GEOGRAPHY <r 
 
 O 
 
 OF S 
 
 BOSTON, "^ 
 
 ,^ 
 
 WITH :5' (jj^/ '^ 
 
 L NOTE?. 1: ^ ^ y 
 
 HISTORICAL 
 
 BY C; H. SNO^V, M. DA 
 
 Author of the History of Boston 
 
 WITH MAPS AND PLATES. 
 
 jfov tje Youttflet: ©lass ot aaeat(ei;». 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 CARTER AND HENDEE. 
 
 1830. 
 

 DISTRICT 1^ MJ^ACHUSETTS, to vM -. 
 
 ^ /C/ District Clerlfs Office. 
 
 Bb it remembered, tjBgt on*^ twenty-sixth day of July, A.D- 
 1830, in the lifty-fifth yea^f thS^dependence of the United States 
 of America, Abel BowejOf thfr«^id District, has deposited in this 
 office the title of a bocdtT^h^ P^*" thereof he claims as proprietor, 
 in the words followingj^^ wiW^ 
 
 ' A Geography of Boston yQjbunty of Suffolk, and the Adjacent 
 Towns, with Historical Notes. By C. H. Snow, M. D., author of 
 the History of Boston. With IMaps and Plates. For the younger 
 class of readers.' 
 
 In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, en- 
 titled ' An Act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the 
 copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of 
 such copies, during the times therein mentioned ;' and also to an 
 Act entitled ' An Act suplementary to an Act, entitled, an Act for 
 the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of Maps, 
 Charts and Books to the Authors and Proprietors of such copies du- 
 ring the times therein mentioned ; and extending the benefits thereof 
 to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other 
 prints.' 
 
 JNO W DAVIS I Clerk of the District 
 JJNU. w. UAVlb, I of Massachusetts. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 Waitt & Dew's Print, 1^2 Washington-St. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Four years ago, the American Journal of Educa- 
 tion, in recommending the use of a map of Boston, 
 then recently pubUshed, introduced the following 
 remarks : 
 
 ' We would invite the attention of parents and 
 teachers to this map as furnishing the means of 
 pleasing and useful instruction to children. The 
 following course has been satisfactorily pursued 
 with two young pupils. The map is spread on a 
 table, or suspended on the wall, according to con- 
 venience ; and the pupils trace out, slowly and 
 carefully, the various streets which constitute a 
 single ward of the city. They then take their 
 morning's walk, so as to pass through every street 
 in that ward ; and when they return home, they 
 execute first on their slates, and afterwards on pa- 
 per, as accurate a map of the ward as they can fur- 
 nish from memory ; correcting and filling it up 
 more exactly, afterwards, by the help of the en- 
 graved map. In this way, the children become fa- 
 miliarly acquainted with every part of the city, and 
 are prepared to listen intelligently to any conversa- 
 tion or reading in which a local reference occurs. 
 This minute and practical application in early hfe, 
 lays the foundation of good mental habits in every 
 
IV PREFACE. 
 
 department where close investigation or accurate 
 information, is of any value. Besides, these exer- 
 cises in topography are highly entertaining as w^ell 
 as instructive, and give scope to the natural vivacity 
 and activity of childhood, — ^they are connected too 
 with healthful physical recreation. 
 
 * If, as is to he hoped, the author of the History 
 of Boston shall publish an abridged edition of that 
 work, adapted to the use of families and schools, a 
 pleasing course of instruction in local history may 
 be combined with the above exercise, as many of 
 the streets of Boston contain buildings and other 
 objects of great historical interest connected with 
 important events in the history of the country. 
 
 ' In the meantime every parent or teacher who 
 possesses the larger History, can furnish orally the 
 instruction which will be required.' 
 
 The present volume has been compiled in ac- 
 cordance with the suggestions contained in these 
 remarks. Its object will be accomplished, if it shall 
 tend to interest the rising generation in the institu- 
 tions of our fathers, and in any degree to transmit 
 to posterity a portion of their spirit. Having around 
 us so many monuments and memorials to remind 
 us of their piety and their benevolence, of their love 
 of liberty and of learning, we shall prove unworthy 
 sons of such worthy sires, if we suffer the cause of 
 either ofthose virtues to languish through our neglect. 
 
 September, 1830. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Some English people, of very excellent 
 character, began to settle in that part of Mas- 
 sachusetts, which was originally called Plym- 
 outh colony, in the year 1620. The com- 
 pany of emigrants, which laid the foundation 
 of the colony of Massachusetts Bay, properly 
 so called, arrived here from England, mostly 
 in the summer of 1630. The portion of ter- 
 ritory, assigned to them by the authorities in 
 England, embraced the whole of the present 
 State of Massachusetts not included within 
 the bounds of the colony of Plymouth. Their 
 charter also covered an extent of land towards 
 the west, until it should reach the South Sea or 
 Pacific Ocean ; which, owing to the want of 
 accurate geographical knowledge, was at that 
 period very indefinite. 
 
 The number of the first settlers of Massa- 
 chusetts was not far from twelve hundred. 
 These were divided into several companies, 
 which, from choice and for convenience, were 
 distributed about, and located themselves in 
 distinct spots, forming separate communities, 
 called towns. There were six of such 
 towns incorporated, or recognized by the Gen- 
 1* 
 
O INTRODUCTION. 
 
 eral Court, during the first year of the govern- 
 ment. 
 
 By the year 1643, about fourteen years 
 from the first settlement, the number of em- 
 igrants to New England is said to have 
 amounted to 21,200 souls, or thereabout. A 
 large portion of these had settled in Massa- 
 chusetts, so that the number of towns at that 
 time was thirty. The General Court there- 
 fore divided the whole colony into four 
 * shires,' or counties, each containing about an 
 equal number of towns. 
 
 The object of this division was the better 
 administration of the laws, the preservation of 
 peace and order in the community, and the 
 more efiectual protection of the plantation 
 from the attacks of enemies. It had reference 
 both to civil and military affairs, and the com- 
 missions of officers were limited, generally, 
 by the boundaries of their respective shires. 
 
 At the present time, the establishment of 
 counties has reference mainly to the admin- 
 istration of the laws. All transactions, which 
 are the subject of legal investigation, must be 
 tried within the county in which they take 
 place, unless otherwise allowed by special 
 provision of the law. In each county, there 
 are one or more shire towns, so called, in 
 which the courts of law are held, where the 
 records of the county are kept, and the county 
 jails erected. 
 
SUFFOLK COUNTY. 
 
 Suffolk County, at the present day in- 
 cludes only the city of Boston and the town 
 of Chelsea, with the islands appertaining to 
 each. Its bounds run northerly on South 
 Reading and Saugus ; on the east lie the 
 waters of Massachusetts Bay ; on the south, 
 the towns of Dorchester and Roxbury ; on 
 the west, Charles River and the town of Mai- 
 den. Its greatest extent, from the northern 
 extremity of Chelsea to the Dorchester line, 
 is about 11 miles, and from West Boston 
 bridge to the outer harbor, about 10 miles. 
 
 The expenses of the courts of law, within 
 the county, the salaries of the county officers, 
 and the support of the prison, are chargeable 
 to the county ; but by a provision of law, and 
 with the consent of Boston and Chelsea, those 
 expenses are all paid by the city, and the 
 town of Chelsea relinquishes its right to a 
 voice in the management of the pecuniary 
 affairs of the county. The sum annually paid 
 for county purposes amounts to about 30,000 
 dollars, more or less. 
 
 County officers are the judges of the police 
 and municipal courts, and of the court of com- 
 
8 SUFFOLK COUNTY. 
 
 mon pleas, the clerks, attorneys, sheriffs, cor- 
 oners and constables, attached to those courts, 
 or otherwise engaged in the business of the 
 county. The treasurer of the city of Boston 
 is also treasurer of the county of Suf- 
 folk. The property of the county consists 
 of three court houses, the jail and house of 
 correction, and the premises appertaining to 
 them all. The income of the county, by 
 which all its expences are paid, is derived 
 partly from rents, fees, licenses he, and from 
 penalties inflicted on transgressors of the laws, 
 but mostly from taxes assessed on the inhabi- 
 tants of Boston. 
 
 Suffolk county, when first established, 
 comprehended all the towns that now consti 
 tute the counties of Suffolk and Norfolk, 
 together with the towns of Hhigham and Hull, 
 now in Plymouth county. Norfolk county 
 was set off and incorporated in 1793. Suf- 
 folk county is entitled to six members in the 
 Senate of the commonwealth, that being the 
 largest number any district may send. 
 
BOSTON. 
 
 Geographers describe Boston as a peninsu- 
 la ; by which they mean, that it is almost an 
 island, because it is surrounded by water, 
 except at the southern extremity, where it is 
 joined to Roxbury by a narrow neck of land. 
 This peninsula is of irregular shape ; its great- 
 est length from north to south is about three 
 miles, and its breadth, in the widest part from 
 east to west, is a little more than a mile. 
 The latitude of the City Hall is very near 42 
 deg. 21 min. north ; the longitude 71 deg. 3 
 min. 30 sec. west from Greenwich, in Eng- 
 land. 
 
 Boston is the capital, or seat of govern- 
 ment, of the State of Massachusetts, and the 
 shire town of the county of Suffolk. The 
 city received its name, by an order of the 
 court of Assistants, on the 7th day of Septem- 
 ber, 1630, old style ; which corresponds to 
 
10 
 
 GIOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 September 17th, in the present century. The 
 name was appropriated to this place, out of 
 respect to the Rev John Cotton, of Boston 
 in Lincolnshire, England, whom the church 
 here had selected to be their teacher, or min- 
 ister. The assignment of a name, in this 
 manner, is the only record we have of the 
 incorporation of the early towns in this com- 
 monwealth. 
 
 When our ancestors came to this country, 
 Boston and the places around it were inhab- 
 ited by a race of men called Indians, or natives. 
 
 The Indian name of Boston was Shawmut, 
 which is supposed to have signified a spring of 
 water. The first English name given to it, was 
 Trimountain, This literally means three moun- 
 tains ; for Boston was originally composed of 
 
FIRST SETTLEMENT. 11 
 
 three large hills. These have since received the 
 names of Copp's, Fort, and Beacon hills. On 
 the last there were also three distinct eminences, 
 in plain sight from the low grounds of Charles- 
 town, so elivated as to give this hill the appear- 
 ance of a mountain. These eminences have 
 since attained the names of Mount Vernon, 
 Beacon, and Pemberton hills. The modern 
 name of Tremont alludes to the same cir- 
 cumstance. 
 
 One of the first objects, of the principal 
 men who had come to settle in these parts, 
 was to select a suitable place for a capital 
 town. They passed up the My stick and 
 Charles rivers, in hopes to find a better spot 
 than Charlestown, where most of them had 
 located ; but they found no place exactly 
 suited to their wishes. They seem hardly to 
 have looked at Trimountain : and well they 
 might not ; for who should have imagined 
 that three such rugged hills, cut off almost 
 from the main land, could ever be converted 
 into so fair a city as has here risen up ? 
 
 One man, how^ever, the Rev William Black- 
 stone, a very eccentric character, had judged 
 it a spot suited to his own fancy, and had 
 built himself a small cottage on the west side 
 of the peninsula. The people at Charles- 
 town were visited with a mortal sickness, 
 which they attributed to the want of pure wa- 
 ter. Mr Blackstone had found an abund- 
 
 ft ■ T y T~t r^ A TV -^v 
 
 % 
 
12 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 ance near his residence, and is said to have 
 invited them to come over to his side of the 
 river. They accordingly did so, and, from 
 various concurring causes, were induced to 
 determine on making a permanent settlement 
 here. 
 
 Mr Blackstone is thought to have claimed 
 possession of Boston, by right of prior occu- 
 pation ; and it is probable that the emigrants 
 had some understanding with him, when they 
 concluded to settle here ; for shortly after, he 
 received a specific grant of fifty acres near 
 his house, by order of the court. The great- 
 er part of this grant he subsequently relin- 
 quished to the town, for a stipulated sum ; and 
 in a few years, he removed out of the juris- 
 diction, saying that, as he fled from England 
 to avoid the lord-bishops, he must quit Mas- 
 sachusetts to escape from the lord-brethren. 
 The Blackstone river and canal derive their 
 names from him. 
 
 There were many persons of eminence in 
 this company of emigrants, of whom it is prop- 
 er to mention at this time, Mr Isaac John- 
 son and his wife, the Lady Arbella, a daugh- 
 ter of the Earl of Lincoln. The lady died 
 at Salem soon after her landing, and the event 
 spread a general gloom over the colony. Mr 
 Johnson was among those who came to Bos- 
 ton, with the design to make it their place of 
 
DIVISION OF LANDS. 13 
 
 residence, but was cut ofl^by death on the last 
 day of the ensuing September. He was a 
 man of piety, wisdom, and wealth ; ' a prime 
 man,' on whom the hopes of many depended. 
 
 Tlie town records for the first four years 
 after the settlement of Boston, are unfortu- 
 nately lost. The first volume of the present 
 records, which is manifestly an imperfect 
 book, begins with the date of September 1st, 
 1634. We are thus left without any authen- 
 tic record of the course pursued in the divis- 
 ion of land among the inhabitants, and in the 
 establishment of the form of town government. 
 The records of the First Church have been 
 preserved in a perfect state, and in them we 
 })robably have the names of almost all the 
 adult population. 
 
 From the documents which remain, it ap- 
 pears that the most eligible parts of the town 
 were divided into lots of half an acre each, 
 and assigned to individuals. The General 
 Court had also annexed to Boston, the lands 
 in the towns of Chelsea, (then called Winne- 
 simit, and afterwards Rumney Marsh,) Brook 
 line, (then called Muddy river,) and Brain- 
 tree, (then called Mount Wolaston). These 
 lands were mosdy divided by lot, among the 
 townsmen of Boston, according to the number 
 of persons in their families. 
 
 Braintree was separated from Boston and 
 2 
 
14 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 made a town by itself in 1640 ; so was Brook- 
 line, in 1705, and Chelsea in 1738. South 
 Boston was annexed to the city in 1804. 
 
 The form of town government, earliest 
 adopted in Boston, was probably similar to 
 that which prevails in the towns of Massachu- 
 setts at the present day. On the first page of 
 the records, we find mention of the choice of 
 10 men 'to manage the affairs of the town.' 
 These composed a body, clothed with the 
 same powers as Select i. en now are. That 
 name is first apphed to them in 1642. Their 
 number varied in different years ; sometimes 
 seven, eight, or nine only being cliosen. Af- 
 ter the American Revolution, the law of the 
 state provided, that every town should choose 
 either three, five, seven, or nine, to form the 
 board of selectmen, annually. Boston usu- 
 ally chose nine. 
 
 In 1651, a board of Commissioners was 
 created, to consist of seven members, chosen 
 by the town and approved by the court of As- 
 sistants, to determine civil causes of small 
 amount. This board was annually elected 
 until 1691. Since that time, its duties have 
 been performed by Justices of the peace and 
 the inferior courts of law. 
 
 Overseers of the Poor were chosen as early 
 as 1690 ; their powers were defined by law 
 in 1735, '85, and '94 ; their number was in- 
 
TOWN GOVERNMENT. 15 
 
 creased, In process of time, from four to 
 twelve. 
 
 Assessors^ for the purpose of ascertaining 
 the value of property and the amount possess- 
 ed by each individual, that all might be propor- 
 tionably taxed, were early chosen, though not 
 always under this particular name. In 1801, 
 they were formed by law into a regular 
 board, to consist of 24 Assistant Assessors, 
 and three others called Permanent Assessors. 
 The Board of Firewards originated in 1711, 
 and continued in existence throughout the 
 town government. 
 
 The first School Committee consisting of 
 12 gentlemen, was chosen, in 1789, to be 
 joined with the selectmen, in the care of the 
 schools ; previous to which time, the select- 
 men alone were clothed with authority on the 
 subject, although it was their custom to ask 
 the advice and assistance of gentlemen of 
 education, in regard to their duties. 
 
 The regulation of the quarantine of vessels, 
 and of all such affairs as related to the means 
 of averting pestilential diseases, was confided 
 to a Board of Health, consisting of 12 mem- 
 bers. 
 
 In latter years, a Superintendant of police 
 was appointed, who was expected to devote 
 his attention to see that the by-laws of the 
 town were faithfully observed. 
 
16 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 The duties of a Town clerk and Town treas- 
 urer were always required, and such officers 
 were accordingly chosen, at stated times, 
 from the earhest dates. 
 
 Other subordinate officers were also ap- 
 pointed, as the exigencies of the town de- 
 manded. And thus, of various individual of- 
 ficers, and of various boards, having distinct 
 duties, was constituted the Town, Government, 
 which continued in existence till the year 
 1822. 
 
 While the number of people in Boston was 
 small, it is probable they managed their affairs 
 after the manner of a pure democracy, that is, 
 by the decision of the people assembled to- 
 gether in a body. But we have seen that as 
 early as 1634, and most likely earlier, they 
 had delegated a portion of their powers to the 
 board of Select-men, and in the progress of 
 time, almost all the affairs of the town were 
 assigned to separate bodies of town officers. 
 This however had never prevented the people 
 from assembling on emergency in Toivn meet- 
 ing. A certain number of individuals could 
 always obtain a warrant for such meetings, 
 and they were frequently called, to direct the 
 official boards according to the wishes of the 
 majority. 
 
 The town meetings of Boston are famous 
 in history. Whenever the people's rights 
 
CITY GOVERNMENT. 17 
 
 were invaded or endangered, there never 
 were wanting spirits to demand a meeting of 
 the inhabitants, to discuss and adopt the 
 measures necessary for their preservation. It 
 was in these meetings that the American Rev- 
 olution may be said to have been determined 
 upon ; and here, probably for the first time, 
 was uttered, by Samuel Adams, the declara- 
 tion that ' independent we are, and indepen- 
 dent we ivill be.'' After the revolution, town 
 meetings continued to be common, till the 
 increase of inhabitants, together with the mul- 
 tiplicity of affairs to which their attention was 
 called, began to render them inconvenient. 
 In the opinion of many also, this method of 
 transacting the public business was injurious 
 to the public interests. These considerations, 
 with many others combined, led to the adop- 
 tion of the City Government, which, while it pro- 
 vides for a general meeting of the citizens on 
 all necessary occasions, delegates, to a City 
 Council, the authority to manage and deter- 
 mine most of the affairs, which formerly 
 required the vote of the inhabitants at large. 
 
