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Spectacle Island was created by massive glaciers that engulfed present-day New England during the last Ice Age. We know that people began living on Spectacle Island over a millennium ago, utilizing the abundant resources of aquatic life and shellfish nearby for their survival. The island's name was inspired by the shape of two glacial drumlins or hills, connected by a sand bar, which resembled a pair of spectacles to early European explorers.
The arrival of English colonists in Boston Harbor during the 1600s signaled the beginning of great changes for Spectacle Island. The first Bostonians began harvesting lumber for firewood and shipbuilding on islands in the harbor. In 1717, a makeshift quarantine station was built on Spectacle Island in an attempt to prevent the spread of disease in Boston, including the dreaded smallpox. Two summer resorts opened on Spectacle during the 1840s and became infamous for hosting gambling and other illicit activities until the hotels were closed by local authorities some years later.
In 1857, Mr. Nahum Ward built a horse-rendering plant on the island. Two range-lighthouses were also built on Spectacle Island to guide vessels into the inner harbor. In the 1920s, the City of Boston began using a section of Spectacle Island as a municipal garbage dump and grease plant. When the dumping ended in 1959, more than 30 acres had been added to the island, altering its topography forever.
Beginning in 1992, the Central Artery/Tunnel Project began to rehabilitate Spectacle Island. Over 3 million cubic yards of dirt, gravel, and clay excavated during the construction of the Ted Williams Tunnel were used to cap the island, and a seawall was built to prevent the erosion of polluted materials into the harbor. In addition, 2 to 5 feet of topsoil was laid down to allow the growth of trees and shrubs. When the capping was complete, Spectacle Island had passed through yet another metamorphosis, growing to one hundred and five acres.
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