Beacon Hill: The North Slope & Its
Context
History - A Time Line
1625 - Reverend William Blaxton settles on what is now the western slope of Beacon Hill
1630 - Governor John Winthrop arrives and renames the area Boston
1725 - A settlement is founded on the north side of one of the three hills that formed the area
1733 - Street pattern set (with the North Slope separated from the South Slope)
late 1800s - Two of the three hilltops razed to be used as fill
1795 - Massachusetts State House constructed, development occurs
1800s - Focal point for Boston's African American community
1800s - Village of small detached and semidetached houses
1823 - Raids occur to rid area of its unsavory element
1870-1890 - African Americans leave for better quality of life
1895-1910 - Italian and Jewish immigrants move to area
early 1900s - Four to five story tenements are constructed on existing street grid to meet demand
1910 - Charles River Dam completed, eliminates tidal mud flat
1912 - West Boston Bridge (to Cambridge) opens, automobiles and subway are routed through
mid 1900s - Italian and Jewish immigrants leave for better quality of life
1960s - Rapidly deteriorates
late 1900s - Gentrification occurs, now one of the most expensive residential areas in Boston
Source: Michael Sable, "The Other Beacon Hill-The North Side," 2001