Beacon Hill

Given that Beacon Hill is a residential area, there are a number of ways to reach this historic neighbourhood. For those who happen to live here, there are Resident Parking spots and in order to park here, one requires a permit in the form of a Resident Parking sticker. On the other hand, for those simply visiting this area, there is metered parking available on Charles, Cambridge and Beacon Street along with there being parking garages like One Beacon Garage, Brimmer St- Garage and Center Plaza Garage. When talking about public transportation, the Blue, Green, Red and Orange lines of the MTBA Subway, buses 111, 43, 504, 92 and SL5, and trains Framingham/ Worcester, Greenbush and Haverhill drop off passengers close by, with Park Street, South Station, Bowdoin, Government Center Station and Charles/ MGH being some of the stops.

The Beacon Hill Civic Association was formed in 1922 by residents of the neighbourhood with the intentions of preserving the historic area and preventing any new construction on the land (houses and other structures) and the replacement of the brick sidewalks, a noteworthy feature of Beacon Hill.
Ever since then, the Association has been a major asset to Beacon Hill, has strived towards making the neighbourhood a better place to live in and has taken initiatives such as advocating for resident parking permits, streamlining the trash service and creating a virtual community that seeks to help the older members of the community, along with others.

Beacon Hill in Boston is a neighbourhood that consists primarily of a large number of residential structures occupied by the city’s rich and wealthy. Most of these buildings, that include rowhouses, mansions, apartment complexes and other houses, along with the overall area, are known for their unique architectural features such as red-brick construction, the gaslit narrow streets, brick and cobblestone streets, ornately decorated doors, beautiful iron work etc.

Acorn Street, Louisburg Square, the Harrison Gray Otis House, the Francis Parkman House, Nicolas House Museum along with others are some of the many structures in this neighbourhood that attract visitors. Besides being home to residential buildings, Beacon Hill is lined with small antique stores, bars, restaurants, churches and historic monuments and is thus perfect for permanent residents as well as outsiders.

It was in 1625 when William Blaxton became the first European settler after he built a house and an orchard (a preformal arrangement) in Beacon Hill, on the south slope. Five years later, the Massachusetts Bay Company established their settlement here and began using the southernmost part for military drills as well as grazing animals. When a signal beacon was set up on the hill and the north slope began attracting sailors and British soldiers, the area became undesirable for residents.

There were a few developments in the 18th century, with Beacon Street being constructed, the Massachusetts State House being designed and built, the trimount area being established to accommodate the area’s growing population, the hills being levelled, houses being built and the overall development of Beacon Hill taking place.

The 19th century saw the construction of more buildings like mansions, rowhouses and other residential structures while the 20th century saw the establishment of better transportation facilities, an increase in the city’s economy, building renovations and constructions, the establishment of the Beacon Hill Civic Association and the introduction of bars, restaurants and industries. Today, Beacon Hill is largely occupied by wealthy families and is a popular tourist destination owing to its architecture and proximity to some of the city’s main attractions.