 The City Charter, which was granted by 
 the legislature of the Commonwealth, and adop- 
 ed by the inhabitants of Boston on the 4th 
 of March, 1822, provides for the annual 
 choice of a Mayor, eight Aldermen, and 48 
 Common Councilmen, who together form the 
 2* 
 
18 GECGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 City Council. Meetings are held annually in 
 each ward, on the first Monday of December, 
 when four common-council-men are chosen to 
 represent each ward, and votes are cast for a 
 Mayor and Aldermen. The voters in each 
 ward choose their own common-council-men, 
 who must be residents within the ward; but a 
 majority of the whole number of votes in all 
 the wards is requisite for the choice of a 
 Mayor and Aldermen. At these annual meet- 
 ings, each ward also chooses one member of 
 the school committee, and one overseer of 
 the poor. 
 
 The charter, with its amendments, defines 
 at length the powers and privileges of the cor- 
 poration, and the qualifications and duties of 
 its officers. It confers no rights above what 
 are enjoyed by other towns, but only regulates 
 the mode in which those rights shall be ex- 
 ercised. Neither does it take from individ- 
 uals any rights, which they before possessed, 
 but only makes it the more necessary that 
 every citizen should be vigilant, to see that 
 his rights are faithfully maintained and pro- 
 tected by his representatives in the Council. 
 Fifty individuals may at any time demand a 
 general meeting of the inhabitants, on any 
 subject they deem it expedient to propose for 
 their consideration. 
 
 The town of Boston had been for many 
 
WARD OFFICERS. 19 
 
 years divided into 12 wards, for various pur- 
 poses. To ensure the more equal distribution 
 of privileges, it is provided in the city charter, 
 that such a division shall be made as often as 
 once every ten years, and that the number of 
 inhabitants in each district shall regulate the 
 limits of the wards. The present division 
 was made according to the census of 1820, 
 immediately after the adoption of the charter. 
 
 In each ward there are the following of- 
 ficers ; namely, a Warden, a Clerk, and five 
 Inspectors of Elections. These are chosen, 
 yearly, at the meetings on the first Monday 
 in December. The warden presides at all 
 meetings of the ward, to preserve order; for 
 which purpose he has authority, by the char- 
 ter, to require the aid of constables, and if 
 necessary, to commit to custody any turbulent 
 individuals, during the continuance of the 
 meeting. 
 
 The Inspectors of Elections are judges of 
 each man's right to vote. Whoever has paid 
 a state or city tax, within the two preceding 
 years, has that right, but in order to exercise 
 it, it is his duty to see that his name is put upon 
 the list of voters. If this has been omitted, 
 the Inspectors may refuse his vote. There 
 is a heavy punishment for the crime of voting 
 without proper qualifications, or of casting 
 more than one vote at the same election. If 
 
20 
 
 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 Inspectors refuse the ballot of a qualified 
 voter, they are liable to prosecution for the 
 injury he may sustain. The Ward Clerk 
 makes a formal record of all the proceedings 
 of the ward in legal meetings. 
 
 It is common in acts of incorporation, for 
 the legislature to give the parties incorporated 
 the power to have and use a common seal. 
 The Seal of the City of Boston is in the 
 f( Uowing style. A distant view of the city 
 cjcupies the centre. The meaning of the 
 I <atin motto above the centre is, ' May 
 the Lord be with us as he was with our fa- 
 thers.' The words below the centre signi- 
 fy that Boston was founded. Anno Dom- 
 ini, 1630, and became a city in the year 
 1822. This seal is attached to all public 
 acts of the city, that by law require this 
 formality. 
 
WARD I. 
 
 Ward No 1 is the northernmost section of 
 the city. It contains 4149 inhabitants ; in- 
 crease in 10 years, 591. It is bounded west 
 and north by Charles river ; east by Hano- 
 ver street ; and south by Prince, Thacher, 
 and Medford streets. Its lines run ' from 
 Winnesimit ferry, westerly side of Hanover 
 to Prince street, the northerly side of Prince 
 to Thacher street, the northerly side of 
 Thacher and Medford streets to the sea,' or 
 river, and thence northerly and easterly to 
 the ferry. The principal streets in this ward 
 are Lynn, Charter, Salem, Sheafe, and North 
 Bennet streets. 
 
 Lynn street extends on the water side, 
 from Charles River Bridge, at the foot of 
 Prince street, to the ferry-ways, at the north- 
 erly end of Hanover street. Many of the 
 houses in this street have been recently erect- 
 ed, and are eligible dwelling-places : con- 
 nected with one of them, is an ancient arch, 
 of very large dimensions, the use of which is 
 not now known. 
 
 There are now about twelve ivharves on 
 Lynn street ; the two principal of which are 
 
4.i^20'J8l^ 
 
 "West Lona; Tf^'S" Centre of tXeT^ew estate Hon se. 
 
22 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 Brown's and Commercial wharf. The for- 
 mer was built near Charles river bridge, in 
 the year 1825, by Samuel Brown, Esq; and 
 the latter, half way between the bridge and fer- 
 ry, was owned by the Hon William Gray, 
 late Lieutenant Governor of the State. . Both 
 these gentlemen were merchants of Boston, 
 who rose to affluence from moderate circum- 
 stances in life, by honest industry and diligent 
 perseverance in the pursuit of business. Mr 
 Gray was a native of Lynn, commenced trade 
 in Salem, from whence he removed to Bos- 
 ton, and at the time of his death, in 1825, he 
 was the largest ship-owner in the United 
 States. He was liberal as w^ell as rich, and 
 his great delight seemed to be, that his pro- 
 perty and business enabled him to give such 
 employment to others, as would enable them 
 to obtain the present comforts of life, with the 
 hopes of a future competency. 
 
 Winnesimit ferry-ways^ which make the 
 bounds between wards No 1 and 2, at the 
 bottom of Hanover street, is tlie place of land- 
 ing for the ferry-boats, that pass to and fro 
 between Boston and Chelsea. Before the 
 erection of the Charles river and Chelsea 
 bridges, ferry-boats were much more in use 
 than at the present time. The right to ply 
 the ferry-boats, was given, as early as 1631, 
 to Mr Thomas Williamsj whose descendants 
 
WARD I. 23 
 
 continue In possession of the same, to some 
 extent, at this day. 
 
 Charter street runs northwesterly from 
 Hanover street, to Copp's hill and Lynn 
 street. It derived its name from the Charter 
 of K\pg William III. which united Maine, 
 Massachusetts, and Plymouth, under one pro- 
 vincial government, in 1692. Sir William 
 Phips, who was the first governor under that 
 charter, resided in the house now occupied hy 
 the Asylum for indigent boys, at the corner 
 of Charter and Salem streets. He was an 
 example of what perseverance and energy of 
 character will do, towards raising a young 
 man in life. Some of his failings, however, 
 which history has not suffered to be forgotten, 
 teach us also how important it is to learn to 
 govern our own tempers. His indulgence of 
 anger lost him his office, if it did not bring 
 upon him an untimely death. 
 
 The Boston Asylum for Indigent Boys is 
 a benevolent institution, where boys whose 
 fathers and mothers are dead, or boys who 
 are otherwise without natural protectors, are 
 supported by a society of gentlemen. Here 
 they are educated, with care and kindness, 
 until they are old enough to be put to trades, 
 in which they may obtain an honest and hon- 
 orable livelihood. 
 
 Copph hill, which is bounded on the north- 
 
24 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 east by Charter street, and north-west by 
 Lynn street, is approached on the south and 
 east by Snowhill and Hull streets. It is 58 
 feet high, above low water mark. The as- 
 cent being very gradual, it has now" hardly 
 the appearance of a hill ; but so lalj^ly as 
 1803, its north-west side presented a ragged 
 mount, almost inaccessible from the beach, 
 where Lynn street is now laid out. The hill 
 derived its present name from a family of 
 Copp's, whose ancestor had received a por- 
 tion of it as his lot prior to 1643, when it 
 stands recorded in his name. The grave- 
 stone of elder David Copp may be seen in 
 the burial ground on the hill. 
 
 This burial ground was commenced 
 about the year 1660. There is said to have 
 been a grave stone here that bore the date of 
 1625 ; if it can still be found, the date is un- 
 doubtedly an error. The new ground, which 
 is separated by a wall from the old, was com- 
 menced near 1810 ; both these grounds are 
 filled with the remains of our ancestors and 
 friends. The tombs bear the family arms of 
 many respected names, while the more hum- 
 ble slate-stone tells us of the name and death 
 of many a useful individual in the more com- 
 mon walks of life. The marble monument to 
 the memory of Dr Charles Jarvis, stands 
 conspicuous, to remind us of a man endeared 
 
WARD I. 25 
 
 to his fellow-citizens for his patriotism and 
 philanthropy. 
 
 On this hill, the British troops had a regu- 
 lar fort erected in 1775, and from it they 
 bombarded the heights and town of Charles- 
 town, during the memorable battle of Bunker 
 Hill. Near this fort, the North end Artillery 
 Company for many years had their gun- 
 house and parade ground, which was re- 
 moved to ward No 3, in the year 1824. 
 
 The interesting establishment of the Gas 
 Works, is located at the base of this hill, near 
 Lynn street. In these works, the gas is 
 elaborated by chemical processes, and is con- 
 veyed by pipes of various dimensions to most 
 parts of the city, and furnishes a very con- 
 venient mode of lighting apartments. The 
 building is of brick, and measures 160 feet 
 by 40. 
 
 The part of Salem street within ward No 
 1, extends from Charter street southward to 
 Prince street. Two churches, and the Salem 
 street Academy, front on this street.. 
 
 Christ Church was built in the year 1723. 
 It is a durable brick edifice, and has very re- 
 cently received ample repairs. Its elevation 
 makes it the most conspicuous object in the 
 north part of the city : the height of its spire 
 being 175 feet. The old steeple, which was 
 considered one of the most elegant in the 
 3 
 
26 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 Union, was blown down during the violent 
 storm of October, 1804. Its proportions and 
 symmetry are preserved in the new one, 
 which was erected in its place. The only 
 peal or chime of bells in the city, is hung in 
 this steeple. This church has had nine min- 
 isters since its formation. There is a ceme- 
 tery for the dead under the house. 
 
 Salem Street Academy is located on the 
 north side of Christ church. It is a brick 
 building of one story, of ample height to form 
 a commodious school-room. It was built in 
 1810, and has been open for scholars since 
 that time without much intermission. The 
 terms of tuition have generally been moder- 
 ate, in comparison with those of similar insti- 
 tutions in other parts of the city. 
 
 Salem Church, at the corner of Salem and 
 North Bennet streets, was constituted in 1827. 
 The corner stone of the house was laid on 
 the 17th of July in that year, and its dedica- 
 tion took place on the first of January, fol- 
 lowing. The architecture of this house is at 
 once neat and elegant, combining, in modern 
 style, the beauties of several of the ancient 
 orders. It has a spacious lecture room be- 
 neath the body of the building. 
 
 North Bennet street runs from Salem street 
 east to Hanover street. The First Method- 
 dist Episcopal Church stands on the north 
 
WARD I. 27 
 
 side of this street. The church was gathered 
 in 1792, and commenced worship as a socie- 
 ty in the school house, which then occupied 
 the place of the present Eliot school. In 
 1796, they dedicated the chapel in Methodist 
 alley, where they continued to meet until the 
 dedication of the present house, September 
 18th, ]828. This church and spot will long 
 be remembered as the scene of one of the 
 most fatal accidents that ever occurred in 
 Boston. While the ceremony of laying the 
 corner stone was performing, April 30th, 
 1828, the flooring of the house gave way, and 
 precipitated a vast number of people into the 
 cellar, amid crashing timbers and falling piles 
 of brick. Many were seriously injured : sev- 
 eral died in consequence of their wounds, 
 and numerous others are left cripple during 
 their lives. 
 
 Eliot School is a brick building, of two 
 stories, standing between North Bennet and 
 Tileston streets. Its front was formerly on 
 North Bennet, but within a few years, it has 
 received enlargements, which made it expedi- 
 ent to arrange the entries upon the end to- 
 wards Tileston street. Each story contains 
 one large room, with sufficient seats to ac- 
 commodate 300 children. 
 
 There was a public school at the north 
 part of the town, in 1687, which had proba- 
 
38 GEOGRArHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 bly been established in pursuance of a vote of 
 the town, j)assed in April, 1683. Where it 
 was located, does not appear. The first regu- 
 lar notice of a school house on the present 
 spot, occurs in 1712, when it appears, that 
 the town purchased the land of Mrs Susanna 
 Love, and that Capt Thomas Hutchinson 
 built the house thereon for a Latin Grammar 
 school. In 1718, other members of the 
 Hutchinson family built a free writing school 
 house, on another part of the same lot. The 
 masters in the writing schools were required 
 to hear the children read in the scriptures oc- 
 casionally, and to teach them the catechism 
 once a week, besides instructing them in 
 writing and arithmetic. 
 
 The old school houses were taken down, 
 and the present building erected in 1792. It 
 received its name of Eliot, in honor of the 
 Rev Drs Andrew and John Eliot, father and 
 son, who for 71 years officiated at the New 
 North Church, and whose memory was dear 
 to many families in this part of the city, and 
 whose reputation, as friends of learning, and 
 possessors of it themselves, well entitled them 
 to the name of patrons. 
 
 Tileston street, which runs in the rear of 
 this school, parallel to North Bennet street, 
 took its name in respect to Master John Tile- 
 ston, who, for two thirds of a century, officiated 
 
WARD I. 29 
 
 as an instructer in the writing department. 
 He died in 1826, at the age of XCIT. So 
 universally was he beloved by all that had 
 ever been under his care, that when his de- 
 clining health forbid him any longer to attend 
 to his official duties, his salary was continued 
 to him for several years, until his death. It 
 is the only instance of the kind in the history 
 of the city. 
 
 It remains to notice within this Ward, the 
 First Universalist Church, which stands on 
 the corner of North Bennet street, facing 
 Hanover street. This church was first or- 
 ganized under the Rev John Murray, who of- 
 ficiated as their pastor until his decease, in 
 1815, at the age of 74 years. The house is 
 the only one remaining of the ancient wooden 
 meeting houses. It was built about the year 
 1742. It was originally occupied by the 
 church of Rev Dr Samuel Mather, who sepa- 
 rated from the Old North Church about that 
 time= Dr Mather continued to preach here 
 till his death, in 1785 ; shortly after which, 
 the house was purchased for the present so- 
 ciety. 
 
 3* 
 
30 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 WARD II. 
 
 Ward No 2 comprises the most ancient 
 part of the city. We do not mean that it 
 was the most early settled and improved, for 
 we have satisfactory evidence that the centre 
 of the town, between INlilk street and the Mill 
 Creek, was the part first occupied by the 
 most influential persons. But ward No 2 
 contains, at this day, a greater number of 
 buildings of many years standing, and the 
 general appearance of its streets and alleys is 
 more indicative of olden times. 
 
 Ward No 2 contains 4277 inhabitants, 
 having increased 477 in 10 years. It consti- 
 tutes the north-eastern section of the peninsu- 
 la, and is bounded on the north and east by 
 the harbor, south by Cross street, and west 
 by Hanover street. Its boundary line runs 
 * from Winnesimit ferry, the easterly side of 
 Hanover street to Cross street, and northerly 
 side of Cross street to the sea.' 
 
 This ward contains many excellent wharves. 
 Beginning with the next south of the ferry- 
 ways, we have Constitution wharf, thus call- 
 ed, because the United States frigate Consti- 
 tution, so famous in our naval history, was 
 
WARD II. 31 
 
 built there. At the same wharf, and by the 
 same shipwright, the frigate Boston and brig 
 Argus were also built. The associations con- 
 nected in our minds with the names of these 
 vessels, are gratifying to our national pride ; 
 yet there is more pleasure in the hope that 
 the day is not far distant, when there shall be 
 little use for such warlike preparations, except 
 as a means of preventing wars. 
 
 JVorth Battery wharf lies a little south of 
 Constitution wharf. Here was erected, as 
 early as 1646, by the people of the north end, 
 a fortification, which commanded the entrance 
 of the harbor, and the mouth of Charles river. 
 It was kept in repair, and a complement of 
 men assigned to service in it, until the end of 
 the war of the revolution. Since that, it has 
 been demolished, and the wharf applied to 
 conmiercial purposes. 
 
 Near this wharf, on its south side, is the 
 Marine Railway, which was built in 1826, 
 and has been in successful operation ever 
 since. It is a construction which affords 
 great facilities for the repairing of the hulls of 
 large vessels. They are drawn out of the 
 water, upon the rail-ways, by the skilful ap- 
 plication of horse power, and are there safely 
 secured, till the copper may be renewed, or 
 other repairs done, and then they are ready 
 immediately to be launched again. The ex- 
 
32 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 pedition with which these operations are per- 
 formed, is very remarkable. 
 
 Union wharf, about 25 rods south of the 
 Battery, was built for the accommodation of 
 traders to the East Indies, whose large and 
 deeply ladened vessels required a greater 
 depth of water, than could always be com- 
 manded at other wharves, with conveniences 
 for storing their cargoes. It extends near to 
 the channel, and ships of the heaviest bur- 
 then may at all times float at the end of it. 
 Col John May was the original proprietor of 
 this wharf. 
 
 Scnrletfs wharf, which opens at the bot- 
 tom of Fleet street, is remarkable for being 
 the northerly termination of the Old or Out 
 wharves, so called. These were construct- 
 ed between the years 1676 and 1681. They 
 formed a line of wharf about 2200 feet in 
 length, stretching before the town, in the mid- 
 dle of the harbor, from Scarlett's wharf to In- 
 dia wharf. They were substantially and uni- 
 formly built, 20 feet in width at the top, and 
 sufficiently high for a breastwork for guns. 
 This construction was designed to protect the 
 town from the attack of enemies. Happily, 
 no enemy has ever entered, as such, within 
 the castle ; and as there was no occasion for 
 this work, for a defence, and no demand for 
 it, for mercantile purposes, it went into de- 
 cay 
 
WARD II. 33 
 
 Hancoclc's wharf has always been a place 
 of considerable business. It was improved 
 by Gov John Hancock and his relatives. 
 
 Lewis' ivharf has also been a place of 
 considerable trade. It has now become valu- 
 able in consequence of the great improve- 
 ment, which has raised a new wharf and 
 street between it and the City Market wharf. 
 This improvement has been made by the 
 Mercantile Wharf Corporation^ in the years 
 1828 and 1829. By it the extreme north 
 part of the city is brought almost into contact 
 with the centre, and when completed, it will 
 prove to have been one of the most advan- 
 tageous of all the great undertakings of Bos- 
 tonian enterprise. 
 
