Union Wharf

Union Wharf, located on the Boston waterfront opposite the North End, is an irregularly shaped bulkhead extending west from the Inner Harbor some 590 feet to, and including the building at 295-353 Commercial Street. It comprises 114,267 square feet. Lincoln Wharf sits to the north, Sargent's Wharf to the south thus creating a series of finger-like pro- jections into the Inner Harbor. The westernmost part of the Union Wharf bulkhead is a granite block pier dating from about 1795. Both the granite seawall and the area support- ed on pilings have been expanded greatly over the years. Six buildings sit upon Union Wharf. Of these, the only historically important structure is a massive granite faced warehouse located at the northwest section of the property.

Built in 1846-1847, this rectangular structure of dark, rough-faced granite (probably from Quincy) measures 92 feet wide by 290 feet long (9bays wide by 27 bays deep). Its western gable end faces Commercial Street. The westernmost portion, which is 15 bays long, is five stories high with basement. The fifth level is a late nineteenth century brick addition which resembles a continuous flat roofed dormer at eaves level. This western portion of the warehouse is covered by an asphalt shingle roof which was originally slate. Brick party walls extend above the roofline. The eastern portion of the warehouse is 12 bays long, rises only three stories, and has a flat tar and gravel roof without dormers. slate gable roof with small dormers.

tonmerby, Tho nng sing sioh This portion was originally the same height as the other end of the bulding thereby creating a large, four story rectangle covered by a The missing story and gable roof at the eastern portion were removed c.

(in one paragraph) Builder/Architect unknown Union Whart possesses integrity of location, design, setting, materials and workmanship. As one of the few remaining waterfront warehouses, it distinctively illustrates the granite constructuion which characterized Boston's mid-nineteenth century commercial/ warehouse structures. Further, it is representative of the major role which the Port of Boston played in nineteenth century shipping. Boston, which began to develop as a port shortly after its settlement in 1639, was a small, hilly peninsula at the time.

However..."from the early years of the settlement merchant owners of waterfront property were constantly building wharves into the harbor, and thus began the inexorable encroachment of land upon water that has marked the history of Boston." The area where Union Wharf is now located was gradually wharfed out as trade prospered to create more space. By the early eighteenth century, there were "upwards of forty wharves, more than one dozen shipyards and six rope walks". During the eighteenth ... and nineteenth centuries small holdings were gradually consolidated, and shipwrights were forced to relocate in areas like East Boston as mercantile activities became increas- ingly profitable.

While a portion of the Union Wharf bulkhead was constructed in the late eighteenth century It did not assume its present form, or achieve any real significance, until 1845 when it was sold to John L Gardner, a merchant then operating out of India Wharf. He expanded the wharf to the north to create a larger building site and erected the granite warehouse which is the major structure occupying the wharf today.