Swan Boats – Operatic Grandeur
The magnificent Swan Boats at the Public Garden lagoon were created in 1877 by two Irish immigrants, Robert Paget and his wife Julia (Coffey) Paget.
A boatbuilder by trade, Robert developed a catamaran propelled by foot pedals to sail around the quarter mile lake. He designed a swan to cover the captain pedaling the boat, an idea inspired by the popular Wagner opera, Lohengrin, featuring a dashing knight who arrives by swan boat to rescue a lady in distress. The boats were an immediate success.
“The swan-gondolas that sail so gracefully on the bosom of the lake are beautiful and picturesque additions to the scene,” wrote The Boston Globe on June 16, 1877, while advocating for the boats to operate on Sunday, the Sabbath.
Robert died in 1878, and for the next 36 years Julia, with four children, kept the business thriving before passing it on to her son John, who passed it to his son Paul. Four generations later, the swan boats are run by Lyn Paget, the great-granddaughter of Julia and Robert.
While visiting the Public Garden, don’t miss the statue of Colonel Thomas Cass, also an Irish immigrant who bravely led the 9th Irish Regiment into battle during the Civil War.
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