 Ann street, upon which all these wharves 
 open, was originally the border street next to 
 the water. Many parts of it are now found 
 to have been constructed on the marsh, by 
 the discovery of logs, turf, and other materi- 
 als for wharfing, whenever there is occasion 
 to open the street. That part of the street 
 which lies in ward No 2, was formerly called 
 Fish street, from Cross to Fleet street, and 
 thence Ship street to the ferry-way. The 
 name of Anne had been applied to that part 
 of the street south of Cross street, in 1708, 
 in honor of the reigning queen. Most of the 
 buildings are old. A fire near Cross street in 
 
34 GEOGBAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 1801, made place for the brick biiilclliigs im- 
 mediately north of that street, called JVorth 
 row. Another fire, in 1807, was followed 
 by the erection of a ^ew brick buildings at the 
 foot of North square. The wooden build- 
 ings immediately north of these last, and in 
 Sun Court street and Moon street were un- 
 doubtedly built soon after the fire of 1676. 
 Several brick buildings bore the date of the 
 year in which they were erected. 
 
 JVorth square is the name of a triangular 
 open space of ground, lying between Ann and 
 Hanover street, and opening into Moon and 
 Garden Court streets. It used to be called 
 Old North square, in reference to the Old 
 North church, whose place of worship stood 
 on the rising ground at the head of it. This 
 was a massive wooden edifice, built in 1676, 
 after the great fire, which had destroyed the 
 church that stood on the same spot. In 
 1776, just one hundred years after, it was torn 
 down by the British troops, and dstributed 
 for fuel during the siege of Boston. 
 
 The Second Church in Boston, whose 
 house this was, had been formed from the 
 First church in 1649. After the British left, 
 they concluded not to rebuild, but to unite 
 with the JVew Brick Church, whose house of 
 worship stands in this ward, on Hanover 
 street, north of Richmond etreet 5 it was built 
 
WARD II. 35 
 
 in 1721. Rev Dr Lathrop, who thus became 
 
 pastor of these united churches, became pro- 
 prietor of the lot, on which the old church 
 had stood. He built a house, an.l resided 
 there till his death, in 1816. The buildings 
 on either side of the New Brick church are 
 specimens of two antique models of fashion in 
 architecture ; that on the north side, of the 
 date of 1675 ; that on the south side proba- 
 bly older. 
 
 The JVew JVorth Church stands about 45 
 rods from the New Brick, in Hanover street, 
 between Clark and Bartlett streets. It is the 
 second building that has been occupied by 
 the same, society. The first was an immense 
 edifice of wood, was built in 1714, and taken 
 down in 1803, to give place to the present, 
 which is a very handsome brick edifice. This 
 last was dedicated JMay 2, 1804. 
 
 Hancock School, in this ward, is situated in 
 Hanover street, near to Cross street. It is a 
 commodious brick building, erected in 1822. 
 It stands on the spot which was formerly oc- 
 cupied by the mansion-house of the late Ju- 
 dah Hays, an eminent man of the Jewish na- 
 tion, w4io acquired a fortune and good fame 
 in this city. He died here, and was buried 
 in Newport, Rhode Island, where his nation 
 have their sepulchres. 
 
 Two of the most substantial brick houses in 
 
36 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 the city, are those in Garden Court street, on 
 its west side. The northernmost one was the 
 residence of Gov Thomas Hutchinson. In 
 his day, it was a splendid dwelling. It will 
 be memorable in history as the scene of a 
 riot, during the stamp act. The mischief 
 which was done, was regretted by the best 
 friends of liberty, for they were aware, that 
 such outrages could only disgrace their cause. 
 Licentiousness is a very different thing from 
 liberty. Liberty is most secure when consti- 
 tutional laws are best obeyed, and private 
 rights best respected. 
 
 WARD III. 
 
 Ward No 3 contains 4906 inhabitants ; in- 
 crease in 10 years, 1361. It is bounded 
 northerly and north-easterly by Medford, 
 Thacher, Prince, and Cross streets ; south- 
 easterly by Hanover street ; south by North 
 Market street ; south-westerly by Union and 
 Friend streets ; north-westerly by Charles 
 river. It includes the ' southerly side of Med- 
 ford, Thacher, and Prince, to Hanover street, 
 westerly side of Hanover street to Cross 
 
WARD III. 37 
 
 Street, southerly side of Cross street, east- 
 ward to the sea, thence to North Market 
 street, and through Market square to Union 
 street, the northerly side of Union to Hano- 
 ver street, the westerly side of Hanover to 
 Friend street, and northerly side of Friend 
 street to Charles river.' 
 
 These bounds include a large part of the 
 land which was formerly covered by the Mill 
 Pond. This pond was bounded on the 
 north-west side by a cause-way, or mill-dam, 
 which extended in the direction of the streets 
 now called Causeway and Medford streets. 
 This causeway is supposed to have been 
 built subsequently to 1643, in which year the 
 town granted the marsh and cove on the 
 north-west of the town to a number of indi- 
 viduals, on condition that they should erect 
 certain mills in the vicinity. To complete 
 this useful project, it was necessary to have a 
 supply of water from the harbor, every tide ; 
 and for this purpose, liberty was granted to dig 
 trenches across the highway, from Ann to 
 Hanover street; and thus was formed the 
 JWill Creek, through which a water course 
 was constantly kept up, until the year 1828. 
 
 Mills for various purposes were erected, in 
 
 time, on the margin of the pond. One was 
 
 at the west end of the creek, which was called 
 
 the South mills, where now stands a large 
 
 4 
 
38 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 wooden storehouse » Other mills were at the 
 north-east end of the causeway, called the 
 JVorth mills ^ and the Chocolate mills. Another 
 stood at the south-west end of the causeway. 
 An old brick building marks the site of the north 
 mills, near the junction of Thacher and Pond 
 streets. 
 
 In 1805, a project was commenced, which: 
 has terminated in the filling up of the pond» 
 The mill proprietors, as successors to the 
 original grantees, relinquished some of their 
 supposed rights, and the town relinquished its 
 claims so far as to make a compromise. The 
 superficial measurement of the pond within the 
 causeway, was about equal to that of the Com- 
 mon within Charles street. The town re- 
 ceived certain portions of the land and a 
 sufficient number of streets, which were to be 
 laid out in regular order, and filled up by the 
 corporation. The land on Copp's hill fur- 
 nished a considerable part of the materials at 
 first required for this object. Beacon hill 
 furnished as much more ; and now, in the 
 course of about 25 years, we see a great por- 
 tion of what was covered with water, within 
 the memory of many who yet survive, con- 
 verted into dry land, and covered with conve- 
 nient tenements. 
 
 On the margin of this pond, the two oldest 
 Baptist churches were accommodated, both 
 
WARD III. 
 
 39 
 
 of which are still located in ward No 3. The 
 Pirst Baptist Church, which now stands at 
 tho corner of Union and Hanover streets, was 
 erected in 1829. It is an elegant and com- 
 modious house of worship. The original spot 
 occupied by this church was on what is now 
 Stillman street, so called in honor of a be- 
 loved pastor of this society. There they built 
 a small house in 1678, and resolutely main- 
 tained their riglu to meet in it for worship, in 
 opposition to the commands of the colonial 
 government. In those days, the principles of 
 religious freedom were not so well understood 
 as at the present time ; and all who did not 
 adopt the sentiments and forms of the prevail- 
 ing sect, were then considered as disturbers of 
 the public peace. Now, every man may 
 worship God in Boston, according to the dic- 
 tates of his own judgement and conscience, 
 without fear of molestation. 
 
 The Second Baptist Church occupies the 
 spot near which they have always met since 
 their formation in 1743. Their first meeting 
 house was a wooden building, which was ta- 
 ken down in 1:810, and the present brick edi- 
 fice was opened for dedication on the first of 
 January, 1811. This church has also a com- 
 modious brick vestry, which stands near the 
 .meeting house, at tlie foot of Baldwin plac^ 
 
40 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 a neat and elegant avenue to the church, laid 
 out in 1829, and named in honor of the Rev 
 Dr Baldwin, who for many years occupied the 
 pulpit of this society. 
 
 That part of Salem street which hes in this 
 ward was originally called Back street, from 
 the circumstance of its bordering on the mill 
 pond, and in contradistinction to Fore street 
 which was the familiar name of the street bor- 
 dering on the harbor. The parallel street 
 between them, (now forming part of Hanover 
 street) was called Middle street. 
 
 Aged persons remember that there was 
 once a religious society of Sandemanians, the 
 followers of Mr Robert Sandeman, in Bos- 
 ton. Their meetings for worship have long 
 been discontinued, but the building they occu- 
 pied, remains, in the rear of Hanover street, 
 near Parkman place. It is better known to 
 the present generation as Mrs Wilder's Pri- 
 mary School room ; it having been occupied 
 for that purpose ever since the estabhshment 
 of these schools. 
 
 Before the year 1818, no children could 
 be sent to public school in Boston, unless 
 they were seven years of age and could read 
 in the New Testament. Now, all children 
 between the age of four and seven years, may 
 be sent, and qualified in the Primary schools 
 for admission into the English grammar 
 
WARD III. 41 
 
 schools. The primary schools are taught by 
 ladies, under the direction of a large commit- 
 tee of gentlemen who take care that the 
 schools are faithfully managed. There are 
 about 60 of these schools in the city, and 
 the number of scholars in each of them 
 amounts to about 60 on the average. 
 
 There are several schools in the city for 
 children too young to attend primary schools. 
 These are called Infant Schools. One of the 
 principal ones is located in Stillman street. It 
 is supported by a society of benevolent ladies, 
 who contribute money to pay the rent of the 
 room and the expenses of the instructer. 
 There are about a hundred little boys and 
 girls taught here, without any cost to their pa- 
 rents. Another infant school is kept on the 
 same plan at the south part of the city. Be- 
 sides these there are several private schools 
 of the same kind, to accommodate parents 
 who are able to pay for their children's tui- 
 tion. 
 
 The city owns a ward-room and three 
 engine-houses in this ward. The Ward 
 Room is a place of meeting for the inhabi- 
 tants of the ward for the choice of officers 
 and other public purposes. It also serves for 
 a gun-house and place of parade for the North 
 End Artillery. It stands on North Margin and 
 Cooper streets. 
 
 4* 
 
42 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 Several other wards have ward rooms be- 
 longing to the city ; such as have not, meet 
 in places convenient for the purpose : but all 
 meetings must be within the bounds of the 
 ward. 
 
 Engine houses, in former days, were ten- 
 foot buildings, barely large enough to accom- 
 modate an engine and the ropes, which 
 were necessary to draw it v;ith. Now they 
 are commodious, and some of them elegant 
 two-story houses with rooms to accommodate 
 the companies attached to them. There are 
 about 20 engines in the city, which are dis- 
 tributed in the several quarters most conven- 
 ient. Engine No 1 stands near the Hancock 
 school house on the west side of Hanover 
 street. It bears the name of the Old North. 
 The company was formed by a vote of the 
 town authority in 1679, when the engine 
 which appears to have been the first one used 
 here, was imported from England. 
 
 Since that day the Fire Department has 
 undergone many changes. Probably it is 
 now established on a basis which will be per- 
 manently useful. The energy and dispatch 
 with which the various companies that com- 
 pose this department perform their duties, are 
 such as almost ensure safety from danger, 
 unless a fire take place in our own dwelling. 
 Boston has suffered immensely in times 
 
WARD III. 
 
 43 
 
 past from large fires, and the city is much in- 
 debted to those pubhc spirited citizens, who 
 volunteer to perform the various duties of en- 
 gineers, enginemen and firemen. The excel- 
 lency of this department, however, should 
 not lull the citizens into security, nor lessen 
 the anxiety of parents to bring up their chil- 
 dren in habits of carefulness. 
 
 The oldest buildings in this ward are to be 
 found on the south side of Prince street, and 
 in Ann street near the market. Here is a 
 view of one which was built in the year 1680. 
 
 ^-:,ft,ii„?.-^' 
 
 It stands at the corner of Ann street and 
 North Market street. It was a noted store 
 
44 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 in former times, and the water on Its east side 
 "Was SO deep as to allow vessels of considera- 
 ble burthen to come closely up to it. 
 
 WARD IV. 
 
 Ward No 4 contains 5149 inhabitants ; in- 
 crease in ten years, 1407. It is bounded 
 northwest by Charles river ; northeast by 
 Friend street, and Union street ; north by 
 North Market street ; east by the sea ; south 
 by State and Court streets ; south west by 
 Court and Cambridge streets ; westerly by 
 Staniford street, Leverett place and Prospect 
 street. It includes all the islands that belong 
 to Boston, and its boundary line within the ci- 
 ty runs thus : 
 
 * Southerly side of Friend to Hanover 
 street, the easterly side of Hanover to Union 
 street, the southerly side of Union street 
 through Market square and North Market 
 street, thence to the end of Long wharf ; 
 north side of State street through Court street 
 and Bovvdoin square to Staniford street ; 
 through Staniford street on the easterly side to 
 Leverett place, through Leverett place on the 
 northerly side, to Prospect street ; from thence 
 
Ward iv. 45 
 
 on the easterly side of Prospect street to 
 Causeway street ; on the northwesterly ^side of 
 Causeway street to Friend sti'eet,' where it 
 commenced. 
 
 hong wharf, which constitutes the eastern 
 extremity of this ward, was built between the 
 years J 710 and 1714. Permission for this 
 purpose was granted by the town, according 
 to ancient usage, on stipulated conditions. 
 From this it would appear, that the rights of 
 individual owners of land, bordering on the 
 harbor, did not originally extend beyond the 
 terra firma, or upland. Mention is made of 
 wharves as early in the town records as 
 1639 and 1641, and it is probable that the 
 wharves which were betu-een Long wharf 
 and North Market street, were made under a 
 grant of November 29th, of that year. The 
 water originally flow^ed as high up, in this di- 
 rection, as Merchants' Row, and the remains 
 of wharves were discovered, when the foun- 
 dations were dug for the stores at the head of 
 South Market and Chadiam streets. The 
 town dock extended in the direction of North 
 Market street to the head of Dock square, 
 near the foot of Washington street. 
 
 Long wharf has received great improve- 
 ments from time to time, and it is now 1740 
 feet in length. It has a spacious street on the 
 south side, and also on the north side about 
 half its length ; a spur is then thrown off 
 
4© GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 from the main wharf in the form of a letter 
 T, which name it bears. 
 
 The difficuky which would arise from the 
 intersection of many of the wharves, if they 
 should all be extended to low water mark, led 
 to the early adoption of a Ci:cular line, at a 
 given distance from fixed points, in the har- 
 bor, beyond which hne no proprietor could 
 extend his wharf. This arrangement has ob- 
 viated ahnost all occasion for dispute concern- 
 ing the rights of individuals. A compromise 
 respecting this matter became necessary, 
 when the Mercantile wharf was constructed. 
 
 The wharves between the head of Xiong 
 wharf and the southern extremity of Mercan- 
 tile wharf became the property of the city, in 
 the course of purchases for the extension of 
 Faneuil Hall Market. 
 
 Faneuil Hall Market and the two streets of 
 North Market and South Market streets con- 
 stitute the greatest improvement ever underta- 
 ken by the city. It originated in 1823, dur- 
 ing the administration of Hon Josiah Quin- 
 cy, as Mayor of the city. The Market House 
 was opened on the 2r)th of August, 1826; and 
 on the 20th of November following, the build- 
 ing committee reported that their work was 
 finished, and that every just debt and demand 
 on account of this great undertaking was set- 
 tled. The building itself cost a little less than 
 150,000 dollars. 
 
WARD IV. 
 
 47 
 
 The height and form of the stores on North 
 and South Market streets were regulated by 
 the conditions of sale. The north block is 
 520 feet in length ; the south is 550. Each 
 store is four stories high with a slated roof. 
 The height from the side walk to the coving 
 is about 32 feet. The front of the stores is ot 
 hammered granite ; the rear and partition 
 walls of brick, with uniform windows ; those 
 in the second story are arched. The ground 
 lots for these stores were sold at auction for 
 the aggregate sum of $707,293,57 cts. The 
 width of North Market street is 65 feet, that 
 of South Market street 102. 
 
 The length of the Market house is 535 
 feet 9 inches ; width in the centre 55 feet ; in 
 the wings 50. The height from the side 
 walk to the top of the cornice is 3 1 feet. 
 
 The lower story is occupied as a provision 
 and vegetable market, and contains 128 Stalls. 
 Over the market, are three large halls com- 
 municating with each other, if occasion re- 
 quires. At each end of the building is a por- 
 tico, consisting of four huge granite pillars. 
 Each pillar measures 20 feet 3 inches in 
 height, and is 3 1-2 feet round at the base 
 and 2 feet 10 inches at the top. Probably a 
 more elegant and comm.odious edifice for the 
 purpose cannot be found in the world. It is 
 a monument of the public spirit of the citi- 
 
WARD IV- 
 
 49 
 
 zens of Boston, aod it should ever be borne 
 pijjj,|,,i in remembrance, that it 
 was projected and ex- 
 ecuted when the popu- 
 lation of the city was 
 only ' estimated at 
 
 '' " "' ■" reads the corner stone. 
 
 We come next to 
 
 9M\M lilSSS Faneuil Hall itself. 
 
 lilllll I lls'sS This building was first 
 
 erected in 1742, by 
 
 llli'llir miZLSai ^^^ Peter Faneuil, on 
 liiill; tdlnl^^Si the Town's land in 
 Dock square, and by 
 him presented to the 
 town. The original in- 
 tention was only to 
 have had a building of 
 one story, for the ac- 
 commodation of market 
 stalls ; htu^ Mr Faneuil 
 generously superadded 
 another story, with offi- 
 ces and a suitably, room 
 for a town Hall. A 
 town meeting w^as held 
 in it on the 13th of Sep- 
 tember, 1742, and suit- 
 able notice was taken of Mr Faneuil's gen- 
 5 
 
 ml 
 
50 
 
 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 erosity, 
 
 and 
 should bear his 
 next meeting 
 
 a vote passed that the Hall 
 name forever. Before the 
 in March 1743, Mr Faneuil 
 died, and at that meeting an eulogy was pro- 
 nounced upon his character. 
 
 The original building measured on the 
 ground, 100 feet by 40. The hall would 
 contain 1000 persons. A fire which occurr- 
 ed in January, 1761, destroyed the inside of 
 the building. It was repaired without much 
 delay and was re-opened on the 14th of 
 March 1763. A speech was pronounced on 
 the occasion by James Otis Jr. Esq. He 
 dedicated it to the cause of freedom ; a cause 
 in which he labored, suffered, an.i died ; a 
 cause to which the hall has been sacredly de- 
 voted ; and in which it has obtained the im- 
 perishable name of the Cradle of Liberty. In 
 1806, it was enlarged to its present size, by 
 the addidon of a third 
 story, and an exten- 
 sion on the ground to 
 the width of 80 feet. 
 After the completion 
 of the New Market 
 House, the lower 
 story was converted 
 into shops ; the up- 
 per is used as an armory for the several inde- 
 pendent military companies. The right to 
 
WARD IV. 51 
 
 dispose of this hall is reserved, in the City 
 charter, to the inhabitants at large. 
 
