Neighbors aim to silence Old Ironsides? cannons
By Hillary Chabot
Old Ironsides? upscale Charlestown neighbors are trying to pull off what British, French and Barbary pirate guns failed to accomplish in more than two centuries - silencing the cannons of the nation?s oldest commissioned naval vessel.
Miffed residents of a posh condo complex have invited the commanding officer of the USS Constitution over for a glass of wine so he can hear for himself that the frigate?s twice-daily cannon blasts - a tradition dating to 1798 - are ?more disruptive to the neighborhood than you might have imagined.?
Commanding Officer Timothy Cooper received the most recent complaint two weeks ago from neighbors suggesting naval officers assigned to the historic vessel eliminate the morning and evening blasts on weekends, reduce the size of the gunpowder charge and turn down the volume of the national anthem recording played during the daily flag raising and lowering ceremonies.
?The residential population and congestion of this area has (sic) grown significantly and, it seems to us, that the cannon charge/noise is excessive,? the unidentified resident first wrote in an Aug. 26, 2009, letter obtained by the Herald.
High-end condominium developments have sprung up across from the Charlestown Navy Yard over the past decade, transforming the once hardscrabble waterfront into a toney enclave.
?Over the summer, we have entertained several times, and we have had guests sit up in shock when the cannon goes off,? the resident wrote. ?It has also awakened them at 8 a.m. while they are vacationing and then blasted them again at sunset.?
Cooper, a 39-year-old Marshfield native, said he was surprised by the complaint, but he wants to work with the residents. ?We?re hoping to find a way where we can be good neighbors and maintain the tradition,? he said.
The legendary, 204-foot-long battleship is equipped to hold 44 cannons, but only two take turns shooting a four-foot blast of gunpowder twice a day, Cooper said.
Launched in 1797 and named by President George Washington, the Constitution saw action against the French, Barbary pirates and the British in the War of 1812.
The daily gun salute - halted in the early 1900s and revived in 1975 - requires naval officers to fire from one of the working guns every day at 8 a.m. and again at sunset.
Recent renovations to the ship brought the matter to a head because the booming shot is now closer to the shore.
The unnamed resident, who acknowledged Old Ironsides as ?the country?s most sacred maritime treasure,? complained once in August and again Oct. 20.
The ship?s spokesman, Petty Officer First Class Eric Brown, said halting the cannon fire - or even delaying it - would undermine a time-honored patriotic ritual that draws tourists from land and sea. ?It?s as much a part of Boston as the Red Sox [team stats] and Cheers,? Brown said.
Other nearby residents agreed, including 52-year-old Elizabeth Ames, who lives in a luxury development called The Nautica.
?This is the heart of the city?s history,? Ames said. ?If you don?t like it, don?t live here.?
