Watgunge is named after Colonel Henry Watson (1737–1786), who set up the first dockyard in Bengal.

[1] Colonel Watson started building the shipbuilding docks in 1779 in the present Watgunge area.

[2] Watgunge was included in the Kolkata municipal area in 1888.

[3] In 1888, one of the 25 newly organized police section houses was located in Watgunge.

[5] Watgunge Women police station, located at the same address as above, covers all police districts under the jurisdiction of the Port division i.e. North Port, South Port, Watgunge, West Port, Garden Reach, Ekbalpur, Nadial, Rajabagan and Metiaburuz.