By William C. Lawrence

Until around 1860, Boston's prosperity rested mainly on maritime activities such as shipbuilding, ship chandlery, commerce, and fishing. Yet with the notable exception of Charlestown, Inner Harbor communities do not celebrate their rich maritime histories. And in neighborhoods passed over by previous boom cycles, waterfront development is still a work in progress. East Boston, Chelsea, Charlestown, the Financial District, and South Boston now have a unique opportunity: to develop their waterfronts with attention to historic elements and link them with the water equivalent of the Boston Freedom Trail, a Freedom Sail Trail.

The history of the Inner Harbor is rich in events to commemorate. The first US naval battle, for example, took place on Chelsea Creek in 1776, when the armed schooner Diana, manned by local militia, defeated a British warship. East Boston was home to the design and construction of the American clipper ship in the 1850s. And a flood of immigrants came by sea and arrived in East Boston, our own Ellis Island.

But a tour of the Inner Harbor today would reveal little of its seafaring past. The most impressive display is at the 30-acre National Park Service property in the Charlestown Navy Yard, which houses the USS Constitution; the only other significant celebration of the harbor's past is the Boston Tea Party ship at Fort Point Channel.

Here are two examples of how communities could build on the maritime past:

In East Boston, property next to Piers Park owned by Massport is a potential site for a museum celebrating the neighborhood's shipbuilding history. Across from the Financial District, this site affords views of the downtown waterfront and skyline. Parking and access from the land are difficult, but water access could be excellent from the ferry terminal next to the Blue Line subway terminal. And the Clipper Ship Foundation is seeking funds to build and berth a clipper ship replica. East Boston's fledgling historic society could help steer development plans.

In Chelsea, in an attempt to bring new life to 60 acres of defunct oil tank farms along the creek, the city is working with the owner of these parcels to consider uses such as housing, restaurants, and hotels. New development could incorporate themes from the first naval battle and the ferries and cargo ships that operated around the port.

Such a ``Freedom Sail Trail'' could link harbor areas by re-creating pieces of Boston's history that remain largely untold today.

William C. Lawrence, formerly director of seaport planning and development for Massport, is a principal of Cityscope Advisors, Westwood.