List of National Historic Landmarks in Boston facts for kids

Boston, Massachusetts, is a city full of history! It's home to many special places called National Historic Landmarks. These are buildings, sites, or objects that are super important to the history of the United States. Boston has 57 of these amazing landmarks, which is more than any other big city in the country. This means there's a lot of history packed into Boston!

Exploring Boston's Historic Landmarks

Boston's National Historic Landmarks are found all over the city, from the busy waterfront to the quiet neighborhoods like Jamaica Plain. Each one tells a unique story about America's past.

Historic Buildings and Homes

Many landmarks in Boston are old buildings and houses where important events happened or famous people lived.

• African Meeting House: Built in 1806, this building is the oldest Black church still standing in the U.S. It was a vital place for the Black community and the fight against slavery.

The inside of the African Meeting House.

• Nathan Appleton Residence: This was the home of Nathan Appleton, a businessman who helped grow the textile industry. His daughter, Fanny, married the famous poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow here.

The Nathan Appleton Residence.

• Frederick Ayer Mansion: This mansion is special because its inside was designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, a famous artist. It also has a rare outdoor mosaic by Tiffany.

The Frederick Ayer Mansion.

• Boston Athenaeum: This building houses one of the oldest and largest private libraries in the country. It's a beautiful place for reading and learning.

The Boston Athenaeum.

• Boston Public Library, McKim Building: Built in the 1880s, this grand library was inspired by European libraries. It has amazing murals by John Singer Sargent and a huge, bright reading room called Bates Hall.

The McKim Building of the Boston Public Library.

• First Harrison Gray Otis House: This house was built for Harrison Gray Otis, an important political leader. It was designed by the famous architect Charles Bulfinch.

The First Harrison Gray Otis House.

• William Lloyd Garrison House: This was the home of William Lloyd Garrison, a key leader in the movement to end slavery. He published an anti-slavery newspaper called The Liberator from here.

The William Lloyd Garrison House.

• Gibson House Museum: This Victorian house is unique because it still has its original design, both inside and out. It became a museum in 1957.

The Gibson House Museum.

• Chester Harding House: This Federal-style home belonged to Chester Harding, a well-known portrait artist.

The Chester Harding House.

• Samuel Gridley and Julia Ward Howe House: This house was home to Julia Ward Howe, who wrote "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," and her husband, Samuel Gridley Howe, both strong supporters of ending slavery. It was designed by Charles Bulfinch.

The Samuel Gridley and Julia Ward Howe House.

• William C. Nell House: This was the home of William Cooper Nell, an important abolitionist and advocate for education.

The William C. Nell House.

• Francis Parkman House: This house was the home of Francis Parkman, a famous historian and gardener.

The Francis Parkman House.

• Pierce–Hichborn House: Built around 1711, this is a rare old brick house. It's right next to the Paul Revere House.

The Pierce–Hichborn House.

• William H. Prescott House: Also known as Headquarters House, this 1808 house was designed by Asher Benjamin and was home to the famous blind historian William H. Prescott.

The William H. Prescott House.

• Paul Revere House: This is the oldest house still standing in Boston, built in 1680. It was the home of Paul Revere, a hero of the American Revolution. Today, it's a museum on Boston's Freedom Trail.

The Paul Revere House.

• Ellen Swallow Richards House: This was the home of Ellen Swallow Richards, the first woman to graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the first woman to get an advanced degree in chemistry.

The Ellen Swallow Richards House.

• David Sears House: This grand townhouse from 1816 was owned by David Sears, a Boston developer and politician. It has a beautiful front made of carved granite.

The David Sears House.

• Shirley–Eustis House: Built in the 1740s, this Georgian house was home to two Massachusetts governors: William Shirley and William Eustis.

The Shirley–Eustis House.

• Charles Sumner House: This Federal-style townhouse from around 1806 was the home of Charles Sumner, a U.S. Senator and a strong voice against slavery.

