Sailors' Snug Harbor of Boston Records 1852-1975 Guide to the Collection The Sailors' Snug Harbor of Boston records are stored offsite and must be requested at least one business day in advance. Contact the Library at library@masshist.org or (617) 536-1608 to request materials. Please discuss your request with the reading room staff before requesting cartons by barcode.

Table of Contents Collection Summary Biographical Sketch Sources Collection Description Related Materials Acquisition Information Restrictions on Access Organization Detailed Description of the Collection Preferred Citation Access Terms

Collection Summary

Biographical Sketch

The Sailors' Snug Harbor of Boston was incorporated in 1852 by Josiah Bacon, Robert Bennet Forbes, and others for the purpose of "relieving and supporting decrepit, infirm or aged sailors," by providing them with a permanent home and provision for old age. R.B. Forbes was the first president. In 1856 a home was constructed at Germantown, Quincy, Mass. By 1947, enrollment in the Sailors' Snug Harbor had dropped to the extent that the trustees voted to sell the Germantown property to the City of Quincy. The sale was finalized in 1949, and an arrangement was concluded with the National Sailors' Home at Powder Point, Duxbury, Mass., to admit and care for men from Sailors' Snug Harbor in the same manner as their own men. The two organizations still existed independently, but residents from both organizations lived together at the National Sailors' Home's Powder Point facility in Duxbury. The Sailors' Snug Harbor purchased that property from the National Sailors' Home on 1 Oct. 1957, and the National Sailors' Home members were disbursed elsewhere. In 1971, Sailors' Snug Harbor's nine remaining residents were found alternative lodgings and the property was conveyed to the Trustees of Powder Point Realty Trust in July 1974. The Sailors' Snug Harbor (headquartered in Boston) continues to the present as a grant-making foundation providing non-residential services to the general aged population in greater Boston and for programs related to the "sea."

Sources

For more information, please refer to the following:

Sailors' Snug Harbor of Boston 150th Anniversary Report (Sailors' Snug Harbor, 2002).

Collection Description

The Sailors' Snug Harbor records consist of two cartons and encompass the years 1852-1975. The collection includes records of both the Sailors' Snug Harbor and the National Sailors' Home, which was located first in Wollaston, Mass., and moved to Powder Point, Duxbury, Mass., in 1931. There are two series in the collection: Sailors' Snug Harbor records (Series I) and National Sailors' Home records (Series II). Each series is subdivided into chronological records (A) and subject files (B). Series I also includes bound volumes (C). Sailors' Snug Harbor records date from 1852-1975, and include trustees' minutes, reports, some correspondence, and subject files on topics such as admissions, cemeteries and burials, legacies, real estate, mortgages, and history. There are also three expense account volumes (1942-1967), and one volume of trustees' records (1878-1957). The National Sailors' Home records date from 1891 to 1958 (bulk dates are 1924-1944), and include some correspondence, superintendent's reports, and subject files on topics such as admissions, cemeteries and burials, history, the Powder Point facility dedication (1931), publicity, real estate, and veterans.

Related Materials

The Massachusetts Historical Society owns the Robert Bennet Forbes papers, 1817-1967, including his diaries, kept from 1840-1889, which contain references to his involvement in Sailors' Snug Harbor. Finding aid available at: http://www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0039.

Acquisition Information

The collection was deposited by Sailors' Snug Harbor of Boston, Inc., on 5 February 2004.

Restrictions on Access

The Sailors' Snug Harbor of Boston records are stored offsite and must be requested at least one business day in advance. Contact the Library at library@masshist.org or (617) 536-1608 to request materials. Please discuss your request with the reading room staff before requesting cartons by barcode.

Organization of the Collection

The collection is organized into the following series:

Detailed Description of the Collection

Preferred Citation

Sailors' Snug Harbor of Boston records, Massachusetts Historical Society.

Access Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.