 Not far from Faiieuil Hall, at the end of 
 Brattle street next to Dock square, stands a 
 large brick building, intended at first for an 
 extensive private market house. It was 
 erected in 1819 by wealthy individuals, but 
 the plan of occupying it as a market did not 
 succeed : it has therefore been since devoted 
 to other purposes. 
 
 Just above the last named building stands 
 the Brattle Street Churchy dedicated in 1772. 
 The first meeting house of this society was 
 built in 1699, In the same year the church 
 was constituted, under Rev Benjamin Colman 
 as their pastor. Governors Hancock and 
 Bowdoin were hberal benefactors of this soci- 
 ety. The name of Hancock was inscribed on 
 one of the corner stones, but tJie British sol- 
 diers, in the time of the revolution, defaced 
 it, and so it now remains. A cannon ball 
 also, which was sent from the American ar- 
 my at Cambridge, and struck the tower, re- 
 mains fixed in the spot. Gen Gage's head 
 quarters were in the house opposite, and the 
 soldiers were quartered in the church. Such 
 were the devastations of war. 
 
 Brattle street from the church towards 
 Court street is an elegant block of granite 
 buildings, erected in 1818 ; it was the first 
 
52 liEOGllAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 block of stone buildings, in Boston. Brattle 
 street in that direction was a narrow alley, and 
 the passage to the market was scarcely wide 
 enough for two carriages to pass. And 
 where Cornhill now is, there was no avenue 
 at all till 1817. In that year, through the en- 
 terprize of Mr Uriah Cotting, purchase was 
 made of several vacant lots between the foot 
 ofTreaiont street and the old market. A 
 street 48 feet wide was laid out, and the two 
 ranges of stores now called Cornhill were im- 
 mediately put up. 
 
 At the head of Brattle and Market streets, 
 opening at No 75 Court street, we have the 
 JVew England jllvsevm, a most extensive 
 collection of natural and artificial curiosities. 
 It was commenced in this spot, in 1818, by 
 the union of several valuable collections that 
 had been on exhibition elsewhere, and has 
 since received constant additions from every 
 kingdom of nature and every variety of art. As 
 matters of local interest, here may be seen 
 the heads of many of our own eminent citi- 
 zens, besides those of a multitude of public 
 characters. 
 
 Concert Hall, a large brick edifice, at the 
 corner of Hanover and Court streets, is said 
 to have been erected in 1756 for the purpose 
 of public entertainments. It is still used for 
 similar objects, for which it is provided with 
 various convenient halls. 
 
waud IV. 
 
 53 
 
 Hanover street originally extended by that 
 name only from the foot of Pemberton hill to 
 the mill creek. In 1824 the names of Mid- 
 dle and North streets were abolished and the 
 name of Hanover applied to the whole street, 
 from Court street 
 northerly to Winnesi- 
 mit ferry. The dis- 
 tance by measure- 
 ment is 1132 yards. 
 Hanover church, so 
 
 
 called, stood on 
 
 the 
 east side of this 
 street, between Elm 
 and Union streets. It 
 5, erected in 1825 and de- 
 stroyed by fire in 1830. The society has re- 
 moved into Bowdoin street in ward No 7. 
 
 Passing west from the head of Hanover 
 street, through Court street, we enter Bow- 
 doin square^ a handsome open spot, sur- 
 rounded by elegant and costly mansions. It 
 opens into Cambridge and Green streets. 
 This square takes its name in honor of Gov- 
 ernor James Bowdoin a distinguished patriot 
 and philosopher of Boston. 
 
 In Green street, we have the Rev Dr 
 
 Jenks' Churchy which is a beautiful edifice, 
 
 erected in 1826. The church was originally 
 
 formed in Butolph street, at the Mission house 
 
 5* 
 
 was a stone buildinj 
 
54 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 where public worship was held as early as 
 1821, under the patronage of the society for 
 the moral and religious instruction of the 
 poor. The building is of brick, and has a 
 vestry attached to it, which may be entered 
 from Staniford street. 
 
 Opposite to Green street church, is Cres- 
 cent court, an elegant and neat block of 
 brick dwelling houses, so named from the 
 circumstance of the resemblance in its curve, 
 to the shape of a new moon. 
 
 The Mayhew School, is situated in Haw- 
 kins street, at the corner of Chardon street. 
 This school was established in the year 1804. 
 It took its name from the Rev Dr Jonathan 
 Mayhew, pastor of the West church, who was 
 one of the most eminent divines ever settled 
 in Boston. His exertions in the cause of 
 civil and religious liberty entitle him to per- 
 petual remembrance. His death took place 
 in 1766, soon after the repeal of the famous 
 stamp act. 
 
 Returning into State street, the north side 
 of which lies in ward No 4, our attention is 
 drawn to the United States Bank, at the cor- 
 ner of Wilson's lane. The corner stone of 
 this edifice, was laid on the 5th of July, 1824, 
 with great ceremony, and the work was com- 
 pleted, so as to be entered for the business of 
 the bank, in November, 1825. It is an ele- 
 
WARD IV 
 
 55 
 
 gant and durable building of granite, with two 
 granite columns in front, each 4 feet in circuni- 
 ' ference, and 24 feet in 
 
 height. The divisions 
 of the inside are repre- 
 sented in the accompany- 
 ing cut. This bank is a 
 branch of the Bank of the 
 United States, which re- 
 ceived its charter, or lib- 
 erty to issue money, and 
 transact the other usual 
 business of banks, from 
 the Congress of the Uni- 
 ted States, in 1816. The 
 other banks in the city, re- 
 ceived their charters from 
 the Legislature of Mas- 
 
 FEONT E.XTRAXCE. SachuSCttS. 
 
 ISLANDS. 
 
 The Islands included within the juris- 
 diction of Boston, or enumerated in the cen- 
 sus of ward No 4, are named, 
 
 
 Population. 
 
 Population. 
 
 Apple, 
 
 13 
 
 Long, 18 
 
 Bell, 
 
 18 
 
 Lovell's, 
 
 Bird, 
 
 
 Nix's Mate, 
 
 Castle, 
 
 224 
 
 Noddle's, 9 
 
66 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 Deer, ") Rainsford, 19 
 
 George's, 5 ^"^^ Snake, 
 
 Gallop's, 5 Spectacle, 9 
 
 Governor's, 9 — 
 
 Whole number of residents on the Islands, 425 
 
 The largest of these is JVoddle^s, or Wil- 
 liams^ Island, situated opposite the north part 
 of the city, at the distance of about 3-4 of a 
 mile from the North Battery and Long wharf. 
 It is remarkable for having been in the pos- 
 session of an individual by the name of Ma- 
 verick, when Gov Winthrop landed here. 
 On its south-western extremity, is a fortifica- 
 tion, erected by the voluntary labor of the 
 citizens of Boston, in 1814, when in expecta- 
 tion of an attack from the British fleet and 
 army on the coast. It received the name of 
 Fort Strong, in honor of the Governor of Mas 
 sachusetts at that time. 
 
 Southeasterly from Fort Strong, and 3 miles 
 from the city, lies Governor^ Island, so called 
 from the circumstance of its having been as- 
 signed to Gov Winthrop in the earliest years 
 of the colony. On its southeastern extremity, 
 is a United States' fort, which bears the name 
 of Fort Warren. 
 
 Bird Island is now washed almost away ; 
 it lay between Noddle's and Governor's is- 
 lands 
 
WARD IV. 57 
 
 Directly south from Governor's Island, lies 
 Castle Island, on which is erected fort Inde- 
 pendence. On this spot there has always 
 been a fortification, since the year 1634. 
 The two forts present an impassable barrier to 
 any probable force, that would ever attempt to 
 enter the harbor of Boston. Only one vessel 
 of war being able to pass in the channel at one 
 time, it must be a combination of circum- 
 stances, not to be expected, that would pre- 
 serve her from destruction. 
 
 It is understood, however, to be the inten- 
 tion of the United States, to erect another 
 fortress on George's Island, which lies near 
 the entrance of the outer harbor, about six 
 miles from the city, in a southeasterly course. 
 
 Rainsford Island is of importance as being 
 the seat of the city Hospital for infectious dis- 
 ea'^es, and for the quarantine of vessels. It is 
 7 1-4 miles from the city, by the channel ; 
 only 5 1-4 in a direct southeasterly course. 
 It contains eleven acres of ground. 
 
 Long Island lies south-east from fort Inde- 
 pendence ; is remarkable for the Light house 
 which stands on its northeastern head, over 
 against an island rock, which is called 
 
 JVix^s Mate, from its having been the spot 
 on which a mate of a vessel was hung, for the 
 crime of murdering his captain, whose name 
 was Nix. This is six miles from Boston. 
 
58 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 Deer Island lies north-west of Nix's Mate, 
 and is the property of the city. 
 
 Boston Light stands on Light house Island, 
 8 3-4 miles south-south-east of Long wharf. 
 It belongs to the town of Hull. 
 
 There are no peculiarities to make a more 
 particular description of the remaining islands 
 necessary. Their course and distances from the 
 city, will readily be perceived from the map. 
 Taken together, they form a most picturesque 
 group, and make the view of Boston Har- 
 bor, from the highlands in the city and around, 
 one of the most delightful scenes that the world 
 affords. 
 
 WARD V. 
 
 Ward No 5 contains 6138 inhabitants; — 
 increase in 10 years, 2486. It is bounded 
 on the east by Prospect street, Leverett place 
 avenue, and Staniford street : on the south by 
 Cambridge street ; on the west and north by 
 the waters of Charles river. It is marked 
 out by a line which runs, * from the southwest- 
 ern end of Causeway street, through Pros- 
 pect street to Leverett place, on the southerly 
 side of Leverett place, to Staniford street, 
 
WARD V. 59 
 
 thence through Staniford street on the wes- 
 terly side, to Cambridge street, thence through 
 Cambridge street on the northerly side, to 
 West Boston Bridge, thence by the river to 
 Causeway street.' 
 
 The public edifices in this ward are two 
 churches, the Massachusetts General Hospital, 
 the Municipal Court House, the Jail and 
 House of Correction. 
 
 M^est church, in Lynde street, was consti- 
 tuted in the year 1737. Thek first minister 
 was Rev William Hooper, a native of Scotland 
 and a man of extraordinary popularity. He 
 was succeeded by Rev Dr Mayhew. The 
 present meeting house was erected in 1806, 
 immediately after the settlement of the present 
 pastor. Rev Dr Lowell. 
 
 The church in Chamber street is of recent 
 formation. The corner stone of the house was 
 laid on the 10th of May, 1S24, and the ded- 
 ication took place, October 13th. On the 
 25th of January, 1825, a church was consti- 
 tuted, and on the 9th of February, Rev Sam- 
 uel Barrett was ordained their pastor. This 
 house stands between Allen street on the 
 north and Maclean street on the south, 
 fronting on Chamber street, nearly opposite 
 Green street. 
 
 The Massachusetts General Hospital at the 
 west end of Maclean street fronting towards 
 
60 G"OGPKAHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 Cambridge street, has been pronounced the 
 finest building in the commonweaUh. It stands 
 on a small eminence open to the south, east, 
 
 and west. It is ] 68 feet in length and 54 in 
 its greatest breadth, having a portico of eight 
 lonick columns in front. It is built of Chelms- 
 ford granite, the columns and their capitals 
 being of the same material. In the centre of 
 the two principal stories are the rooms of the 
 officers of the institution. Above these is the 
 operating theatre, which is lighted from the 
 dome. The wings of the building are divided 
 into wards and sick rooms. The stair case 
 and floorings of the entries are of stone. The 
 whole house is supplied with heat by air-flues 
 from furnaces, and with water by pipes and a 
 forcing pump. The beautiful hills which 
 
WARD V. 6t 
 
 surround Boston, are seen from every part of 
 ihe building, and the grounds on the south- 
 west are washed by the waters of the bay. 
 The premises have been improved by the 
 planting of ornamental trees and shrubs, and 
 the extension of the gravel walks for those 
 patients whose health will admit of exercise in 
 the open air. 
 
 Maclean street was formerly called South 
 Allen street. It took its present name in hoR- 
 or of Mr John Maclean, a generous benefac- 
 tor of the Hospital, who deserves also to be 
 remembered as an example of uprightness in 
 his pecuniary transactions. At one period of 
 his affairs he was involved in heavy debt, and 
 was compelled to take advantage of the se- 
 curity offered to honest debtors by the bank- 
 rupt laws. As soon, however, as a return of 
 favorable fortune enabled him, he nobly paid 
 his creditors the full amount of their demands, 
 from which the laws of the land had released 
 him. Happy would it be for the consciences 
 of many, if they should follow his example. 
 
 The Municipal Court House is situated on 
 the north side of Leverett street. It is a 
 handsome stone building, and contains under 
 the same roof a dwelling house for the keeper 
 of the Suffolk Jail. The Jail and House of 
 Correction are separate buildings within th^ 
 same inclosure. These edifices were con- 
 6 
 
62 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 structed in a very secure manner and were 
 first occupied in 1822. 
 
 Tlie Municipal court sits montlily, on the 
 first Monday of each month, to try all criminal 
 actions of which the punishment is less than 
 death. An appeal may be had from its 
 judgement to that of the Supreme Judicial 
 Court, in all cases where the importance of 
 the cause demands it. 
 
 The Jail is occupied by insolvent debtors 
 who are kept in the third story, and by 
 persons awahing trial, or by condemned pris- 
 oners in the other apartments. The House 
 of Correction is designed for persons of dis- 
 solute fife, such as confirmed drunkards, 
 notorious brawlers, common swearers, pro- 
 faners of the sabbath day, and disturbers of 
 the pubhc peace, of whatever age or sex they 
 may be. 
 
 The bounds of this ward constitute what is 
 called the Prison Limits^ beyond which no 
 debtor arrested for debt can be allowed to 
 pass, even one step, without forfeiting his 
 bonds and subjecting his bondsman to the 
 payment of the whole demand against him, 
 together with the costs. This is what is called 
 the liberty of the yard. ' O Liberty ! once sa- 
 cred, now trampled upon.' No man should trust 
 another whom he would be willing to send to jail. 
 ' If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he 
 take away thy bed from under thee ?' 
 
WARD VI. 
 
 63 
 
 The new streets Minot, Vernon, and Bar- 
 ton, between the Court house and Craigie's 
 bridge, are of recent origin. Tliey occupy 
 the site of the former Alms-house, which was 
 the home for the poor of the City, prior to the 
 erection of the House of Industry at South 
 Boston. The Alms-house and land were sold 
 to a company of individuals and by them di- 
 vided into streets and house lots. 
 
 A considerable portion of ward No 5 has 
 been reclaimed from the sea. The water 
 originally flowed over the space bounded by 
 Cambridge street, North Russell street and 
 the Hospital lot. Bridge street, Blossom 
 street, and Vine street have all been built 
 3ince the year 1800, 
 
 WARD VI. 
 
 Ward No 6 contains 4503 inhabitants ; — 
 increase in 10 years, 865. It is bounded 
 north by Cambridge street, east by South 
 Russell street and Belknap streets, south by 
 Beacon street and the Western avenue, west 
 by Charles river. Its boundaries run ' from 
 West Boston bridge, south side of Cambridg 
 
^4 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 to South Russell street, westerly side of South 
 Russell, to Myrtle street, southerly side of Myr- 
 tle to Belknap street, westerly side of Bel- 
 knap to Beacon street, thence through Bea- 
 con street, westerly to Charles river, thence 
 by the river to West Boston Bridge.' 
 
 This ward embraces the western portion of 
 Beacon hill, called Mount Vernon. The 
 principal part of the buildings in it have been 
 erected since the year 1800, and are many of 
 them anaong the most elegant houses and 
 most eligible residences in the city. In con- 
 trast to these, the same ward also contains an- 
 other portion of the most miserable huts, ten- 
 anted by some of the most wretched of inhab- 
 itants. 
 
 The larger part of the black population of 
 the city is located within this ward, and the 
 contiguous part of ward No 7. They have 
 three places of worship and several schools. 
 The schools are supported partly at the pub- 
 lic expense, and partly from a fund created 
 by a donation of Abiel Smith, Esq. His 
 commiseration for the wants of this injured 
 race was manifested some years since, before 
 the establishment of the American Coloniza- 
 tion Society. Had Mr Smith lived to this 
 day, he would doubtless have been a distin- 
 guished friend of that institution, and have re- 
 joiced to witness the evidence which is every 
 
WARD VI. 65 
 
 day proving that the African mind is capable 
 of improvement in all the arts of civilization, 
 and of the enjoyment of all the comforts and 
 hopes of the christian religion. The number 
 of colored persons in the city is 1875j all of 
 whom are free. 
 
 The churches for the Africans are, one 
 Baptist, one Episcopal Methodist, and one In- 
 dependent Methodist. The Baptist, which is 
 the oldest, is in ward No. 7. The first nam- 
 ed Methodist society of colored people meets 
 in May street, on the north side, near the 
 west end, in a small brick edifice erected 
 purposely for its accommodation, in the year 
 1824. The church was gathered in 1818. 
 The Independent African Methodist Society 
 have a neat chapel in West Centre street, 
 which was built in 1828. These houses are 
 rather small, but sufficiently commodious for 
 the congregations that usually attend. 
 
 Near the west end of Pinckney street, at 
 the corner of Centre street we find the Eng- 
 lish High School. This school was establish- 
 ed in 1821, under the name of the English 
 Classical School. The design of it is, to 
 give to boys over the age of 12 years, who 
 have passed through the various studies of the 
 English Grammar schools, an opportunity to 
 spend a few more years in the prosecution 
 of the higher branches of an English educa- 
 6* 
 
66 
 
 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 tion, and the acquisition of the French lan- 
 guage. Its members have generally been the 
 boys who had received the Franklin medals 
 in the grammar and writing schools, with 
 some from private schools. It is esteemed 
 an honor to be admitted into this school ; 
 and a faithful diligence in the studies pursued 
 there, will ensure honor in future hfe, in 
 whatever calling the scholar may engage. 
 
 The Thi? d Baptist meeting house stands in 
 Charles street near the water's edge, opposite 
 to Sumner street. It was built in 1807. 
 The land on which it stands, (and indeed the 
 whole of Charles street) was formerly covered 
 by the tide, which washed the western base 
 of Mount Vernon. The house is handsome- 
 ly constructed of brick, 75 feet square, exclu- 
 sive of the tower, on which is a cupola with a 
 clock and bell. Adjacent to the meeting 
 house, on the north side, is a convenient brick 
 vestrv or lecture room. 
 
