Revere Beach
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The city of Revere, Massachusetts is best known for its beach: Revere Beach. In the past, it was known as the Coney Island of New England. More than 250,000 bathers would relax along Revere's shores on hot summer afternoons.
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[edit] History
In 1896, the Beach was taken over by the Metropolitan Park Commission (which was later to become the Metropolitan District Commission). That year, the process of clearing the beach of the buildings and moving the narrow gauge tracks of the Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn Railroad back to the alignment now used by the MBTA Blue Line began. On July 12, Revere Beach was opened as the first public beach in the nation. Thanks to the design of landscape architect Charles Eliot, Revere Beach was "the first to be set aside and governed by a public body for the enjoyment of the common people". An estimated 45,000 people showed up on opening day.
At the foot of Beachmont Hill was the Great Ocean Pier, which extended 1,450 feet (442 m) out to Cherry Island Bar, completely roofed over to within 200 feet (61 m) of the end. It was used as a dance pavilion, a sumptuous cafe and a large skating rink, all on a grand scale, with steamer service every half-hour to Boston and Nahant. The foundation required 2,000 piles; 1,200 yards (1,097 m) of canvas covered the piazza and 500,000 shingles were used on the various roofs.
The main entrance to the beach was at Revere Street. A visitor had a number of choices as to where he or she would spend the holiday or vacation. Each presented its own assortment of pleasures but all shared the rolling surf, the beauty of the open sea, the cooling breezes and the view of the crescent shaped beach which extended 4.5 miles (7.2 km) from end to end.
From its inception, Revere Beach was "the people's beach", used mostly by the working class and the many immigrants who chose to settle in the area. Visitors were described in 1909 as "industrious, well-behaved and a really desirable class of people, of many nationalities to be sure, but neighborly and polite…with one another."
When people reminisce about Revere Beach however, it is not the sand and surf they remember most. It is the amusements. The Whip, the Ferris Wheel, Bluebeard's Palace, the Fun House, Hurley's Dodgems, the Pit, Himalaya, Hippodrome, Sandy's, the Mickey Mouse, the Virginia Reel and many more provided hours of enjoyment for residents and visitors alike. Of course, the biggest attraction was the Cyclone, among the largest roller coasters in the United States. Opened in 1927, its cars traveled at a speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) and its climb reached a 100 feet (30 m).
In addition to the sand, surf and amusements, there were two roller skating rinks, two bowling alleys, and numerous food stands. There were also the ballrooms, including the most famous, the Oceanview and the Beachview, each the site of many dance marathons which were popular in the 1930's. Revere Beach is also the site of the original Kellys roast beef that opened up in 1951.
[edit] The End of an Era
The Beach began to deteriorate in the 1950's, and by the early 1970's had become a strip of honky tonk bars and abandoned buildings. The "Great Blizzard of '78"' proved to be the final death knell for the "old" Revere Beach, as many of the remaining businesses, amusements, pavilions and sidewalks and much of the sea wall were all destroyed.
[edit] Revitalization
The Beach was the focus of a major revitalization effort by the MDC and the City in the 1980's and was officially reopened in May 1992. It now boasts high rise housing units, a resanded beach, restored pavilions and a renovated boulevard. On the weekend of July 19, 1996, Revere commemorated the centennial of the first opening of Revere Beach with a spectacular, three-day celebration.
On July 26, 2004, Revere Beach was designated a National Historic Landmark.
