Deer Island (Massachusetts)
Encyclopedia
Deer Island is a peninsula in Boston Harbor
, Massachusetts
. Since 1996 it is part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
. Although still an island by name, Deer Island has been connected to the mainland since the former Shirley Gut channel, which once separated the island from the town of Winthrop
, was filled in by the New England Hurricane of 1938
. Today Deer Island is best known as the location of the Deer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant
, whose 150 feet (45.7 m) egg-like sludge digester
s are major harbor landmarks.
The island has a permanent size of 185 acre (0.7486691 km²), plus an intertidal zone
of a further 80 acres (323,748.8 m²). Two-thirds of the island's area is taken up with the waste water plant, which treats sewage from 43 nearby cities and towns and is the second largest such plant in the United States
. The remainder of the island consists of park land surrounding the treatment plant, and offers walking, jogging, sightseeing, picnicking, and fishing.
.jpg)
It was once leased to Sir Thomas Temple
(1614–1674), a British proprietor and governor of Nova Scotia, and said to be a descendent of the renowned Lady Godiva
of Coventry
although this descent was debunked by E. A. Freeman in the 19th century. Sir Thomas Temple was also the uncle of John Nelson
(1654–1734), a New England trader and statesman, who owned neighboring Long Island
in Boston Harbor which at one time was also known as "Nelson's Island."
Over the years, Deer Island has had several different uses. During King Philip's War
(also known as Metacomet's War) in the 1670s, it was used as a place of internment
. Christian "Praying Indians"
were moved from Marlborough
and Natick
in spite of the efforts of John Eliot
, the minister of Roxbury
, to prevent it. Most went to Deer Island, but at least one colony was sent to Long Island.
During the winter of 1675–76 some 500 American Indians
were held on the island and, without adequate food or shelter, many died.
, many sick and poverty-stricken. In 1847, a hospital was established to treat incoming immigrants, and during the following two years approximately 4,800 men, women, and children were admitted. Many recovered and went on to new lives, but more than 800 died. In 1850, an almshouse
was built to house paupers. Opened in 1853, It was administered by the City of Boston.
In 1896 the almshouse facility became one of the short-term prisons for Suffolk County
. The Deer Island House of Correction
existed until 1991, when the prisoners were permanently transferred to the South Bay House of Correction. The Deer Island prison is mentioned in Sylvia Plath
's poem "Point Shirley."
In his book A Short History of Nearly Everything
, Bill Bryson
mentions an experiment done at the military prison on Deer Island. Following the August 1918 flu pandemic, in an attempt to develop a vaccine, 62 volunteers were selected from 300 prisoners. These men were promised pardons if they survived a set of tests. None of the volunteers fell sick, but the ward doctor contracted the disease and died. It is possible that the prisoners became immunized due to exposure to the virus during the weeks preceding the trial, experiencing few symptoms or none at all.
The first sewage treatment plant was constructed on Deer Island in the late 19th century and expanded in the 1960s. The current plant dates from the 1990s.
Boston Harbor
Boston Harbor is a natural harbor and estuary of Massachusetts Bay, and is located adjacent to the city of Boston, Massachusetts. It is home to the Port of Boston, a major shipping facility in the northeast.-History:...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. Since 1996 it is part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area
The Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area is a National Recreation Area situated among the islands of Boston Harbor of Boston, Massachusetts. The area is made up of a collection of islands, together with a former island and a peninsula, many of which are open for public recreation and some...
. Although still an island by name, Deer Island has been connected to the mainland since the former Shirley Gut channel, which once separated the island from the town of Winthrop
Winthrop, Massachusetts
The Town of Winthrop is a municipality in Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population of Winthrop was 17,497 at the 2010 U.S. Census. It is an oceanside suburban community in Greater Boston situated at the north entrance to Boston Harbor and is very close to Logan International...
, was filled in by the New England Hurricane of 1938
New England Hurricane of 1938
The New England Hurricane of 1938 was the first major hurricane to strike New England since 1869...
. Today Deer Island is best known as the location of the Deer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant
Deer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant
The Deer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant run and operated by The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is located on Deer Island, one of the Boston Harbor Islands in Boston Harbor. The water treatment plant cost over 3.8 billion dollars making it the seventeenth most expensive object...
, whose 150 feet (45.7 m) egg-like sludge digester
Sewage sludge treatment
Sewage sludge treatment describes the processes used to manage and dispose of the sludges produced during sewage treatment.-Sources of sludge:...
s are major harbor landmarks.
The island has a permanent size of 185 acre (0.7486691 km²), plus an intertidal zone
Intertidal zone
The intertidal zone is the area that is above water at low tide and under water at high tide . This area can include many different types of habitats, with many types of animals like starfish, sea urchins, and some species of coral...
of a further 80 acres (323,748.8 m²). Two-thirds of the island's area is taken up with the waste water plant, which treats sewage from 43 nearby cities and towns and is the second largest such plant in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The remainder of the island consists of park land surrounding the treatment plant, and offers walking, jogging, sightseeing, picnicking, and fishing.