 THE COMMON. 
 
 The Common, not being included within 
 the bounds of either of the wards, may be 
 described in this place. 
 
THE COMMON. 67 
 
 The Common is a beautiful open field 
 bounded by Park street on the northeast, 
 Tremont street on the southeast, Boylston 
 street on the south, Charles street on the 
 southwest, and Beacon street on the north- 
 west. Thus bounded it contains about 50 
 acres of ground. Besides this there are 25 
 acres included in the common lands which lie 
 west of Charles street, partly covered with 
 water. 
 
 The surface of the Common which slopes 
 gradually from Park and Beacon towards 
 Charles street, is agreeably varied by several 
 small eminences, the most distinct of which 
 is west of the centre, and still bears the 
 marks of a fortification thrown up by the 
 British troops in 1775. A little to the north 
 of this fort is a beautiful sheet of fresh water, 
 ■called the Crescent Pond, covering about one 
 acre, with young and thrifty elm trees around 
 its border. Not far eastward from the pond 
 
 is a majestic elm, 
 called the Great 
 Tree, the spread- 
 ing branches of 
 which cover a 
 circle of 86 feet 
 in diameter : its 
 height is 65 feet, and its girth at 30 inches 
 from the ground is 21 feet 8 inches. 
 
68 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 The Parks or Malls, on Charles, Beacon, 
 Park and Tremont streets, contain upwards 
 of 550 trees, some of which are of ancient 
 date and very large. They are mostly elms 
 and button-wood trees, so called ; there are 
 some willows and poplars. The length of the 
 mall on Park street is 437 feet ; of that on 
 Tremont street 1685 feet; from the corner 
 of Tremont to the corner of Charles street is 
 700 feet ; the mall on Charles street, 1380 
 feet; and that on Beacon street 1565 ; ma- 
 king the whole circuit somewhat over a mile. 
 
 The Common has always been the joint- 
 stock of the inhabitants of Boston. Its limits 
 formerly included the land occupied by the 
 estates in Fayette place, (east side of Tre- 
 mont street,) and Park street. Its present 
 bounds are those which have obtained since 
 1787. By a law of May, 1660, the select- 
 men of Boston are empowered ' to order the 
 improvement and feeding of their common by 
 such cattle as they shall deem meet.' This 
 j)ower has descended to the conuTion council 
 and aldermen, who have latterly ordered it 
 that no cattle shall feed there. This regula- 
 tion, though it may incommode a few, is very 
 acceptable to the great majority ; if it is just, 
 that makes it right. 
 
 The Common burial ground occupies a 
 little more than an acre, on the south side of 
 
WARD VI r. 
 
 69 
 
 the Common. It was purchased of Mr An- 
 drew Oliver in 1754. There is one small marble 
 monument and a number of neat grave stones 
 in this yard ; many of them are erected over 
 the remains of members of the Roman Cath- 
 olic church. 
 
 WARD VII. 
 
 Ward No 7 contains 5760 inhabitants ; in- 
 crease in 10 years, 1973. It is bounded north- 
 easterly by Cambridge and the whole length 
 of Court street ; southeasterly by Washington 
 street; southwesterly by West street, and the 
 Common ; westerly by Belknap and South 
 Russell street. Its bounds run thus ' from 
 Beacon, the easterly side of Belknap to Myr- 
 tle street, the northerly side of Myrtle to South 
 Russell, the easterly side of South Russell to 
 Cambridge street, the southerly side of Cam- 
 bridge street, Bowdoin square and Court 
 street, to Washington street, the westerly side 
 of Washington street to West street, norther- 
 ly side of West to Common street, northerly 
 by the easterly side of Common street, to 
 Park street, north side of Park to Beacon 
 
70 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 Street, the northerly side of Beacon to Bel- 
 knap street.' 
 
 This ward contains within its Hmits the 
 State house, Supreme and Pohce Court 
 houses, the Latin School house, Bowdoin 
 school, eight churches, a theatre, and the 
 Tremont hotel. 
 
 The State House stands on the brow of 
 Beacon hill, fronting southeasterly towards the 
 Common. It has Sumner street on the north 
 and east, Beacon street on the south, and 
 Hancock avenue on the west. The building 
 is of an oblong form, measuring 1 73 feet in 
 length, and 61 feet deep. It has two princi- 
 pal stories ; the lower, or basement story is 
 20 feet high ; the second or main story is 30 
 feet high. On the centre is an attic 20 feet 
 high, and 60 feet wide with a pediment 15 feet 
 
WAllD VII. 
 
 71 
 
 high. Above this a dome 52 feet in diame- 
 ter, rises 36 feet, and terminates, at 25 feet 
 higher, with a circular lantern which is sur- 
 mounted by an elegant gilded cone. 
 
 The corner stone of this edifice was laid by 
 Governor Samuel Adams, on the 5th of July, 
 1795. It was finished so as to be occupied 
 by the Legislature on the 1 1th of January, 
 1798. The lower floor is 114 feet, and the 
 tip of the cone is 260 feet, above the level of 
 the sea. The whole appearance of the edi- 
 fice is strikingly peculiar, and it forms a prom- 
 inent object in the picture of Boston from 
 whatever direction the city is viewed. The 
 lathude and longitude of the State house^ 
 have been ascertained with minute accuracy 
 by a gentleman of science, and are as follows : 
 Latitude N. 42 deg. 20 min. 58. sec. and 4 
 tenths : Longitude W. 71 deg. 4 min. 9 sec. 
 
 The main story contains the Legislative 
 halls. The centre hall is the Represen- 
 tatives' room, 55 feet square ; the eastern hall 
 is for the Senate ; and the rooms in the west 
 
 * The latitude and longitude of an observatory on 
 the southeast corner of Essex and Short streets, ascer- 
 tained by the same gentleman, are latitude N. 42 deg. 
 20 min. 38.5 sec. Longitude VV. 71 deg. 3 min. 48 sec. 
 From these data the latitude and longitude ot other 
 points in the city may be estimated with tolerable ac- 
 curacy. It is thus we have fixed those of the City 
 Hall, on page 9, 
 
72 
 
 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 end for the Governor and Council, and for 
 the use of the various committees of either 
 house. 
 
 In the basement, at each end there are' 
 public offices for the accommodation of the 
 Secretary and Treasurer of the common- 
 wealth, and for the Adjutant General, and the 
 Commissicners of the eastern land office. In 
 the centre there is a public walk 50 feet 
 square, on the north side of which there is a 
 niche or temple built on purpose for the stat-^ 
 ue of Washington.. 
 
 The ,S^a^we of Wash- 
 ington is a full length rep- 
 resentation of that great 
 and good man, exqui- 
 sitely wrought in marble. 
 It exhibits him in the act 
 of surrendering his mil- 
 itary commission, after 
 the close of the re- 
 volutionary war, into the 
 hands of the Congress 
 from whom he first re- 
 ceived it. He is dress- 
 ed in what is called a 
 Roman Toga, or gown, 
 thrown loosely over the shoulders, and holds 
 in his right hand the roll he which is about to 
 
WAR]) VII. 
 
 73 
 
 surrender. The likeness of the features is 
 said to be very exact. Tliis monument is open 
 at all times to the inspection of the public, ex- 
 cepting sabbath days. 
 
 Near the Slate liouse, on the west, is yet 
 standing the mansion honse of xhvit distinguish- 
 
 ed friend of liberty, John Hancock. It is 
 an ancient stone building, venerable for its 
 years, but more so for having been the resi- 
 dence of a man whose meniory is so dear to 
 the heart of every Bostonian, and every 
 American. On the first risings of the spirit 
 of liberty, Hancock was one among the fore- 
 most to take an active part. He devoted his 
 property to the object, and when the British 
 government hoped to retain the dominion of 
 the colonies by moderation, pardon was of- 
 7 
 
74 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 fered to all except Samuel Adams, Elbridge 
 Gerry, and John Hancock. Yet was he not 
 daunted, but continued his exertions in his 
 country's cause. In 1776, he was sent as 
 representative to the Congress at Philadel- 
 phia, and signed the Declaration of Inde- 
 pendence, as president of that body. When 
 the constitution of Massachusetts was adopt- 
 ed, he was chosen the first governor, and 
 continued in the favor of the people till his 
 death ; though he had some time retired 
 from public office when that event took place. 
 His ijame is held in grateful remembrance, 
 and is perpetuated in the names of many in- 
 stitutions, and of the children of many of his 
 cotemporaries. It is worthy of remark, that 
 each of the three proscribed patriots became 
 in turn, governors of the state. 
 
 Directly in the rear of the State house 
 when it was first erected, stood the highest 
 part of Beacon hill. Its top was 138 feet 
 and a half above the level of the sea ; being 
 about 30 feet higher than the floor of the 
 state house. It was ascended by flights of 
 steps at the head of Temple and of Park 
 streets. On the summit, where in old times 
 the Beacon stood, there was a monument to 
 commemorate the principal events of the 
 revolution. This was 60 feet high. It was 
 
WARD VII. 75 
 
 a place of delightful resort, and many are the 
 regrets that it should ever have been demol 
 ished, even to make room for the elegant 
 dwellings that occupy its place. 
 
 Passing from the State house easterly, 
 through Beacon street, we arrive at the Tre- 
 mont House, at the corner of Tremont street. 
 This is a spacious hotel designed for the ac- 
 commodation of strangers visiting the city. 
 It is probably as splendid an establishment as 
 any of its kind in the United States ; and can 
 hardly be surpassed in any other country. 
 The corner stone of this house was laid July 
 4tli IS28, with great ceremony : it was open- 
 ed for the reception of company in 1829. 
 
 Opposite to the Treir.ont house is Tremont 
 Theatre, which is also a very splendid build- 
 ing ; having, as well as Tremont hou?e, a 
 granite front. This theatre was erected in 
 1S27, and ';s now the only regular theatrical 
 establishment in the city. The standard of 
 education has been so much elevated and the 
 taste of the community has undergone so es- 
 sential a change within a {qvj years, that it is 
 found difficult to present entertainments suf- 
 ficiently attractive to ensure so large and re- 
 spectable audiences as formerly. Phi'osophi- 
 cal lectures and exhibitions have in some de- 
 gree formed the substitute. 
 
 Nearly opposite to the theatre, and adjoin- 
 
WARD VTI. 
 
 77 
 
 ing the premises of Tremont bouse, is the 
 Granary Burial Groun'L The most con- 
 spicuous object in it, is a monument to Frank- 
 lin. 
 
 Benjamin Franklin was born in 1706, in 
 a house then oppo- 
 site the door of Old 
 South church in Milk 
 street. He was bred 
 a, pointer in the office 
 of his brother, at 
 the head of Frank- 
 lin avenue, between 
 Court and Brattle 
 streets ; and by in- 
 dustrious devotion to his business acquired a 
 handtome fortune. He found time to pursue 
 the study of nature and philosophy, to an ex- 
 tent rarely equalled by those who are entire- 
 ly devoted to such subjects. Dr Franklin 
 spent the greater part of his life in Philadel- 
 phia, where he died in 1790. In his will he 
 rerr.embered his obligations to the free schools 
 of Boston, where he received his only early 
 education, and for which he expressed the 
 greatest gratitude. He bequeathed a sum to 
 the city for the encouragement of scholars, 
 to be distributed in medals to such as evinced 
 superior merit. He also left a fund for the 
 benefit of u orthy young mechanics. 
 
78 
 
 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 The monument in the Granary was erect- 
 ed in 1827, by 
 several gentlemen 
 who highly appre- 
 ciated the merits 
 of Dr. Franklin, 
 and more especial- 
 ly his filial affection 
 for his parents, 
 whose remains lie 
 beneath this monu- 
 It is built of 
 1 monument 
 
 ment. 
 granite block, from the Bunker hi 
 quarry, and is 25 feet high. 
 
 Adjoining this burial place stands Park 
 Street Church. It occupies the situation of 
 a large building called the Granary, from the 
 circumstance of its having been the place 
 where large quantities of grain were formerly 
 deposited. This church was built in 1809. 
 It is one of the largest in the city. Its stee- 
 ple is the highest, being 218 feet from the 
 ground, 240 above high water mark, and al- 
 most as high as the cone of the State house. 
 There is a cemetery for the dead under part 
 of this church. 
 
 The other buildings on Park street, front- 
 ing the Common, are private dwelling houses, 
 erected not many years ago. The lots which 
 they occupy, constituted the Alms house, 
 
WARD vn. 79 
 
 Work house, and Bridewell, or house of 
 Correction for the town, before the erection 
 of the Alms house in Leverett street, in the 
 year iSOO. The whole once formed a part 
 of the common. 
 
 Opposite the front of Park street church 
 is Hamilton place, where formerly there was 
 a large building called the Manufactory 
 house. It belonged to the commonwealth ; 
 and was once demanded by a British general 
 to be used as a barrack. The occupant, Mr 
 Elisha Brown, refused admission, and kept 
 possession several days. He was highly ap- 
 plauded at the time, as his tomb-stone, near 
 the centre of the granary burial ground beaj's 
 witness. 
 
 A little south, on Tremont street, we come 
 to St PauVs church. This is a majestic and 
 costly edifice, erected in 1820. It is built of 
 fine grey granite. The body of the church 
 is 112 feet long and 72 feet wide. It has six 
 Ionic columns in front which are 3 feet 5 in- 
 ches in diameter, and 32 feet high, formed of 
 Potomac sand stone laid in courses. The 
 interior is remarkable for its simplicity and 
 beauty. Here is a monument to the memo- 
 ry of Gen Joseph Warren. Underneath the 
 church are family tombs, built in such a man- 
 ner as to obviate the objections commonly 
 raised against such cemeteries. 
 
80 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON, 
 
 Near to St Paul's, on the corner of West 
 and Tremont streets, was a place of public 
 resort called the Amphitheatre, and sometimes 
 the Washington Gardens. It has been used 
 of late years for various kinds of public exhi- 
 bitions, but is now mostly gone into decay. A 
 part of this lot has been recently taken by the 
 Masonic Fraternity, for the purpose of erect- 
 ing a Masonic Temple upon it. 
 
 Following the bounds of this ward from 
 West street on Washington street, between 
 Wflffter and Bromfield streets, we pass the 
 Marlborough Hotel, a large and noted estab- 
 lishment for the purposes of a Tavern and 
 Stage House. 
 
 In Bromfield street, on the south side, 
 near to Tremont street, is the Second Metho- 
 dist Chapel, a brick edifice erected in 1806. 
 Its dimensions are 84 feet by 54 feet. In 
 the middle course of hammered stone in the 
 foundation of this house, there is a block said 
 to have been taken from the celebrated rock 
 at Plymouth, on which our forefathers landed 
 in 1620. It is near the north east corner. 
 The same ministers officiate here and at the 
 chapel in North Bennet street, interchanging 
 occasionally. By a rule of the church, it is 
 customary for the preachers to be stationed 
 in Boston only two years in succession. 
 
WARD VII. 81 
 
 Nearly opposite the front of the Methodist 
 chapel opens Governor's alley, leading north- 
 erly into School street. School street took its 
 name very early from the public school which 
 was established on the town land, directly op- 
 posite the spot where the JLatin School House 
 now stands. It was established as early as 
 the year 1635. When the present Stone, or 
 King's, chapel was erected, the removal took 
 place ; that was about the year 1752. There 
 was some contention in regard to the proprie- 
 ty of accommodating the church, but it was 
 finally adjusted by their erecting a brick 
 school house on the lot now occupied by the 
 present building. It stood farther back from 
 the street, and contained but one schoolroom. 
 The present house is divided into three 
 rooms, and the affairs of the school are con- 
 ducted hy a master and submasters in a man- 
 ner highly creditable to the city. Boys may 
 enter here at nine years of age, if they have 
 acquired a knowledge of English grammar 
 and arithmetic, and pass through the course of 
 studies necessary to fit them for Harvard Col- 
 lege. 
 
 Kingh Chapel stands at the corner of 
 School and Tremont street. The first chap- 
 el was a small wooden building, erected 
 in 1688. It bore the name of King's, or 
 Queen's, or their Majesties' chapel, according 
 
S2 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 to the style of the reigning sovereign of the Bri- 
 tish dominions. The present chapel was ded- 
 icated, August 21st, 1754. The Governors of 
 the colony under the king usually made this 
 house their place of worship. Its exterior is 
 plain ; the tower on Tremont street, is sup- 
 ported by 12 massive pillars of wood. Its 
 interior is finished after the Corinthian order 
 of architecture. There are several marble 
 monuments of elegant workmanship in the 
 church 5 underneath is a cemetery for the 
 dead. 
 
 The Chapel Burial Ground, on the north 
 side of the chapel, is the most ancient in the 
 city. The decayed and falling wall in front, 
 on Tremont street, was removed, and a du- 
 rable and handsome one erected in its stead 
 in the summer of 1830, just 200 years af- 
 ter the decease of Mr Johnson who is said to 
 have been the first person buried in this 
 groimd. The tomb of his friend, the first 
 Gov. Winthrop, who died in 1649, is to be 
 seen here, and near it the grave stone of the 
 first four ministers of the First Church.- The 
 late Lt. Gov. William Phillips, whose man- 
 sion house is directly opposite, and whose 
 name will he remembered so long as charity 
 shall be a virtue, was here entombed. A 
 marble monument designates the spot where 
 
WARD VII. 83 
 
 lies the Hon Thomas Dawes and his father, 
 both eminently useful citizens. 
 
 The Stone Court House, on Court square, 
 fronting towards School street, was built in 
 1810. It is an elegant building, of three sto- 
 ries, 140 feet in length, and of proportionate 
 width. The Supreme Judicial Court, the 
 Court of Common Pleas and the Probate 
 Court hold their sessions here. The Regis- 
 ter of Deeds and Register of Probate have 
 their offices here, as do also the Clerks of the 
 S. J. C. and C. C. P. The several branch- 
 es of the city government have also been ac- 
 commodated in this building, until September, 
 1830. 
 
 Farther down School street on the south 
 side, stands the Second Universal Church, 
 built in 1817. It is a plain building of 
 brick, without a steeple. It stands on the 
 spot occupied, in 1705 and afterward till 
 1747, by the French Protestant church. 
 When this was dissolved, the house fell into 
 the hands of Rev Andrew Croswell's adher- 
 ents, who retained it mostly till about 1785. 
 After that, the Roman Catholic church occu- 
 pied it for some time, and at last it was taken 
 down to make way for the present edifice. 
 
