Henderson Boathouse is home to Northeastern University Men's & Women's Rowing.
The Henderson Boathouse is located on Soldiers Field Road in Allston across from WBZ and the Days Inn Hotel.
From the NU campus: Take Forsyth Street to Hemenway Street. Take a right on Hemenway to the traffic light. At the light take a left into Fenway. Follow Fenway around to Boylston Street. Take a left on Boylston, then follow signs for Storrow Drive.
From the West (Massachusetts Turnpike I-90): Take exit 18 off the Massachusetts Turnpike. Upon exiting the tollbooth, follow sign toward Cambridge. Get in the left lane at the first set of lights. Take the first left onto Storrow Drive/Soldiers Field Road.
From the North/South (I-93): Take the Storrow Drive exit off Route 93. Follow Storrow Drive West.
From Storrow Drive/Soldiers Field Road: Just after the Harvard Square exit, get in one of the left lanes. Prepare to follow the road to the left at the split (toward Newton). The boathouse is on the right just past the Days Inn Hotel (which is on the left).
Parking: Use the public parking lot across from the Days Inn (accessible by taking a right at the lights) and park at the far end of the lot. The boathouse is just beyond the parking lot.
Where to watch NU races on the Charles River
The finish line: Located across the street from the Hyatt Regency Hotel at 575 Memorial Drive on the Cambridge side shore of the Charles River.
The MIT Boathouse: Sitting at the 3/4 mark of the race on the Charles River is the MIT Boathouse. The boathouse is at the 1500 meter mark and allows a perfect sight of the boats coming under the Massachusetts Avenue (Harvard) Bridge, as they pass 1500 meters and proceed over the final 500 meters to the finish line.
The Massachusetts Avenue (Harvard) Bridge: At the midway point of the race, the boats cross underneath the Mass. Ave. Bridge. Spectators can stand safely on the bridge, located where Mass. Ave. crosses over the Charles River at the 1000 meter mark, and have an overview of the entire race. |
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Henderson Boathouse Summary & History
The Northeastern rowing teams are blessed with the best course west of Henley-on-Thames, the Charles River, and one of the finest crew homes in America, the Henderson Boathouse. The Charles was first the home course of the Massachusett Indian tribe. It was their waterway to the rich fishing grounds of Boston harbor. Competitive rowing made its debut on the eve of April 18, 1775 when Paul Revere did a power 20 across the Charles River basin to Cambridge to warn the countryside of the oncoming Brits. However, the origin of head-to-head rowing was reserved for the early to mid 19th century and came from two different cultures, the young men of Harvard, and recent immigrants from England and Ireland where the sport was popular.
Harvard kicked off collegiate competition in 1852 and Northeastern joined the Charles River navy in 1965. The river is now the home of 22 men's and women's college crews, which is easily double that of any other body of water. On a given spring Saturday there could be up to 50 races involving 150 shells. And, in the fall the gentle Charles hosts the world famous Head of the Charles Regatta.
The shores of the river are dotted with boathouses both ancient and elegant that reflect the popularity of the sport during the turn of the century. Then there are the newcomers such as Henderson Boathouse, the home of Northeastern rowing. It is a blend of the best of past and present. Renowned architect Graham Gund preserved the Victorian feel of the riverscape while endowing the five-bayed boathouse with the latest in modern technology. Named for benefactors Mary Louise and Ernest Flagg Henderson, it sits on Pebble Beach on the Allston-Brighton shore overlooking historic Mt. Auburn Cemetery.
The boathouse features towers, sloped roofs, dormers and porches, plus an exercise area with a 40-foot high cathedral ceiling. It is the ideal venue for Northeastern's excellent men's and women's crew programs.
The boathouse is named in honor of Ernie Henderson, a longtime member of NU's Board of Trustees and now Vice Chairman Emeritus.
