The Friends of the Boston Harborwalk, affiliated with Boston Harbor Now, is involved in a multi-year effort to add engaging, inclusive, and stylistically consistent interpretive signs along Boston’s 43-mile Harborwalk, including right here in East Boston.
If you’ve walked along the new segments of the Harborwalk in Eastie recently, the signs you see are the result of the ongoing effort by the two waterfront advocacy groups.
So far 11 signs at Boston East, The Mark, Clippership Wharf, and one at the shipyard have been installed that give visitors a history of the locations along Eastie’s shores from shipbuilding to immigration.
“Our researchers-writers create the content pro bono,” said volunteer and lead from the Friends of the Boston Harborwalk/Boston Harbor Now Signage Committee Liz Nelson Weaver. “The developer or property owner pays for design, manufacture, and installation. In total, 30 signs our team created are in place in four Boston neighborhoods. Each sign is 42” x 24”. We work closely with all stakeholders to enhance the Harborwalk for the enjoyment of residents and visitors.”
Weaver said Friends of the Boston Harborwalk/Boston Harbor Now are currently working on a sign about Eastie immigration that will be installed on Harborwalk at Portside at Pier One.
“I’m searching for a photograph I can use on the lower panel that captures the impact of the more recent waves of immigrants,” said Waever. “The photo could be of one of the festivals that includes folks from various countries. Or it could be some community activity that drew folks from many different countries. Many community events have been cancelled since March 2020, so it’s absolutely fine if the photo is from 2018, 2019 or earlier.”
Anyone in possession of such a photo can email it to [email protected].