 A little south from School street, nearly- 
 opposite the Old South Church, in the rear 
 of Province House Row, stands an ancient 
 
84 GEOGRAPHY OF BO TON. 
 
 building cnlled the Province Hovse. It ior- 
 merly belonged to the commonwealth, and 
 was the place of residence q^ the governors 
 under the royal charter, when they were not 
 inhabitants of the colony. It was built in 
 1679. Its turret bears a vane which has al- 
 ways attracted notice. It is an Indian chief 
 directing his arrow from his bow in the 
 course of the wind. This building and estate 
 valued at 100,000 dollars was given by the 
 commonwealth, to aid the funds of the Massa- 
 chusetts General Hospital. 
 
 Passing northwesterly on Washington street, 
 nearly opposite to State street we find Corn- 
 hill Square, which is a very large and high 
 brick block, erected in 1809 on the spot for- 
 merly occupied by the First church. It is 
 also known by the name of Joy's Buildings. 
 In Court street on the south side, in the 
 rear of the Stone Court House, we have the 
 Old Brick Court House. This is said to 
 have been a very handsome building in its 
 day, and one of the most perfect models of 
 architecture. Tlie alterations which have 
 been made in it and around it, have thrown it 
 now into the shade. The Police Court is 
 held in it every week day, and the United 
 States' Courts occupy a part of it for their 
 sessions. The district attorney, marshal, and 
 district clerk have their offices in this building. 
 
WARD VI t. 85 
 
 Tlie house adjacent on the west of the Court 
 house is also the property of the County, 
 having formerly been the residence of the 
 Jailor. 
 
 A few rods above the Old Court House, at 
 the corner of Tremont street, is the Boston 
 Eye and Ear Infirmary, for the gratuitous 
 treatment of the poor who labor under dis- 
 eases of either of those organs. The build- 
 ing in which the Infirmary is kept, belongs to 
 the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics' As- 
 sociation. 
 
 Between Court street and Pemberlon Hill 
 we have a block called Scollay's buildings. 
 Here is kept the Provident Institution or Sa- 
 vings Bank. In this institution every poor 
 person may deposit from time to time his lit- 
 tle earnings, whenever they amount to five 
 dollars, and receive interest on the same as 
 long as it remains in the bank over three 
 months. If he is sick or otherwise in need, 
 he may take it out whenever he thinks it 
 best. A very great number of persons have 
 improved the opportunity which this Institu- 
 tion offers, and have derived essential benefits 
 from it. 
 
 The estates on Pemherton Hill, are valua- 
 ble for the gardens attached to them. That 
 of Mr Gardiner Green is one of the most ele- 
 gant and tasteful, that is to be found in the ci- 
 8 
 
86 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 ty, or vicinity. It is laid out on rising grounds, 
 and beautifully diversified with walks, adorned 
 with flowers, shrubbery and fruits. 
 
 At the foot of Pemberton Hill, we enter 
 Howard street, named after the great philan- 
 thropist, John Howard, and pass on to Bulfinch 
 street, where we find the Third, or Central 
 Universalist Church. This is a brick build- 
 ing, with two similar towers or cupolas. The 
 interior is finished in a very nice manner. 
 The pulpit is of variegated maple, elevated on 
 a pedestal of black and white marble. This 
 house stands on the corner of Bulfinch street 
 and Bulfinch place. 
 
 At the other, or west end of Bulfinch place, 
 on the west side of Bowdoin street, is the new 
 Stone Church, erected by the principal own- 
 ers of the Hanover church, which was de- 
 stroyed by fire on the morning of the first of 
 February, 1830. The society immediately 
 took measures for obtaining another location, 
 and commenced their work in Bowdoin street 
 early in the summer. 
 
 Derne street extends west from Bowdoin 
 across Temple street to Hancock street. In 
 it is situated the Bowdoin School, erected in 
 1821. The High school for girls, which was 
 supported 18 months by the city, was kept in 
 this building. It is now occupied as an En- 
 glish grammar school. 
 
WARD VIII. 87 
 
 The last subject to be noticed in this ward 
 is the African Baptist Church, situated in the 
 rear of the west side of Belknap street. It is 
 the largest of the African meeting houses. It 
 is built of brick, and was first opened for wor- 
 ship in 1306. In the basement story is a 
 school room, where a public school is kept. 
 
 WARD VIII. 
 
 Ward No 8 contains 5072 inhabitants : in- 
 crease in 10 years, 1484. It is bounded 
 north by State street ; east by Kilby and At- 
 kinson street and the sea ; south by Summer 
 and Bedford streets; west by Washington 
 street. Itsboundary line runs thus: From the 
 westerly end of State street through ' Wash- 
 ington street, on the easterly side, to Bedford 
 street, through Bedford and Summer streets, 
 on the northerly side, to the sea, thence to 
 Russia wharf, thence through Atkinson street, 
 on the westerly side, to Milk street, through 
 Milk to Kilby street, on the northerly side, 
 through Kilby, on the westerly side, to State 
 street, through State street, on the southerly 
 side to Washington street.' 
 
88 
 
 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 The first object of note In ibis ward is the 
 City Hall, situated at the bead of State 
 street. Tbe present building was erected in 
 1714, after tbe destruction of one wbich oc- 
 cupied tbe same spot, in tbe great fire of 1711. 
 Tbis fire commenced in Williams' court, on 
 tbe west side of Washington street, midway 
 between Court and School streets. Its rava- 
 ges destroyed all tbe houses on both sides of 
 Cornhill (tbe name of Washington street at 
 that time from tbe Dock square to School 
 street.) Some of the houses which were built 
 soon after this event are yet standing ; one 
 bears the date of 1712. The size of the 
 
WARD VTI?. 89 
 
 bricks and the style of building, in these houses 
 and in the City Hall, are a guide to the 
 age of buildings erected about the same pe- 
 riod. 
 
 The first Town House, as the City Hall 
 was formerly called, was built between the 
 years 1657 and 1659. It was a wooden 
 building, sufficiently large to accommodate the 
 courts and town-meedngs of those times. It 
 appears to have been owned in part by the 
 town and partly by individuals. When it was 
 rebuilt in 1713, the town bore o:ie half of the 
 expense and the province bore the other half. 
 It was again destroyed by fire in December 
 1747, so far that it became necessary to make 
 the interior entirely anew. Then the province 
 bore one half the expense, the county of Suf- 
 folk a quarter, and the remaining quarter was 
 assessed on Boston. Since the new State 
 House has been built, the property of the 
 whole building has been vested in the town, 
 and it has been known by the name of Old 
 State House. 
 
 For thirty years it had been occupied for 
 various purposes of trade and for public offi- 
 ces. In 1830, it received repairs and altera- 
 tions which are made to accommodate the 
 Post Office, the Public Reading Room ot 
 Merchants' Hall, and the City Officers. On 
 ihe 17th of September it was dedicated by 
 B* 
 
90 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 the name of C% 1/«Z/. It is in length, 112 
 feet, in breadth, 36 feet. On the centre of 
 the roof is a tower. The fronts on Washing- 
 ton and State streets have each a portico. 
 During the repairs in 1830, the grave stone 
 of Mr WiUiam Paddy was found, who died 
 in 1658. He was one of the Selectmen, and 
 some persons surmised that he had been buri- 
 ed on the spot ; but the supposition was en- 
 tirely without foundation, as at that very time 
 the first building was undoubtedly in progress. 
 The spot, moreover, had previously been the 
 common market place. 
 
 'The City Hall, standing in the very centre 
 of business, has long been the point from 
 which distances in and around Boston have 
 been reckoned. The bearing of the dome of 
 the State House from the cupola of the City 
 Hall, is S. 84 3-4 W. from the true meridian : 
 by the needle, N. 89 1-2 W. making the di- 
 rection, according to more common modes of 
 expression. West, 5 deg. and 1-4 South. An 
 accurate survey has been taken and the re- 
 sults published by Mr Hales in a convenient 
 volume for general reference. From his 
 work we select the following measurements : 
 
 From City Hall to Charles River Bridge, 
 
 1. Through Ann and Lynn streets, 6,153 ft. 
 
 2. " Union, Salem and Prince " 4,140 ft. 
 
 3. Over Pond street, 3,960 ft. 
 
WARD VITI. 91 
 
 From Winnesimit Ferry to City Hall 4,326 ft. 
 
 " City Hall to green stores at the 
 corner of the street leading to South 
 
 Boston Bridge, 5,907 ft. 
 
 From green stores to Roxbury line, 5,923 ft. 
 
 " City Hall to W. Boston Bridge, 3,894 ft. 
 
 " City Hall to head of Long wharf, 951 ft. 
 
 " City Hall to end of Long wharf, 2,691 ft. 
 
 A mile measures 5,280 feet; so that the 
 
 length of Boston varies but little from 3 miles, 
 
 and its breadth but little from one mile and a 
 
 quarter. 
 
 State street extends from Washington street 
 eastward to the head of Long wharf. That 
 part of it which lies above or west of Kilby 
 street is called the Exchange^ a place of re- 
 sort for mercantile men to meet and transact 
 their money affairs. Here are most of the 
 banks of the city. There are 17 of them 
 in all, besides the United States bank, notic- 
 ed in Ward No 4. The State Bank 
 midway between Congress and Kilby Street 
 is the only building distinguished by its ex- 
 terior appearance from the rest. It was 
 built in 1798 for the Old United States bank, 
 and bears the American Eagle on its front. 
 Most of the Insurance offices, of which there 
 are 20 for various objects, are kept in State 
 Street. The landed estates here are the most 
 valuable of any in the city. 
 
93 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 State Street has been the scene of many 
 memorable events : of no one more remarka- 
 ble than the Boston Massacre on the 5th of 
 March, 17T0. On that night several men of 
 Boston were killed by a party of British sol- 
 diers, who were stationed at the head of Ex- 
 change Street as a guard before the Custom 
 House, which was then kept on the spot 
 now occupied by the Union Bank, on the 
 south east corner of Exchange street. It was 
 a deed of horror which brought together 
 thousands of the people, who could not be 
 reconciled till all the British troops were re- 
 moved out of the town. The soldiers were 
 indicted and tried for murder ; but they were 
 acquitted, on the ground that they fired in 
 self defence, or that the evidence of the con- 
 trary was not sufficient to justify the taking 
 of their lives. 
 
 This event roused the whole country to the 
 danger of standing armies, quartered among 
 the citizens in time of peace, and increased 
 the determination of the sons of liberty to re- 
 sist every aggression of the British Govern- 
 ment. The anniversary of the massacre was 
 commemorated, annually, by an oration, until 
 after the Peace of 1783, when the custom of 
 celebrating the Fourth of July was substituted 
 in its stead. 
 
 Kilby street, which forms the eastern boun- 
 dary of this Ward, leads into Liberty square. 
 
WARD VIII, 03 
 
 which takes its name from another demonstra- 
 tion of popnlar feeling. It was in opposition to 
 the Stamp Act^ a law of the British Parliament 
 which required that all notes and papers of 
 business should have a certain stamp. For 
 this stamp, whoever used the paper was to 
 pay a certain sum of money. This our fathers 
 refused to do, on the ground that the British 
 Parliament had no light to tax them at all. 
 Therefore, when the stamped paper and 
 stamps were sent over, and a gentleman ap- 
 pointed to distribute and sell them, they re- 
 solved that he should not do so. Accordingly 
 they flocked in great numbers to his office, 
 which stood on Kilby street, near the head of 
 what is now Liberty street. The water at 
 thEit time came up as far or farther than the 
 square. The office was not a very large build- 
 ing, and without much difficulty the mob over- 
 turned it and threw the materials into the dock. 
 This was in the year 1765 : in the next year 
 the stamp act was repealed, and no stamps 
 were ever used in Boston, under British au- 
 thority. There had before that time been 
 stamp laws under the authority of the province, 
 and there have since been such under the 
 Congress of the United States. The objec- 
 tion was not to the amount of the tax, or the 
 form of it, but to the principle that Great 
 Britain assumed the right to tax the colonies, 
 
94 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 without their own consent by their proper 
 representatives. 
 
 The dock, into which the stamp office was 
 thrown was called Oliver^s Dock. It origin- 
 ally extended across Kilby street, as far as 
 the east end of Merchants' hall. Formerly 
 the lower part of Water street was overflowed 
 by the tide which ascended a creek as far up 
 as Congress street. Opposite the south west 
 corner of Merchant's hall the marsh is found 
 at seven feet below the pavement. On the 
 north-west corner of Water and Congress 
 streets, opposite the west end of Merchants' 
 hall, is said to have been a shipbuilder's yard. 
 A little farther up Water street, at the corner 
 of Devonshire street, we find the blue clay 
 about six feet from the surface. From these 
 facts, it is probable that the descent to the 
 water must have been quite abrupt, from the 
 high bank or margin of the creek. 
 
 Most of the JVewspapers are issued from 
 printing offices in Congress street and its im- 
 mediate vicinity. The Columbian Centinel 
 is the oldest, under its present name ; it was 
 first published in 1784. The first Newspaper 
 ever published in Boston, was the Boston 
 JVews-Ijetier, which was commenced on the 
 24th of April, 1704, by John Campbell, and 
 was published once a week for 72 years. 
 There are now more than 20 Newspapers, 
 
WARD VIII. 95 
 
 some of which are published daily, some tri- 
 weekly, and others semi-weekly or weekly. 
 
 Where the Boston Stereotype Foundry 
 now stands, on the west side of Congress 
 street, there formerly was a Quaker Meeting- 
 house and burial ground. The house was 
 built before the year 1717, and stood till 
 1825. There are few if any persons of the 
 denomination of Friends or Quakers now resi- 
 dent in Boston. When they first came here 
 in 1655, they met with severe persecution ; 
 now they would be received with the open arms 
 of friendship. They will find a new meeting- 
 house erected in Milton place for their accom- 
 modation, the foundation of which was com- 
 menced in 1830. 
 
 Near the old Quaker meeting house lot, on 
 the north, stood the celebrated Exchange Cof- 
 fee House. It was an enormous building, of 
 seven stories high, and covering 12,753 feet 
 of ground. It was designed as a hotel for the 
 accommodation of mercanlile men, and had 
 numerous halls and smaller rooms for the 
 convenience of individuals and of parties. 
 The whole interior was destroyed by fire on 
 the evening of the third of November, 1818. 
 Since that, the land has been divided into 
 lots and built upon, for various purposes. 
 The present Exchange Cofifee House stands 
 on part of the same land, and is a more man- 
 ageable, if not more commodious edifice. 
 
96 GF.OGRAPHV OF BOSTON. 
 
 There are in this ward eight churches. 
 The Old South stands at the corner of Wash- 
 ington and IVJillc streets. It was built in 1730, 
 in place of one which had served the congrega- 
 tion from the time the church was gathered in 
 1669. This is supposed to be the largest 
 house of worship in the city. It is selected 
 for the anniversary celebrations of the Gener- 
 al Election and National Independence. It 
 was dishonorably profaned by the British sol- 
 diery during the siege of Boston in 1775, and 
 turned into a riding school for their horses 
 and troopers to exercise in. 
 
 The Fourth Baptist (. hurch stands a few 
 rods from Milk street on the west side of Fed- 
 eral street. It was opened for religious wor- 
 ship in 1S27. It is a neat edifice 74 feet 
 wide and 86 feet long, including the porch. 
 The land on which the building stands form- 
 ed part of the estate of the late Robert Treat 
 Paine, a man of eminence for his patiiotism, 
 and one of the signers of the declaration of 
 Independence. 
 
 The Church at the corner of Berry and 
 Federal streets was commenced in 1727, by 
 a society of Irish Presbyterians under the 
 care of the Rev John Moorhead. In 1744, 
 they built a new and commodious house which 
 they occupied until the year 1787. At that 
 time Mr Moorhead and most of the original 
 
WARD VIII. 97 
 
 members having died, the remaining members 
 resolved to adopt the Congregational mode of 
 church government, and chose the Rev Jere- 
 my Belknap for their pastor. The present 
 house was built in 1809. This church w^as 
 the place of meeting for the Convention which 
 gave the consent of Massachusetts to the 
 adoption of the Constitution of the United 
 States. It is from this circumstance that the 
 street derives its name oi Federal street ; for- 
 merly it was called Long-lane. 
 
 Milton Place in which the New Quaker 
 Meeting house stands, opens on the west side 
 of Federal street nearly opposite High street. 
 
 The Roman Catholic Churc'!, or church of 
 the Holy Cross, stands on the south side of 
 Franklin street, not far from Federal street. 
 It was built in 1803. It is under the direc- 
 tion of a Bishop and several assistant minis- 
 ters. The first meetings of the members of 
 this church in Boston took place about the 
 year 1784, in the house formerly occupied 
 by the French Protetsant Church in School 
 street, where the Universalist Church now 
 stands. 
 
 Franklin Place and street contains a large 
 number of handsome brick buildings on each 
 side. They were commenced in 1793, by 
 the Tontine Association, and when completed 
 were at fi:st called The Tontine. In the cen- 
 9 
 
98 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 tre of the place is a grass plat 300 feet m 
 length, and about 30 wide, which contains a 
 monumental urn in memory of Dr Franklin. 
 In the middle of the Tontine is an arched 
 way leading through Arch street to Summer 
 street. Over this arch are kept the Uos- 
 ton Library, and the library of the Massachu- 
 setts Historical Society. 
 
 Arch street opens nearly opposite Chauncy 
 place, in which is situated First Church, 
 This of course is the oldest religious Society 
 in the city. It was formed by the subscription 
 of a covenant, on the 30th day of July, 1630. 
 Their first pastor was Rev John Wilson. In 
 a year or two after, Mr John Cotton came 
 over, and was Mr. Wilson's colleague, in the 
 capacity of teacher. Their first meeting- 
 house stood near State street, on the lot which 
 makes the corner of the east side of Devon- 
 shire street. In 1639, they had built a new 
 house on Cornhill square. That was burnt in 
 1711, and then the larefi edifice called the 
 Old B7ick, was built on ihe same spot. This 
 last stood till 1808, when the society removed 
 to their present house. Chauncy place takes 
 its name from one of the most celebrated of 
 the ministers, who have officiated in this 
 church, the Rev Charles Chauncy, D. D. 
 
 JVew South Church, on Church Green, at 
 the junction of Summer and Bedford streets, 
 was first opened for worship on the 8th of Jan- 
 
WARD VIII. 99 
 
 nary, 1717. A sermon was preached on the 
 occasion both in the forenoon and afternoon. 
 That house stood ahuost a hundred years. 
 The present edifice was erected in 1814, and 
 is one of the most elegant in the city. The 
 body of the building is an octagon. It has a 
 porch in front from which the steeple rises to 
 the height of 190 feet. 
 
 Trinity Church stands at the corner of 
 Summer and Hawley streets. Its corner 
 stone was laid September 25th, 1828. The 
 style of the building is elegant beyond that of 
 most other churches ; the walls are of the 
 Quincy granite. The interior unites simplici- 
 ty with great majesty. This is the second 
 church of the same society. The former 
 house was built of wood in 1734, soon after 
 the society was formed. There is a cemetery 
 of family tombs beneath the church. 
 
