The Atlantic Dye Wood Company

The Atlantic Dye Wood Company. Harborwalk Boston. , Dye wood, also called logwood, is the heartwood of a tree native to Central America and the Caribbean that was imported, ground, and distilled to produce a deep black-blue dye used to dye leather, silk, cotton, and wood. The Atlantic Dye Wood Company was established in 1879 on the former Aspinwall and Snelling's wharves and was one of just two dye wood operations in Boston at the Time., The second dye wood business was also located along the East Boston waterfront the East Boston waterfront north of Central Square. Along this location were two piers where the raw logwood was unloaded. At the base of the pier were two distilleries with ovens used to extract the dye. Several small structures were located on site for the storage of dye wood and other materials. At the end of the 19th century the revolutionary discovery of synthetic dyes affected the dye wood industry. Artificial dyes were much cheaper and just as brilliant in color as the logwood dyes. By 1900, the property was sold to Merchants Ware House Company and was operated as a variety of warehouses.