The Charles Sumner House.

• William Monroe Trotter House: This house was home to William Monroe Trotter, an African-American journalist and Harvard graduate. Important meetings of Black activists, including W. E. B. Du Bois, took place here.

The William Monroe Trotter House.

• Union Oyster House: Opened in 1826, this is the oldest restaurant in the United States that's still operating! The building itself is even older, from the early 1700s.

The Union Oyster House.

Important Public Spaces and Institutions

Boston also has landmarks that are public spaces, hospitals, and cultural centers.

• Arnold Arboretum: This beautiful arboretum (a place where many different trees and plants are grown) is owned by Harvard University. It was designed in 1872 by Frederick Law Olmsted, a famous landscape architect.

The Arnold Arboretum.

• Beacon Hill Historic District: This historic neighborhood is famous for its beautiful architecture, including buildings designed by Charles Bulfinch. Many famous people, including politicians and business leaders, have lived here.

Acorn Street in the Beacon Hill Historic District.

• Boston Common: Established in 1634, the Common is the oldest public park in the United States. It's a beloved green space in the heart of the city.

An aerial view of Boston Common.

• Boston Public Garden: This was the first public botanical garden in the country. It was designed in the 1860s in a beautiful French style.

The Boston Public Garden.

• Ether Dome, Massachusetts General Hospital: This was the operating room of the Massachusetts General Hospital from 1821 to 1867. It's where the first public demonstration of using ether as an anesthetic (to make people feel no pain during surgery) happened.

The Ether Dome at Massachusetts General Hospital.

• Fenway Studios: This building was specially built in 1904–1905 to be studios for artists, in the Arts and Crafts style.

Fenway Studios.

• Harvard Stadium: Built in 1903, this stadium was a model for many other stadiums. At the time, it was the largest building made from reinforced concrete.

An aerial view of Harvard Stadium.

• Massachusetts General Hospital, Bulfinch Building: This is the original building for the Massachusetts General Hospital, one of the first public hospitals in the nation. It was designed by Charles Bulfinch and includes the famous Ether Dome.

The Bulfinch Building at Massachusetts General Hospital.

• Massachusetts Historical Society Building: This building, built in 1899, is home to the Massachusetts Historical Society, which was founded in 1791 and is the oldest historical society in the U.S.

The Massachusetts Historical Society Building.

• Massachusetts Statehouse: This is the state's capitol building, where the government meets. It was built in the 1790s by Charles Bulfinch. Its famous dome was originally covered in copper by Paul Revere and is now covered in gold leaf.

The Massachusetts Statehouse.

• New England Conservatory of Music (Jordan Hall): The conservatory's 1903 building includes Jordan Hall, a performance space known for its amazing sound quality.

The balcony inside Jordan Hall.

• New England Hospital for Women and Children (Dimock Community Health Center Complex): Opened in 1872, this was the first public hospital in New England run by women doctors. It's now called the Dimock Center.

The Dimock Community Health Center Complex.

• Old City Hall (Boston): This building was one of the first in the U.S. designed in the Second Empire style. It served as Boston's city hall from 1865 to 1969.

Boston's Old City Hall.

• Quincy Market: Built in the 1820s, this market was designed by Alexander Parris. It's a very popular place for tourists today.

Quincy Market.

• Symphony Hall, Boston: This hall has been the home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since it was built in 1900. It's famous for its excellent acoustics, meaning the sound is incredible inside.

Symphony Hall.

• Tremont Street Subway: This is the oldest subway tunnel in North America! It started running in 1897 and is still used today.

An old photo of the Tremont Street Subway.

Churches and Meeting Houses

Several churches and meeting houses in Boston are also National Historic Landmarks, important for their history and architecture.

• Central Congregational Church (Church of the Covenant): This church has the largest complete Tiffany-designed interior in its original location in America.

The Central Congregational Church.

• King's Chapel: This church was built on the site of Boston's first Anglican (Church of England) church. Today, it's home to a Unitarian Universalist group.

