed purchased the island in 1813 and built a small one-story mansion on its south side. Breed maintained a hay farm, which employed an overseer and workmen. Breed called the island "Breed’s Island." The island remained known as Breed’s Island until the late 1800s when a new owner charged the name to Belle Isle.² 

Around 1930, Belle Isle served as a site for dredged material disposal. From 1952 to 1971, the former island hosted drive-in movies. The Belle Isle Fishing Company used a 1.6- acre property for fishing and seafood distribution from 1978 to the early 1990s. Once closed, the property became a dump site for contaminants, which included hazardous materials such as asbestos and lead. Deemed unsafe, the City of Boston took control of the property in 1991 and began remediation efforts.³

 In 1961, Massport took control of Boston Logan airport and its expansion. The Commonwealth began construction plans for turning Belle Isle into an oil tanker terminal. Many objected to this, on account of nature still present on the former island. In 1975, the Metropolitan District Commission, now the Department of Conservation and Recreation, acquired Belle Isle Marsh. Belle Isle Marsh Reservation opened in 1986.⁴ 

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Footnotes 

1. Sean Riley, "Belle Isle Marsh: The Last Remaining Salt Marsh In Boston," last modified May 14,2020, accessed April 17, 2023, Belle Isle Marsh: The last remaining salt marsh in Boston — One Waterfront; Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Rumney Marshes Areas of Critical Environmental Concern: Salt Marsh Restoration Plan (Boston, 2002), 52. 

2. Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation, Cultural Landscape Report: Boston Harbor Islands National & State Park, Volume 1: Historical Overview, (Boston: National Park Service, 2017), 29–30, 87; Moses Foster Sweetser, King’s Handbook of Boston Harbor (Cambridge, MA: Moses King, 1883).  

3. Edward Snow, The Islands of Boston Harbor (Carlisle, MA: Commonwealth Editions, 2002),149. 

4. "R1 Success Story: Belle Isle Salt Marsh, Boston, Mass," Environmental Protection Agency, last modified July 22,2022, accessed April 17, 2023, R1 Success Story: Belle Isle Salt Marsh, Boston, Mass. | US EPA; Sean Riley, "Belle Isle Marsh: The Last Remaining Salt Marsh In Boston," The Trustees, last modified May 14,2020, accessed April 17, 2023, Belle Isle Marsh: The last remaining salt marsh in Boston — One Waterfront; Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Environmental Affairs, Rumney Marshes Areas of Critical Environmental Concern: Salt Marsh Restoration Plan, 25, 83; Friends of Belle Isle Marsh, "History," accessed April 17, 2023, About – Friends of Belle Isle Marsh.