 It remains to mention in this ward, the Fed- 
 eral Street Theatre. When a theatre was first 
 established in Boston, there was great opposi- 
 tion to it. Many people thought it would 
 prove the ruin of young persons, and 
 that the injury to the community, from this 
 cause, would far exceed the pleasure that 
 would be produced by theatrical entertain- 
 ments. The friends of the theatre however 
 prevailed, and a large one was built, in the 
 year 1794, on the corner of Federal and 
 Franklin streets. Another was built near the 
 
100 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON, 
 
 Common in 1796, and called the HaymarJcet 
 Theatre. 
 
 The Federal street house was destroyed by 
 fire in February, 1798, and rebuilt in the 
 course of the ensuing summer. It is now 
 about 152 feet in length, Gl wide and 40 
 high. Since the establishment of the Tre- 
 mont Theatre, after two years expensive 
 competition, it has been found best to discon- 
 tinue the Federal street exhibitions, except 
 for occasional oddities. Haymarket Theatre 
 was soon discontinued and was taken down 
 in 1803. 
 
 WARD IX. 
 
 Ward No 9 contains 4514 inhabitants; in- 
 crease in ten years, 994. It is bounded 
 north by State street, east and south by the 
 harbor ; west by Atkinson and Kilby streets. 
 It is defined by lines running ' from the north- 
 erly end of India street., the southerly side ol 
 State, to Kilby street, the easterly side of Kil- 
 by, to Milk street, the southerly side of Milk, 
 to Atkinson street, the easterly side of Atkin- 
 son street, to the sea, thence by the sea, to 
 the northerly end of India street.' 
 
WARD tX. 101 
 
 The most prominent object in this ward is 
 Fort Hill, which in fact rnny be said to have 
 ori2;inally formed the wliole of the ward. 
 For, all tlie wharves and all the streets east 
 of Kilby and Baitery-march streets are made 
 land ; and tliis iiill furnished probably no 
 small part of the materials that composed 
 them. The height of Fort hill in ancient 
 times was estimated at 80 feet. The ascent, 
 now, from Milk street, through Oliver, Ham- 
 ilton, or Pearl streets, and High street, is very 
 considerable ; although the top of the hill has 
 been levelled to make a mall, or place for 
 promenades. 
 
 This mall is surrounded by new brick 
 buildings, on the east, north, and west, called 
 Washington plate. On the south side there 
 is the gun house of the Washington Artillery 
 company, and the Boylston School. This 
 school was established in 1819, and takes its 
 name in honor of Thomas and Ward Nicho- 
 las Boylston, former citizens of Boston, 
 whose liberal donations to the city and to 
 Cambridge college, entitle them to grateful 
 remembrance. 
 
 A Fort was erected on this hill in very ear- 
 ly times, and it was llie scene of a very fa- 
 mous exploit in the year 1689. Sir Ed- 
 mund Andros had been sent to diis country 
 from England, to take upon himself the eov- 
 9* 
 
102 GEOGRAPHY GF BOSTON. 
 
 ernment here, under the king of England, in 
 violation of the old charters. The people 
 were displeased with him, as well as with his 
 object, and compelled him to seek shelter in 
 this fort, where he was attacked and made 
 prisoner. He and several of his officers were 
 kept in confinement, until news arrived from 
 England that a new king had ascended the 
 throne, from whom the colonies expected 
 more favorable treatment. 
 
 The Sconce, or South Battery, (as it was 
 called, in distinction from the North Battery, 
 in ward No 2,) was built at the foot of Fort 
 hill on the east side, near the head of India 
 street, as it is now called. It made the 
 southerly termination of the ' circular line.' 
 
 In the year 1805, several gentlemen, who 
 were proprietors of a ship yard and the 
 wharves and flats between Battery-march 
 street and State street, associated for the pur- 
 pose of improving their estates. They built 
 Broad street and India street. These great 
 improvements were rapidly accomphshed, 
 and the cross streets were completed about 
 the same time. The work was principally 
 finished in 1809. The space thus rescued 
 from the water and made into solid land, 
 for building lots and streets, measured about 
 1350 feet in length, and 450 in depth, oc 
 about 600,000 square feet. 
 
WARD IX. 103 
 
 India wharf w^'s, built about tbe same time 
 with Broad street. Central wharf \\\\\c\\ ex- 
 tends into the harbor from India street, about 
 midway between India wharf and Long wharf, 
 is 1240 feet long and 150 feet wide. There 
 are 54 brick stores on this wharf, uniformly 
 built, four stories high. There is an arch in 
 the centre, over which is an observatory, 
 where the telegraphic signals are displayed. 
 This whai'f was completed in 1816. 
 
 Custom house street runs east from Broad 
 street opposite Battery-march street, to India 
 street. On the Piorth side of this street 
 stands the United States' Custom-House, 
 This building was erected va 1810. It is a 
 good specimen of architecture, and well 
 adapted to the purposes for which it was de- 
 signed. It is 60 feet long and three stories 
 high, including the basement. The front is 
 partly of bnck and partly of stone, with a 
 colonnade 60 feet long and 10 wide, formed 
 by 10 stone columns, 14 feet high. A trian- 
 gular yjediment crowns the front, with the 
 American eagle on its top. 
 
 The principal wharves south of India wharf 
 are Liverpool and Russia icharf The latter 
 was formerly called Russel's wharf; it having 
 been owned by Mr Thomas Russel, a 
 wealthy and respected merchant. It opens 
 
104 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 on Purchase street opposite Atkinson street, 
 and makes one of the Jitnits of the ward. 
 
 Liverpool wharf m the days of the revolu- 
 tion was called Griffin's wharf. Here lay the 
 famous Ua ships which were entered on the 
 night of December I6lh, 1773, by a band of 
 determined patriots, and their whole cargoes 
 discharged into the sea. 'ihe men were dis- 
 guised as Indians, and never yet have been 
 publicly known. A multitude of people stood 
 by on the wharf and in the street, ready to 
 defend them if they had been resisted, or in 
 any way injured. 
 
 The cause of this transaction was that the 
 British Government, being determined to as- 
 sert the right to tax vhe colonies, had demand- 
 ed a small duty on tea when it should be im- 
 ported into America. The. people of Boston 
 and other ports refused to drink tea, that had 
 paid such a duty ; and to show their determi- 
 nation, the above measure was resolved upon 
 and carried into execution. It brought the 
 vengeance of the British Parliament upon the 
 town, and the Boston Port Bill was passed, 
 by which it was forbidden to load or unload 
 any vessel in the harbor of Boston. This 
 bore hardest upon the poorest inhabitants of 
 the town, who subsisted by their daily labor ; 
 the rich suffered severely, but could bear 
 it better. The Bostonians, however, had 
 the satisfaction to enjoy the sympathies of 
 
WARD IX t 
 
 105 
 
 their coiintiymenj who, from all quarters sent 
 them donations of provisions and other neces- 
 saries. This severe law continued in force, 
 until Gen Washington drove the British from 
 the town. 
 
 Near the head of Liverpool wharf, on the 
 east side of Purchase street, stands Purchase 
 Street Churchy which was built in 1826. The 
 dedication took place on Thursday, August 
 24th. The whole plan of this building is 
 neat, simple and convenient. It is built of 
 rou2;h hevv^n granite and covers a space of SI 
 by 74 feet. 
 
 On the other side of Purchase street, not 
 far from Broad street, is erected the Mariner\^ 
 Church. It was built by the Boston Seaman's 
 Friend's Society, in 1829, and is intended as 
 a place of worship for seamen and their 
 friends, who may be resident or strangers 
 here. The Bethel Church in Hanover aven- 
 ue, Ward No 1, formerly the Methodist 
 chapel, is also appropriated to the use of sea- 
 men for public worship, under another society. 
 In Pearl street on the 
 west side, near to High 
 street, we have the 
 B ston Atheneum. 
 This establishment ori- 
 ginated in 1806, and 
 has now '»ecome a 
 most valuable and 
 
106 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 splendid library, with all desirable conveniences 
 for literary pursuits. The number of volumes is 
 above 25,000. ^ There is a large collection of 
 medals and pictures and statuary. A reading- 
 room contains almost all the periodicals of the 
 day, with the most valuable public newspapers 
 and journals. The building was presented in 
 part to the Institution by the late Mr James 
 Perkins, a public spirited and liberal merchant 
 of the city. Subscribers to the Atheneum 
 have privileges in proportion to their subscrip- 
 tions, or interest in the property of the Institu- 
 tion. A proprietor pays 300 dollars and has 
 a right to three tickets of admission. A 
 life subscriber pays 100 dollars for his own 
 benefit. An annual subscriber has the priv- 
 ileges of the Atheneum for 10 dollars per 
 year. 
 
 In the rear of the Atheneum is the Gal- 
 lery of Fine Arts, or Atheneum Hall. The 
 building is of three stories, 60 feet long and 
 50 wide. The lower story is divided into 
 apartments for libraries and apparatus ; the 
 second is a lecture room that accommodates 
 500 persons ; the third is an Exhibiiion room 
 fitted purposely for the exhibition of paint- 
 ings. The patronage which this institution 
 has received, is an honor to the citizens of 
 Boston ; and with other examples of munifi- 
 cence, has acquired for the city the distinC' 
 
WARD IX. 107 
 
 tion of being the literary emporium of" the 
 western world. May the appellation never 
 be less deserved. 
 
 The JVew Jerusalem Society, or followers 
 of the re.'igious opinions of Baron Sweden- 
 borg, hold their meetings for worship in the 
 Athenaeum Hall. This society has existed 
 in Boston since the year 181S. They first 
 associated on the 15th of August, in that year, 
 and were incorporated, in February, 1823. 
 
 WARD'X. 
 
 Ward No 10 contains 4940 inhabitants ; in- 
 crease in 10 years, i319. It is bounded on 
 the north by Summer, Bedford and West 
 streets, west by the Common, south by Boyl- 
 ston and Essex streets, east by the harbor, 
 or sea. The boundary runs from the south- 
 west side of Bull's wharf, the southerly 
 side of Bedford and West streets, to Common 
 street, through Common to Boylston street, 
 the northerly side of Boylston and Essex 
 streets to Front street, easterly side of Front 
 street, to the sea, and by the sea to Bull's 
 wharf.' 
 
108 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 On the corner of Sea and Summer streets, 
 near the head of Bull's wharf, we find the 
 Meeting-house of the Christian Chmxh. It 
 is a neatly built brick house, having under the 
 hall for worship a basement story, which is 
 occupied by tenants for purposes of merchan- 
 dise. Most of the other churches have cel- 
 lars under them, which are let for the storage 
 of goods, but this and the church in Union 
 street are the two first which have adopted 
 the plan of improving the basement in a sim- 
 ilar way. 
 
 From this point Sea street extends souther- 
 ly to the Free Bridge ; it is mostly a new 
 street, having been built within a ^ew years. 
 South street is the next street parallel to Sea 
 street. It is adorned on either side with 
 shady trees. Lincoln street comes next, 
 passing from Summer to Essex street ; it 
 bears up the name of Gen Benjamin Lincoln, 
 who commanded the Massachusetts militia in 
 Shay's rebellion, 1787, and was sometime 
 collector of the port of Boston. 
 
 At the corner of Lincoln and Essex street 
 is the Boston Female Asylum. This institu- 
 tion provides for orphan girls who have no 
 father or mother to 'take care of them. It 
 began in the year l&OO, and has been of 
 great benefit to many little girls, who have 
 grown up to be useful and happy, in conse- 
 
WARD X. 109 
 
 quence of the good instruction they have re- 
 ceived from the kind matrons of this house, 
 and the habhs of diligence and skill which they 
 have here attained in all kinds of house work. 
 
 The church in Essex street at the corner 
 of Rowe place is called Union Chmxh, from 
 the circumstance that it was composed of 
 members from several other churches in Bos- 
 ton and the vicinity. The house in which 
 they worship, was built in 1819. The church 
 was formed, under its present name, in Au- 
 gust, 1822. 
 
 The two most noted ranges of buildings in 
 this ward, are Hayward place and La Fayette 
 place. Hayward place takes its name in 
 honor of the late Dr Lemuel Hayward, an 
 eminent physician. It opens on the east side 
 of Washington street, at No 350, a few rods 
 north of Essex street, and contains about 20 
 brick houses, built in the modern style of 
 elegance and convenience. 
 
 Lafayette place fronts the Common, from 
 West street, near to Boylston street : it pre- 
 sents a uniform range of four story brick build- 
 ings, originally having each a row of free- 
 stone columns in front, to support the walk on 
 the piazza. Hence its former name of Co- 
 lonnade row, which was changed to the pres- 
 ent appellation in honor of General Lafayette, 
 in 1 824, the year of his visit to America. 
 10 
 
110 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 In the rear of Lafayette place is Mason 
 street, in which are situated the Adams 
 school and the Medical College. The Ad- 
 ams school was opened in 1817. There was 
 a school house in this neighborhood as early 
 as 1717.. Tt was a one story building, appro- 
 priated to the writing department. Mr Ru- 
 fus Webb, one of its former masters, has per- 
 petuated his memory by a bequest to the city 
 for the advancement of education. 
 
 The Massachusetts Medical College be- 
 longs to Harvard University, and is appropri- 
 ated to the use of the medical professors, who 
 deliver lectures here every winter to young 
 gentlemen who are engaged in the study of 
 medicine. The edifice is of brick, 88 feet in 
 length, and 43 in its greatest breadth. It has 
 a dome upon it with a sky-light and balus- 
 trade, and in a more sightly situation, would 
 be considered an elegant building. 
 
 WARD XI. 
 
 Ward No 1 1 contains 4227 inhabitants ; 
 increase in 10 years, 803. It is bounded 
 east by the sea, or Front street ; south-west- 
 
WARD XI. Ill 
 
 erly by Pine and Warren streets ; southerly 
 by Elliot street ; northerly and north-easterly 
 by the Western avenue, Charles street, Boyls- 
 ton street, and Essex street. The hues are 
 thus described : ' the westerly side of Front 
 street, to Essex street, the southerly side of 
 Essex and Boylston streets, through Charles 
 street, to the Mill Dam, thence by Charles 
 river, to Pleasant street, across Pleasant 
 to Elliot street, the northerly side of Elliot to 
 Warren street, the easterly side of Warren 
 to Washington street, the westerly side of 
 Washington street, to Pine street, the norther- 
 ly side of Fine street, to the sea, thence by 
 the sea, to Front street.' 
 
 This ward includes the Boylston Market 
 house, and hall, two churches and one bank. 
 
 Boylston Hall is situated at the corner of 
 Boylston and Washington streets. It was so 
 named in honor of Ward Nicholas Boylston. 
 It was opened in 1810. Its length is 120 
 feet, width 50 feet, height 3 stories, with a 
 deep cellar. On the first floor there are stalls 
 for the sale of provisions. In an adjacent 
 building there are vegetable stalls. The sec- 
 ond story is divided into rooms for various 
 purposes, on each side ol the house, and 
 separated by a long entry. The third story 
 contains the hall, which is occupied mostly by 
 
112 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 the Handel and Haydn Society, for instruc- 
 tion and exhibitions in music. 
 
 Hollis Street Church, on the south side of 
 Hollis street, is the third house in which this 
 society has worshipped. The first was built 
 in 1732. Being of wood, it was entirely de- 
 stroyed in the g^reat fire of April 20th, 1787. 
 This fire laid w^aste all the dwelling-houses 
 from Elliot to Tremont (then Nassau,) street, 
 on the west side of Washington street, and on 
 the east side, all from Beach street to the 
 corner opposite Tremont street. A new 
 church was erected on the same spot, soon 
 after ; it was an elegant structure of wood, 
 and remained here till 1810, when it was ta- 
 ken down to make way for the present house, 
 which was dedicated January 31st, 1811. 
 The name of Hollis street comes from that of 
 Mr Thomas Hollis, a patron of Harvard Col- 
 lege, and generous contributor to this church. 
 The celebrated Rev Matthew Byles officiated 
 in this church from its first establishment un- 
 til the American Revolution. 
 
 Pine Street Church stands on the east side 
 of Washington street, at the corner of Pine 
 street, directly opposite to Warren street. It 
 was dedicated on Christmas day, December 
 25th, 1827. A church of 45 members had 
 been previously formed on the first of Septem- 
 ber, the same day on which the Salem church 
 
WARD XI. 113 
 
 in Salem street, was formed. The front of 
 this building is finished in the Grecian Doric 
 style : the pediment is supported by 6 Doric 
 columns. 
 
 The Washington Bank, nearly opposite 
 to Boylston hall, is a very handsome building, 
 at the corner of Beach street. Its front pre- 
 sents a range of granite pillars from the quar- 
 ries at Quincy. 
 
 Front street, which lies partly in this ward 
 and partly in ward No 12, was built in 1805, 
 across the flats between the easterly end of 
 Beach street, and the head of Boston South 
 bridge. The docks on the west side of this 
 street were not all filled and built upon, in the 
 year 1830. 
 
 Liberty Tree, so famous in the annals of 
 the revolution, stood near the corner of Essex 
 street, almost opposite Boylston hall. The 
 square around it was a place of resort for the 
 * Sons of Liberty,' on all special occasions, 
 after the 14th of August, 1765. Great pains 
 were taken to keep it in order by pruning and 
 other measures. It has, however, fallen, and 
 in its place a Liberty pole was erected by a 
 number of citizens, on the 2d of July, 1826. 
 It was intended to have been done during the 
 visit of Lafayette to the city, and the follow- 
 ing lines were written for the occasion by the 
 late Judge Dawes. 
 10* 
 
114 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 'Of high renown, here grew the Tree, 
 The ELM so dear to LIBERTY : 
 Your sires beneath its sacred shade. 
 To Freedom early homage paid. 
 This day with fihal awe surround 
 Its root, that sanctifies the ground, 
 And by your father's spirits swear, 
 The rights they left you'll not impair. 
 
 WARD XII. 
 
 Ward No 12, contains 7746 inhabitants ; 
 increase in 10 years, 4337. It is bounded 
 within the peninsula, north and north-easterly 
 by Pine, Warren, and Elliot streets ; west by 
 the water : south by Roxbury line, and east 
 by the harbor. It includes also South Bos- 
 ton ; and its linnits are thus defined : ' the 
 southerly side of Pine, across Washington 
 street, to Warren street, the westerly side of 
 Warren, to Elliot street, the southerly side of 
 Elliot, across Pleasant street, to Charles 
 river, all southerly of the above, including 
 South Boston. 
 
