Shipyard Lane Beach

99 Ship Yard Ln, Duxbury, MA 02332, USA

Town of Duxbury: 781-934-1100

Owned By: Town of Duxbury

• Directions

Shipyard Lane Beach is a small sandy beach property on Duxbury Bay, suitable for fishing, swimming and paddling. Launch your canoe or kayak here to explore the bay. Parking requires a resident sticker.

It’s important to know that some of our fisheries are contaminated with mercury, PFAS and/or other concerning substances. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health maintains an online database with up-to-date advisories regarding fish consumption, sorted by location. We recommend you consult this valuable resource when planning a fishing excursion.

Features

John and Amos Merritt operated a shipyard at this location after 1870. They built the Thomas A. Goddard, a barque. The last vessel to be built in Duxbury, it was launched in 1874.

This property is also known as Ellison Beach. A plaque on site indicates that it was named for Eben Ellison, “whose generous gift of land and money made this beach available for the enjoyment of the citizens of Duxbury.”

Duxbury’s shipbuilding era extended from 1790 to 1850. There were numerous wharves along Duxbury Bay, and more than 25 shipbuilders working both on the bay and on the Bluefish River. Most of the ships constructed there were merchant vessels that sailed to Europe and the Mediterranean. Toward the end of Duxbury’s shipbuilding era, locally-built ships were also used in the domestic cotton trade.

Duxbury’s bay is relatively shallow, making it inhospitable to clipper ships. That combined with the effects of the Financial Panic of 1837 and a scarcity of resources are some of the major circumstances that drew Duxbury’s shipbuilding era to a close.

This land is within the region of the Patuxet Wampanoag tribe, who for centuries have inhabited the area around the Jones River now known as Duxbury, Kingston and Plymouth. To learn more about local Native American tribes, we encourage you to interact with their members. The Mashpee Wampanoag and the Herring Pond Wampanoag share information on their websites.

Habitats and Wildlife

This small sandy beach is located in a sheltered spot on Duxbury Bay. There is also an open grassy area on site.