To Keep Boathouses Private, Harvard to Build Public Dock in Brighton

Harvard agreed to build a public dock at Herter Park in Brighton and pay for its upkeep in exchange for state approval to renovate its two boathouses while keeping them private.

The announcement last week came a decade after Harvard first began fundraising to renovate its century-old Newell and Weld boathouses — which sit on shoreland typically required to be publicly accessible — and seven months after both renovations finished.

The agreement puts an end to criticism from some locals and nonprofits, mainly the Charles River Watershed Association, who said it wasn’t clear whether Harvard’s renovation projects complied with the Massachusetts’ Public Waterfront Act and called for the University to provide greater public benefits.

The law, also known as Chapter 91, requires that all private waterfront constructions “serve a proper public purpose.” Though both boathouses predate the law, their renovations require state approval to ensure Chapter 91 compliance.

The proposal to build an entirely new dock farther down Soldiers Field Road means Harvard can now safely keep its boathouses private.

While no total cost has been announced, the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Master Plan for Christian A. Herter Park puts the expected price of the dock at $650,000, plus a $60,000 one-time payment for upkeep. The new 200-foot floating dock, about a mile down the Charles River from Harvard’s boathouses, will be open to the public, including rowing teams at local high schools.

The new dock will likely be completed in 2026, after going through its own Chapter 91 process.

“Everyone has a right to access and enjoy the waterfront,” Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Bonnie Heiple wrote in a statement last week.

Heiple called the new dock proposal “a living example of how our nation-leading Public Waterfront Act increases the quality of life for all who live in and visit Massachusetts.”

In a written statement last week, Executive Director of Charles River Watershed Association Emily Norton praised Harvard and state agencies for the agreement.

“The public gets enhanced access to the Charles River, which is protected under Massachusetts’ Public Waterfront Act, and collegiate rowers and recreational boaters alike will be able to use and enjoy the river – a win-win,” she wrote.

Harvard spokesperson Amy Kamosa wrote in a statement that the University was “thrilled to enhance public access to this remarkable body of water through the construction and maintenance of a public dock and boat launch at Herter Park.”

The renovations marked the most significant transformation to Newell and Weld since their construction in 1900 and 1906, respectively. The buildings received accessibility improvements, upgraded locker rooms and bathrooms, and exterior repairs and restorations.

Though both boathouses sit on land technically owned by the state, it is unlikely that Newell will return to public stewardship anytime soon. At the time of its construction, Harvard agreed to donate dozens of acres of land elsewhere in exchange for a lease from the state.

The lease lasts for 1,000 years with the option to renew.

—Staff writer Madeline E. Proctor can be reached at maddie.proctor@thecrimson.com.

—Staff writer Jack R. Trapanick can be reached at jack.trapanick@thecrimson.com. Follow him on X @jackrtrapanick.