Boston Navy Yard The Boston Navy Yard , originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard , was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy . Established in 1801 , it was officially closed as an active naval installation on July 1 , 1974 , and the property was transferred to the National Park Service to be part of Boston National Historical Park . Enough of the yard remains in operation to support the USS " Constitution " . The USS " Cassin Young " , a World War II - era destroyer serving as a museum ship , is also berthed here . Among people in the area and the National Park Service , it is still known as the Charlestown Navy Yard . The South Boston Naval Annex was located along the waterfront in South Boston . History . The earliest naval shipbuilding activities in Charlestown , Massachusetts , began during the American Revolutionary War . The land for the Charlestown Navy Yard was purchased in 1800 and the yard itself established shortly thereafter . The yard built the first U . S . ship of the line , USS " Independence " , but was primarily a repair and storage facility until the 1890s , when it started to build steel ships for the " New Navy " . By then , it was called the Boston Navy Yard . On June 24 , 1833 , the staff and dignitaries including Martin Van Buren , Secretary of War Lewis Cass , Secretary of the Navy Levi Woodbury , and many Massachusetts officials , witnessed " one of the great events of American naval history " : the United States frigate Constitution was inaugurating the first naval drydock in New England designed by prominent civil engineer Loammi Baldwin , Jr . . On March 14 , 1975 , the historic ship floated out of the dock — the last commissioned vessel to use the facility . The ropewalk supplied cordage used in the Navy from the time it opened in 1837 until the Yard closed in 1975 . After the Civil War , the Yard was downgraded to an Equipment and Recruit Facility . In the 1890s , the Navy began expanding and that brought new life to the Yard . In the first years of the 20th century , a second drydock was added . During WWII , it worked to fix British Ships damaged by the Germans . On 27 September 1941 Liberty Fleet Day Boston launched two destroyers USS " Cowie " and USS " Knight " . In November 1941 , Boston was one of four United States naval shipyards selected to build Captain class frigate s as Lend - Lease for the Royal Navy . Since the United States was at war when these ships were completed , some were used by the United States Navy as destroyer escort s . In the post war period , the shipyard modified World War II ships for Cold War service through Fleet Rehabilitation and Modernization ( FRAM ) . The Korean War and Vietnam War didn ' t bring much work to the Yard since it was so far from the fighting . Present day . The Yard closed after the Vietnam War . When ideas were floated for redevelopment of the yard , one popular idea was to have the yard turned into a construction yard for oil tankers . Ultimately , these plans fell through , and the site became part of the Boston National Historical Park . Its mission is , " to interpret the art and history of naval shipbuilding . " The Charlestown Navy Yard hosts many attractions . The fully commissioned and the museum ship are tied up at Pier 1 and open to the public ( as the " Constitution " is a US Navy ship , consult her official website before visiting ) . The Navy Yard also hosts the USS " Constitution " Museum . Drydock No . 1 is still used for ship maintenance , mostly on historic vessels . The Yard is toward the North end of the Freedom Trail and is seen by thousands every year . The MBTA Water Shuttle stops at nearby Pier 3 , providing easy visitor access to the Yard .