History
Thomas Temple
Sir Thomas Temple, 1st Baronet was a British proprietor, governor of Acadia/ Nova Scotia...
(1614–1674), a British proprietor and governor of Nova Scotia, and said to be a descendent of the renowned Lady Godiva
Lady Godiva
Godiva , often referred to as Lady Godiva , was an Anglo-Saxon noblewoman who, according to legend, rode naked through the streets of Coventry in order to gain a remission of the oppressive taxation imposed by her husband on his tenants...
of Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
although this descent was debunked by E. A. Freeman in the 19th century. Sir Thomas Temple was also the uncle of John Nelson
John Nelson (merchant)
John Nelson was an English colonial merchant, trader, and statesman, active in New England.-Early life:John Nelson was born near London, England in 1654 to Robert and Mary Nelson...
(1654–1734), a New England trader and statesman, who owned neighboring Long Island
Long Island (Massachusetts)
This article is about the island Long Island, Boston. For other islands called Long Island, see Long Island .Long Island is situated in the middle of Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. The island is part of the City of Boston, and of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area...
in Boston Harbor which at one time was also known as "Nelson's Island."
Over the years, Deer Island has had several different uses. During King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
(also known as Metacomet's War) in the 1670s, it was used as a place of internment
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
. Christian "Praying Indians"
Praying Indian
Praying Indian is a 17th century term referring to Native Americans of New England who converted to Christianity. While many groups are referred to by this term, it is more commonly used for tribes that were organized into villages, known as praying towns by Puritan leader John Eliot.In 1646, the...
were moved from Marlborough
Marlborough, Massachusetts
Marlborough is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 38,499 at the 2010 census. Marlborough became a prosperous industrial town in the 19th century and made the transition to high technology industry in the late 20th century after the construction of the...
and Natick
Natick, Massachusetts
Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Natick is located near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 33,006 at the 2010 census. Only west from Boston, Natick is considered part of the Greater Boston area...
in spite of the efforts of John Eliot
John Eliot (missionary)
John Eliot was a Puritan missionary to the American Indians. His efforts earned him the designation “the Indian apostle.”-English education and Massachusetts ministry:...
, the minister of Roxbury
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was one of the first towns founded in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, and became a city in 1846 until annexed to Boston on January 5, 1868...
, to prevent it. Most went to Deer Island, but at least one colony was sent to Long Island.
During the winter of 1675–76 some 500 American Indians
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
were held on the island and, without adequate food or shelter, many died.
19th-20th century
In the middle of the 19th century, the island was the landing point for thousands of refugees from the Irish Potato FamineIrish Potato Famine (1845–1849)
In Ireland, the Great Famine was a period of mass starvation, disease and emigration between 1845 and 1852. It is also known, mostly outside Ireland, as the Irish Potato Famine...
, many sick and poverty-stricken. In 1847, a hospital was established to treat incoming immigrants, and during the following two years approximately 4,800 men, women, and children were admitted. Many recovered and went on to new lives, but more than 800 died. In 1850, an almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
was built to house paupers. Opened in 1853, It was administered by the City of Boston.
Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Suffolk County has no land border with Plymouth County to its southeast, but the two counties share a water boundary in the middle of Massachusetts Bay.-National protected areas:*Boston African American National Historic Site...
. The Deer Island House of Correction
Deer Island Prison
The Deer Island Prison in Suffolk County, Massachusetts was located on Deer Island in Boston Harbor. Also known as the Deer Island House of Industry and later, House of Correction, it held people convicted of drunkenness, illegal possession of drugs, disorderly conduct, larceny, and other crimes...
existed until 1991, when the prisoners were permanently transferred to the South Bay House of Correction. The Deer Island prison is mentioned in Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath was an American poet, novelist and short story writer. Born in Massachusetts, she studied at Smith College and Newnham College, Cambridge before receiving acclaim as a professional poet and writer...
's poem "Point Shirley."
In his book A Short History of Nearly Everything
A Short History of Nearly Everything
A Short History of Nearly Everything is a popular science book by American author Bill Bryson that explains some areas of science, using a style of language which aims to be more accessible to the general public than many other books dedicated to the subject...
, Bill Bryson
Bill Bryson
William McGuire "Bill" Bryson, OBE, is a best-selling American author of humorous books on travel, as well as books on the English language and on science. Born an American, he was a resident of Britain for most of his adult life before moving back to the US in 1995...
mentions an experiment done at the military prison on Deer Island. Following the August 1918 flu pandemic, in an attempt to develop a vaccine, 62 volunteers were selected from 300 prisoners. These men were promised pardons if they survived a set of tests. None of the volunteers fell sick, but the ward doctor contracted the disease and died. It is possible that the prisoners became immunized due to exposure to the virus during the weeks preceding the trial, experiencing few symptoms or none at all.
The first sewage treatment plant was constructed on Deer Island in the late 19th century and expanded in the 1960s. The current plant dates from the 1990s.
External links
- Deer Island web page, with visitor information.
- Flickr. Photos, Oct. 2009