Revere Beach - History

History

In 1875, the Boston, Revere Beach & Lynn Railroad or "Narrow Gauge" came to Revere Beach, making it more accessible and greatly increasing its popularity as a summer recreation area. Various beach-related and recreational buildings sprang up along the beach itself, which was constrained by the nearness of the railroad to the high tide mark.

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 BRB&L 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. Usually, 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 Wild Mouse, the Virginia Reel and many more provided hours of enjoyment for residents and visitors alike. Of course, the biggest attraction was the infamous Cyclone, among the largest roller coasters in the United States and regarded as one of the most extreme coasters ever created. 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). There was also the infamous racing roller coaster Derby Racer that caused numerous deaths and grave injuries in its 25 years of operation, and the Lightning, a member of Harry Traver's "Terrifying Triplets".

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 1930s. Revere Beach is also the site of the original Kelly's Roast Beef that opened up in 1951.