King's Chapel.

• Old North Church: Built in 1723, this is the oldest active church building in Boston. It's famous for being where Paul Revere had lanterns hung ("one if by land, two if by sea") to warn about British troop movements before the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

The Old North Church.

• Old South Church in Boston: Built in 1873, this church is home to one of Boston's oldest groups of worshipers, started in 1670.

The Old South Church in Boston.

• Old South Meeting House: This building from 1729 was where the Boston Tea Party was planned on December 16, 1773. It was also a place for many other important public meetings during the American Revolution.

The Old South Meeting House.

• Old West Church (Boston, Massachusetts): This church, built in 1806, stands on the site of an earlier church known for its opposition to British rule. A famous preacher here, Jonathan Mayhew, might have even created the phrase "no taxation without representation".

The Old West Church.

• Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston: This Greek Revival church was built in 1819. It was the first Episcopal church built in Boston after America became independent.

The Cathedral Church of St. Paul.

• Trinity Church, Boston: Built in the 1870s, this church is a great example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style of architecture. It's considered one of the "Ten Most Significant Buildings in the United States" by the American Institute of Architects.

Trinity Church.

Historic Ships and Waterfront Sites

Boston's history is also tied to the sea, with several maritime landmarks.

• Boston Light: This is the second oldest lighthouse still standing in the U.S. It's on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor. It's also the only lighthouse that is always staffed by the United States Coast Guard.

Boston Light.

• Boston Naval Shipyard: This is one of the oldest shipyards in the U.S. It's home to two other National Historic Landmark ships: the USS Constitution and the USS Cassin Young. It also has the only surviving "ropewalk" (a long building where ropes were made) that hasn't been moved or changed much.

The Boston Naval Shipyard.

• USS Cassin Young (DD-793): This was a Fletcher|destroyer ship launched during Second World War. It fought in important battles like the Battle of Leyte and the Battle of Okinawa.

The USS Cassin Young.

• USS Constitution: This ship is the world's oldest floating warship that is still officially in service! Launched in 1797, it fought in the War of 1812. Today, it's a museum ship.

The USS Constitution firing a salute.

• Lightship No. 112, "Nantucket": This was the largest lightship (a ship that acts like a lighthouse) ever built. It was also the last active lightship when it was named a landmark.

The Lightship Nantucket.

• Long Wharf and Custom House Block: This wharf was built in the early 1700s and was one of the busiest trading spots in Great Britain's North American colonies for many years.

Long Wharf.

• Roseway (Schooner): Launched in 1925, this wooden sailing ship was mainly used for racing.

The schooner Roseway.

Revolutionary War Sites

Several landmarks are important for their connection to the American Revolution.

• Bunker Hill Monument: This monument was built in the mid-1800s on Breed's Hill. This is where most of the fighting happened during the 1775 Battle of Bunker Hill.

The Bunker Hill Monument.

• Faneuil Hall: This famous market building and meeting house was built in the 1760s. Many public meetings took place here during the American Revolution.

Faneuil Hall.

• Fort Warren: This 19th-century fort was built in Boston Harbor. It was used through the First World War and is named after Dr. Joseph Warren, a Revolutionary War leader who died at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

The walls of Fort Warren.

• Old State House: Built in 1712, this building was where the Massachusetts colonial and state government met until 1793. The Boston Massacre happened right outside this building on March 5, 1770.

The Old State House.

National Park Service Historic Areas in Boston

Besides the National Historic Landmarks, some other important historic places are managed by the National Park Service. These sites are already highly protected and are very important to the nation's history.

• Boston African American National Historic Site: This site includes 15 locations, with the African Meeting House and the Abiel Smith School being two of them. These sites are connected by the Black Heritage Trail and tell the story of Boston's African American community.
• Boston National Historical Park: This park includes eight sites around Boston, many of which are part of the famous Freedom Trail.

See also

• List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Boston, Massachusetts