The Waterfront Then and Now / The Custom House

The Waterfront Then and Now, also, The Custom House. The Norman B. Leventhal Walk to the Sea. , The Walk to the Sea encompasses four centuries of Boston history. Beginning at the State House on Beacon Hill, overlooking Boston's ancient Common, the Walk passes among historic landmarks and skyscrapers. The Walk crosses ground that, centuries earlier, was not ground at all but an active harbor. Boston's history is tied to the sea, whose smells and sounds once pervaded the town. The Walk from summit to sea, spanning one mile and descending a hundred feet, brings that history to life., Mayor Thomas Menino dedicated the Norman B. Leventhal Walk to the Sea in 2008. For more information, explore The Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library (www.maps.bpl.org). , The Waterfront Then and Now , The shipbuilding industry that enlivened Boston’s waterfront for two centuries ended with the advent of steamships around the time of the Civil War. Port operations diminished. Boston’s maritime infrastructure became obsolete., In the 20th century, the proud Custom House came to dominate a waterfront in decline. Instead of shipped goods, the vacant wharves began to store a different kind of commodity , parked cars for downtown office workers., Within a generation, however, the bustle at Boston’s waterfront returned. The ships and longshoremen were gone. Great granite warehouses were converted to apartments, and cultural institutions, such as the New England Aquarium, were built. Hotels took choice waterfront locations. Tourist cruises and pleasure boats re-enlivened the docks. Today, the waterfront is once again crowded with activity, its uses re-imagined., The Custom House , The Walk to the Sea intersects two other historic trails through Boston, the Freedom Trail and the Black Heritage Trail., The Greek Revival style of the Custom House, completed in 1847, reflected both contemporary fashion and the building’s lofty purpose. The customs offices oversaw the sovereign interests of a young state and nation by supervising and taxing cargo., The Custom House was built so close to the water that the bowsprits of arriving ships could touch it, though the shoreline has since moved., Around 1913, the federal government built a 433-foot tower to enlarge the Custom House. For nearly a half century the tower dominated Boston’s skyline, while, ironically, waterfront activity and port services declined., Finally, in the 1960s, investment returned to Boston and new skyscrapers began to form the modern skyline. Boston’s deserted wharves came back to life. Old warehouses and new buildings along the waterfront accommodated apartments, hotels, and cultural activities., In 1995, after undergoing other changes of use, the Custom House was converted to timeshare apartments.