Wollaston Beach
Encyclopedia
Public
In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
beach located along Quincy Shore Drive in the Wollaston, section of Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy, Massachusetts
Quincy is a city in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Its nicknames are "City of Presidents", "City of Legends", and "Birthplace of the American Dream". As a major part of Metropolitan Boston, Quincy is a member of Boston's Inner Core Committee for the Metropolitan Area Planning Council...
. It is located on Quincy Bay
Quincy Bay
Quincy Bay is the largest of the three small bays of southern Boston Harbor, part of Massachusetts Bay and forming much of the shoreline of the city of Quincy, Massachusetts. Locally in the Wollaston neighborhood of Quincy it is known as Wollaston Bay...
, part of Boston Harbor
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:...
. It is cared for by the Friends of Wollaston Beach (FWB), and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). At its northern end is the Moswetuset Hummock
Moswetuset Hummock
Moswetuset Hummock is a wooded historic place in Quincy, Massachusetts. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.The site is located at the northern end of Wollaston Beach along Quincy Bay on East Squantum Street near the junction with Quincy Shore Drive...
. It is formally part of Quincy Shore Reservation, which was created by an act of the Mass. Legislature in 1899. Quincy Shore Drive was completed and opened to the public on May 30, 1908, which is considered to be Wollaston Beach's birthday, as the completed roadway connected the small beach known as 'Wollaston' at Beach street, with Atlantic, and Fenno beaches.
Wollaston beach is the largest Boston Harbor beach with roughly 2.3 miles of shoreline, and features a continuous walkway
Foreshoreway
A foreshoreway is a type of greenway that provides a public right of way along the edge of a waterbody.Foreshoreways are usually focused on sustainable behaviours and hence are a common facility for sustainable transport. The terminology was derived to assist to avoid the perception of a pavement...
, a seawall, parking space, and concession stands and park areas on the land side of Quincy Shore Drive. The views from Wollaston beach include Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, including South Boston and the Edison power plant there; parts of Quincy
Quincy
-People:*Saer de Quincy, 1st Earl of Winchester, Norman nobleman*Roger de Quincy, 2nd Earl of Winchester, Norman nobleman*Quincy Jones , American record producer and musician-Places:France*Quincy, Cher, a commune in the Cher département in France...
, including Houghs Neck to the Southeast, and Squantum to the Northeast. The major Boston Harbor Islands that are visible are Moon, Long, Georges and Peddocks, with Spectacle visible over the causeway between Squantum and Moon Island. Boston Light is visible just North (left) of Peddocks Island, the HULL1 Wind Turbine (~200 ft) is visible beyond Peddocks, and The HULL2 Wind Turbine (330 ft) is visible beyond Houghs Neck. A 400 ft Wind Turbine is being considered for Moon Island, which is owned by the City of Boston.
The 1/2 acre Hangman Island is barely visible right in the middle of Quincy Bay. It is situated 2 miles from Moon Island, Nut Island, and the shoreline of Wollaston Beach.
The Friends of Wollaston Beach host regular events and fundraisers, and the beach has been deemed safe for swimmers by the Quincy Health Department. Wollaston Beach is also a favorite recreation area for boating and fishing, as several fishing and sailing tournaments are held each year. The Squantum
Squantum Yacht Club
The Squantum Yacht Club was founded in 1890 by like-minded individuals in order to help promote sailing and boatsmanship on Boston's south shore...
and Wollaston Yacht Clubs are located on the Beach and was founded in 1898. The Club hosts several of these tournaments each year.
History
In the 1980s, Massachusetts BayMassachusetts Bay
The Massachusetts Bay, also called Mass Bay, is one of the largest bays of the Atlantic Ocean which forms the distinctive shape of the coastline of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. Its waters extend 65 miles into the Atlantic Ocean. Massachusetts Bay includes the Boston Harbor, Dorchester Bay,...
, Wollaston Beach included, was one of the most polluted areas in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
due to a waste-disposal system that discharged approximately 138 ton
Ton
The ton is a unit of measure. It has a long history and has acquired a number of meanings and uses over the years. It is used principally as a unit of weight, and as a unit of volume. It can also be used as a measure of energy, for truck classification, or as a colloquial term.It is derived from...
s of waste each day into Boston Harbor, from the Nut Island plant at the end of Houghs Neck. The outfall pipe was known as the 'bubbler'. Officials permanently closed the beach to shell fishing and even swimmers. In 1982, the city of Quincy successfully sued the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for violating the Clean Water Act
Clean Water Act
The Clean Water Act is the primary federal law in the United States governing water pollution. Commonly abbreviated as the CWA, the act established the goals of eliminating releases of high amounts of toxic substances into water, eliminating additional water pollution by 1985, and ensuring that...
. The city of Quincy has been a leader in environmental cleanup around Massachusetts Bay and, in 1988, a program was established to help clean up Massachusetts Bay beaches, and testing along Wollaston Beach has demonstrated since 2006 that it is once again safe for swimming and recreation.
In 1990, Massachusetts Bay was selected by the Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
as an Estuary of National Significance. Despite the environmental challenges, Wollaston Beach continues to be a well-known spot for walking along the boulevard and sun bathing.