Lovells Island facts for kids
Lovells Island is a 62-acre island located in the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area in Massachusetts. It sits about 7 miles offshore from downtown Boston. The island is named after Captain William Lovell, who was an early settler of nearby Dorchester. Lovells Island is well-known for being the site of several shipwrecks. One famous wreck was the 74-gun French warship Magnifique in 1782.
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A History of Shipwrecks and Lifesaving
In December 1786, a passenger boat carrying 13 people crashed near Lovells Island. The boat was coming from Damariscotta, Maine, and heading to Boston Harbor. Even though the boat sank close to shore, everyone made it to land. However, a severe blizzard hit, and 11 people sadly froze to death because they had no shelter or warmth. One man, Theodore Kingsbury, survived the night but passed away after being taken to the hospital.
Two of the people on the boat, a Miss Sylvia Knapp and her fiancé, were found holding each other on a large rock. This rock is now called "Lovers Rock." After this sad event, the Humane Society of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts built lifesaving huts around Boston Harbor in November 1787. One of these important huts was built right on Lovells Island to help future shipwreck survivors.
Who Owned Lovells Island?
Lovells Island has had many different owners over time. In 1767, the town of Charlestown gave the island to Elisha Leavitt Jr. He was from Hingham, Massachusetts, and was known as a Tory. Tories were people who supported the British during the American Revolution. Leavitt also owned Grape Island. The money from selling Lovells Island was used to pay for Charlestown's school.
Native Americans used Lovells Island long ago for fishing, gardening, and trading. Later, people used the island to cut down trees, as a fishing spot, and as a home for the keepers of Boston Light. It was also a place where rabbits were raised.
Lovells Island as a Fort
In the early 1900s, Lovells Island became a buoy tending station. This meant it was a place where boats that maintained ocean buoys would operate from. The island was also fortified with defenses before and during World War I. You can still see the remains of Fort Standish on the island today. This fort was active from 1902 to 1946.
Plants and Nature on the Island
Much of the plant life you see on Lovells Island today is thanks to efforts in the 1930s. The Civilian Conservation Corps, a group that helped people find work during the Great Depression, tried to replant a natural forest on the island. However, many of these trees were cleared when the fort was used again during World War II.
After the war, the island's plants began to grow back naturally. You can now find patches of poplar, pine, and spruce trees. There are also other plants like staghorn sumac, black cherry, chokecherry, apple trees, and gray birch. Common shrubs include bayberry, beach plum, raspberry, Virginia rose, and saltspray rose.
Visiting Lovells Island Today
Today, Lovells Island is a popular place for camping. It has nice picnic areas and walking trails that go through its sand dunes and woods. There is also a swimming beach, but it does not have lifeguards.
On weekends and during summer weekdays, you can take a shuttle boat to Lovells Island from Georges Island. From Georges Island, you can connect to ferries that go to Boston and Quincy. It's a great spot to explore nature and history!