 Grace Church, west of Pleasant street, on 
 the new land at the corner of Piedmont and 
 Cedar streets, is the neat house of worship, 
 occupied by the Episcopal society in connex- 
 
WARD XII. 116 
 
 ion with the Rev James Sabine. This house 
 was built in 1827. The society had then 
 been in existence about 8 years, under the 
 ministry of Mr Sabine. 
 
 The South Congregational Church is in 
 this ward, on Washington street, at the cor- 
 ner of Castle street, about 20 rods south of 
 Pine street church. It was in progress at the 
 same time, and was dedicated on the 30th of 
 January, 1828. The appearance of this 
 house is neat and elegant, somewhat varying 
 in its interior construction from most churches 
 in the city : the ceiling being lower, and the 
 pulpit standing in a recess. 
 
 The Franklin School stands on the other 
 side of Washington street, a little farther 
 south than the last mentioned church. It is 
 a brick building, and was erected in 1825. 
 Prior to that period, the school was establish- 
 ed in Nassau (now Tremont,) street, a short 
 distance from Washington street. 
 
 Washington street is now the name of the 
 main street through the city, from Roxbury 
 line to the market. Formerly this name was 
 appropriated only to that part of this street 
 from Roxbury to the green stores at the cor- 
 ner of South Bridge street. At this latter 
 place, a fortification was thrown across the 
 neck, many years before the revolution, and 
 the fortification gates were kept shut, to pre- 
 
 lot 
 
116 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 vent the entrance of enemies. The road from 
 the gates to Roxbury was then called the 
 neck : it lay barren and mostly unimproved, 
 and in some parts was so low that the high 
 tides would overflow it. 
 
 When Gen Washington drove the British 
 from the town of Boston, there was but one 
 way in which he could enter with the Ameri- 
 can troops on foot, and that was over the 
 neck. The British are said to have strewed 
 the road with crows' feet, an iron article with 
 4 or 5 points, so contrived, that which ever 
 way it fell, one point should be upwards and 
 be almost sure to wound the feet of the sol- 
 diers and the horses. But the General and 
 his troops overcame small as well as great ob- 
 stacles, and entered the town triumphantly, 
 while the British fleet was sailing out with all 
 the soldiers of his majesty. It was in allu- 
 sion to this triumphant entry, that the street re- 
 ceived its name of Washington. 
 
 After the peace, and while he was presi- 
 dent of the United States, Washington visited 
 Boston, in 1789, and was received with un- 
 bounded joy. So also was President Mun- 
 roe, in 1817, and General Lafayette, in 1824 
 The youngest and the oldest united their 
 voices and their hearts together, to pay hom- 
 age to men who had devoted their lives to the 
 liberties of America. 
 
WARD XII. 117 
 
 On the east side of Washington street near 
 the extremity of the city is the largest public 
 burial ground. It is enclosed by a handsome 
 wall, and the walks among the tombs are 
 neatly and soberly laid out, so as at once to 
 be ' pleasant and momuiful to the soul.' 
 
 On the marsh, east of the neck lands, there 
 are located some valuable Ropewalks, In 
 former times these establishments were kept 
 within the town. Some were on Mount Ver- 
 non, and some near the Hospital lot. There 
 were others in Pearl street, which were burnt 
 in 1794, in a most destructive fire. The 
 town compassionated the case of the sufferers 
 so much, as to grant them the use of the lands 
 at the bottom of the common, where the 
 walks were again burnt several times. They 
 were finally removed in 1824, at a great ex- 
 pense to the city, into whose possession the 
 land has reverted. 
 
 SOUTH BOSTON. 
 
 South Boston constitutes a large portion of 
 ward No 12. It was formerly a part of Dor- 
 chester, and was annexed to Boston by an 
 
 m 
 
118 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 act of the legislature, in the year 1804. The 
 territory thus added to the city, comprised an 
 extent of 560 acres of land ; but there were 
 resident on it only 10 families. By the cen- 
 sus of 1 830, the number of inhabitants in the 
 same limits was 2865. 
 
 South Boston is, geographically, speaking, 
 a peninsula, connected on the south-west by 
 Dorchester neck to the town of Dorchester. 
 The line of separation is described in the law 
 annexing it to Boston, as running north, 37 
 1-2 degrees west from a point in Old harbor 
 to a point in that part of Boston harbor called 
 South Bay, which runs up towards Roxbury. 
 Its greatest length is from Nook's hill, on the 
 north-west, opposite the city, to Dorchester 
 point on the south-east, opposite to Castle Is- 
 land, from which it is rather less than a mile 
 distant. The marsh or meadow lands on 
 each side of Dorchester neck are covered by 
 the tide at high water. 
 
 Dorchester heights, where the American 
 army under General Thomas, by direction of 
 Gen Washington, threw up a fortification on 
 the night of the 4th of March, 1776, and 
 J\ook^s hill, where they also erected another 
 battery on the night of the 1 6th, will long be 
 remembered in history. It was the sight of 
 these works, erected almost under their own 
 eyes, that alarmed the British, under Gen 
 
WARD XII. 
 
 119 
 
 Howe, and determined him to evacuate the 
 town, the next morning ; though he had 
 10,000 soldiers and marines at his command. 
 Nook's hill has been mostly levelled, but Dor- 
 chester heights yet remain. Instead, how- 
 ever, of the old redoubts, there are now to be 
 seen the remains of forts thrown up in 1814, 
 by the Massachusetts militia. Their eleva- 
 tion above the sea is from 118 to 135 feet. 
 
 The owners of land in South Boston began 
 immediately after its annexation to Boston, to 
 take measures for increasing its value, and to 
 induce people to settle there. It was regu- 
 larly laid out into streets and squares, and the 
 privilege of building with wood has been al- 
 lowed, under less restrictions than are imposed 
 within the city. 
 
 There are in operation here several exten- 
 sive manufactories, and some ship-building is 
 carried on. There are five churches and a 
 large school house. Here also is the House 
 of Industry, for the poor of the city, and the 
 Juvenile Institution, or house of employment 
 for juvenile offenders. 
 
 Hawes place Church is the oldest in South 
 Boston. Its meetings were first held in 1810 ; 
 it was incorporated in 1818, and a church 
 formed in 1819. It takes its name in re- 
 membrance of Mr John Hawes, one of its 
 earliest members and principal benefactors. 
 
120 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 Hitherto they have onlj a temporry place of 
 worship. 
 
 St Mattheiv's Church began its meetings 
 in 1816, and in 1818 their house of worship 
 was buih and consecrated. It is situated on 
 the west side of Broadway, and is a neat and 
 commodious brick building. A service of 
 plate for the use of the altar was presented 
 by the ladies of Christ church, and the pul- 
 pit, desk, and chancel were furnished with 
 appropriate dressings by the ladies of Trinity 
 church. 
 
 St Augustine's Chapel, as we may read on 
 a tablet wrought into the front of the building, 
 was * erected by the Catholic congregation of 
 Boston, with the approbation and assistance 
 of Right Rev Bishop Cheverus, A. D. 1819.' 
 It is a neat brick building, and has a burial 
 ground attached to h, where those of the Ro- 
 man Catholic persuasion mostly bury their 
 dead. It is situated on the north side of Dor- 
 chester street, a short distance west from the 
 head of Broadway. 
 
 The Evangelical Church was constituted 
 in 1823. This house of worship is of brick, 
 70 feet by 50, every way commodious, but 
 without galleries, except at the ends. It was 
 dedicated on the ninih of March, 1825. It 
 stands on Broadway, north of St Matthew's 
 church. 
 
WARD XII. 121 
 
 South Boston Methodist Episcopal Society 
 was incorporated February 15, 1825. They 
 had previously erected a house of worship, 
 which was dedicated January 22, 1825, and 
 has since been sold to the Baptist society. 
 They have not now any regular meetings. 
 
 The Baptist Church at South Boston is a 
 branch of the Federal street Baptist church. 
 Their house of worship was finished in the 
 summer of 1830. It is a well proportioned 
 building, of wood ; the frame of which was 
 formerly that of the first Baptist meeting 
 house in Stillman street. It stands on the 
 north-east side of Broadway, not far from St 
 Matthew's. 
 
 Halves School stands on the high ground, 
 on the east side of Broadway. It is a brick 
 building, and was erected in 1823. It takes 
 its name from Mr Hawes, before mentioned, 
 who has provided for some endowment of it. 
 
 The House of Industry and the Juvenile 
 Institution are two large stone buildings of 
 similar structure, standing on the high grounds 
 between the forts and the harbor. Being 
 colored white, they show to much advantage 
 in the views of South Boston from various 
 points. The premises cover 61 acres of land, 
 and are surrounded by a durable stockade 
 fence. 
 
122 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 The House of Industry was opened in the 
 year 1825, for the reception of the virtuous, 
 aged, infirm and industrious poor. It is un- 
 der the management of a Board of nine Di- 
 rectors, chosen annually by the city council, 
 with powers similar to those exercised by 
 Overseers of the poor. Any person who is 
 desirous of admission for himself or others, 
 being proper subjects, may obtain a permit 
 from one of the Overseers of the poor in each 
 ward, or of the Directors, at their office or 
 their houses. The Overseers of the poor 
 have no control over the House of Industry ; 
 but it is discretionary with them to send the 
 sick there, or to afford them assistance at 
 their own homes. 
 
 The Juvenile Institution stands a little to 
 the south-east of the House of Industry. It 
 was opened in September, 1826, for the re- 
 ception of juvenile offenders under the age of 
 eighteen, condemned by the proper authori- 
 ties for various crimes ; such as pilfering, 
 quarrelling, swearing, disobedience to parents, 
 truancy, and wandering about the city with- 
 out any proper employment. Here they are 
 taught industrious habits, and are occupied in 
 some agricultural or mechanical labor, and 
 are placed under the care of a schoolmaster 
 to instruct them in those branches of a com- 
 mon education, which they were so unwise as 
 
WARD XII. 123 
 
 to neglect while they had their liberty. These 
 youth are retained in the institution till such 
 time as their terms of punishment expire, or 
 until they are so far reformed, as to be wor- 
 thy of confidence enough to be put to learn 
 some reputable trade. 
 
 In the preceding pages it has been the ob- 
 ject to present to the notice of the young a 
 variety of subjects, which are likely to inter- 
 est them more as they advance in life and 
 are called to take an active part in the affairs 
 of the city. For information more at length, 
 we must refer them to larger histories and the 
 public documents, of which they may find a 
 sufficient stock to enable them to ascertain 
 with precision the particulars respecting any 
 points, which may be the subject of inquiry 
 or of doubt. And we feel somewhat confi- 
 dent in the assurance that no one need to re- 
 main in the dark concerning any such points, 
 who has patience and perseverance enough to 
 search them out. Such terms as perhaps, 
 about, and probably, can never occur in 
 American history, except as a confession that 
 the persons using them have not taken the re- 
 quisite pains to arrive at the certainties. 
 
124 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 BRIDGES. 
 
 Boston is naturally connected with the main 
 land only by one avenue, that is, the JVeck, 
 which extends from the corner of Castle street 
 to Roxbury, about a mile in length, but no- 
 where more than a few rods in width. Be- 
 sides this natural avenue there are six bridges, 
 and the Western Avenue or Boston and 
 Roxbury Mill Dam. 
 
 The oldest of the bridges is Charles River 
 Bridge, which leads to Charlestown from the 
 west end of Prince street. Before this bridge 
 was built, people used to pass in ferry boats 
 from Boston to Charlestown, from this point, 
 and most of the Cambridge people were ac- 
 commodated by the same boats. In 1785, a 
 law was passed to authorize certain individuals 
 to build this bridge and take toll of all pas- 
 sengers for forty years. The bridge was 
 finished and opened on the 17th of June, 
 1786. The length of the bridge and abut- 
 ments is 1503 feet; of the bridge itself, 1357 
 feet, or rather more than a quarter of a mile. 
 The term of time for which this bridge may 
 take toll has since been extended to seventy 
 years, which will expire in 1856. 
 
 A short distance to the west from Charles 
 River Bridge we find the Warren Bridge, 
 
BRIDGES. 125 
 
 which was opened on Christmas day, 1 828. Jt 
 was authorized by an act of tlie legislature, in 
 opposition to the wishes of the proprietors of 
 Charles River Bridge. One condition on 
 which it was allowed is, that it shall become 
 the property of the State after six years, or 
 sooner, if the income from tolls should sooner 
 pay the cost of building the bridge, and the 
 interest of the money at 5 per cent. This 
 bridge measures 1390 feet in length. 
 
 Next westerly from the Warren, we have 
 the Canal or Craigie's Bridge, so named 
 from Mr Andrew Craigie, a liberal-minded 
 friend of public improvements. It was built 
 and opened in 1809. This bridge connected 
 Boston, originally, with Lechmere's Point, in 
 Cambridge ; the distance over it was 2796 
 feet, or more than half a mile. 
 
 Prison-point Bridge is a spur thrown from 
 Craigie's bridge, (two-thirds of its length from 
 the Boston side,) towards Charlestown. It is 
 1821 feet long and 35 wide. Passengers be- 
 tween Charlestown and Cambridge have the 
 privilege of passing this bridge free of toll. 
 Between Boston and Charlestown the toll is 
 chargeable. This spur was built some time 
 after the main bridge. 
 
 fVest Boston Bridge lies next in order. 
 It was opened for passengers in 1793. It 
 connects tlie west part of Boston with Cam- 
 
126 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 bridge port, extending from the west end ot 
 Cambridge street to the opposite shore. The 
 length of the bridge, properly speaking, is 
 2897 1-2 feet. An abutment on the Boston 
 side and a causeway on the Cambridge side, 
 which it was necessary to build over the marsh, 
 make the whole length of the avenue 71S9 
 feet, or about a mile and a quarter. 
 
 The Western Avenue is the Boston and 
 Roxbury Mill Dam, which extends from 
 Charles street, at the foot of Beacon street, 
 to Roxbury and Brookline. The main dam 
 forms a solid road,, one mile and a half in 
 length, nearly in a direct westerly line. It is 
 fifty feet wide in the narrowest parts, and 100 
 feet in the widest. The surface of the road 
 is three or four feet above high water mark. 
 It was so far completed as to be passable in 
 the summer of 1821. There are a number 
 of mills and factories on this avenue, and it is 
 capable of accommodating a great many more. 
 
 Boston South Bridge is the oldest of the 
 two bridges which lead to South Boston. It 
 was opened in the summer of 1805. It com- 
 mences at the southerly end of Front street, 
 and is 1 551 feet in length. It enjoys the right 
 of a toll, except for foot passengers, for 70 
 years from the time it was o})ened. 
 
 The Free Bridge to South Boston extends 
 from Sea street in a direct line to South Bos- 
 
BRIDGES. 
 
 127 
 
 ton. The bridge itself is rather longer than 
 the South Bridge, but its place of termination 
 is so much nearer the centre of ihe city as to 
 make a great saving of travel ; when we con- 
 sider the great number of people that have oc- 
 casion to pass and repass between these two 
 portions of the city. This bridge was built 
 in ] 828, by gentlemen interested in the pros- 
 perity of South Boston, and by them it was 
 surrendered to the city government. The 
 construction of this and of the Warren Bridge 
 involved some questions of right, which have 
 not yet been decided. 
 
 ADJACENT TOWJVS. 
 
 The towns which encircle Boston and its harbor, com- 
 mencing with Chelsea on the northeast, are Charlestown, 
 Cambridge, Brookline, Roxbury, and Dorchester. 
 
 CHELSEA. 
 
 The town of Chelsea lies northeast from 
 Boston four miles and a half. It is bounded 
 northerly by Saugus, from which it is separated 
 by Chelsea creek : east by Lynn bay : south- 
 erly by Boston harbor : west by Maiden, and 
 11 
 
128 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 South Reading. From the source of Chelsea 
 creek, there runs in a northwesterly direction 
 a narrow strip of land belonging to Chelsea, 
 three and a half miles in length, between 
 Saugus on the east and Maiden on the west. 
 In the opposite direction, about an equal dis- 
 tance from the centre of the town, there runs 
 another narrow strip south easterly, which ter- 
 minates at Point Shirley. The northeast ex- 
 tremity of the town is called the Point of 
 Pines. Between these two points there lies 
 an extensive beach, familiarly known by the 
 name of Chelsea Beach. 
 
 The principal part of the town of Chelsea 
 is broken into small hills. One eminence 
 called Powder Horn Hill, is said to be 220 
 feet high ; it stands in the southwest quarter 
 of the town, about four miles from Boston. 
 The northwesterly strip is mostly covered with 
 woods. On the sea shore and the borders of 
 the creeks there are extensive and valuable 
 Salt Marshes from which large quantities of 
 hay are yearly obtained. 
 
 The main road through the town is the Sa- 
 lem Turnpike, which commences in Charles- 
 town, crosses Chelsea Bridge, which is 3,630 
 feet in length, and then pursues a northeasterly 
 course through Lynn to Salem. 
 
 About half a mile from the bridge, and just 
 three miles from the city, we find the United 
 
CHELSEA. 
 
 129 
 
 States' Marine Hospital. This is an elegant 
 stone building, erected in 1827, for the accom- 
 modation of sick and disabled seamen. It 
 stands a few rods to the right of the turnpike, 
 facing towards Boston. 
 
 innH 
 
 The oldest Meeting House stands on a 
 branch of the old road, which strikes out from 
 the turnpike about two miles from the bridge, 
 towards Chelsea beach. This church was 
 first formed on the 19th of October, 1715. 
 The meeting house stands on high ground and 
 is distinguished by a cupola. 
 
 About half a mile northward, on the right 
 of the turnpike, is a small and neat Meeting 
 house without a steeple, erected for a church 
 recently gathered in Chelsea. The town 
 school house stands about half way between the 
 meeting houses. 
 
130 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 Chelsea was originally a part of the town of 
 Boston, and was erected into a town by itself in 
 the year 1739. It continues to form a part 
 of the county of Suflblk. The number of in- 
 habitants is 770, having increased 128 in ten 
 years : the hospital probably contributed a 
 part of this accession. 
 
 CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 The tov/n of Charlestown derives its name 
 from king Charles the First of England, who 
 was the reigning sovereign at the time of its 
 setdement, which was a short time before the 
 settlement of Boston. Its Indian name was 
 Mishawm. 
 
 The natural divisions of this town are dis- 
 tinguished as Charlestown Peninsula, and 
 Charlestown ' without the neck.' These di- 
 visions are of very unequal size : the peninsu- 
 la being only about a mile and a quarter in 
 length, and the tract beyond the neck which 
 joins the peninsula to the main land, is 7 1-4 
 miles long. The width varies from half a 
 mile to a mile in various parts of the town. 
 
CHARLESTOWN. 131 
 
 Charlestown was incorporated March 3, 
 1635. It is bounded south-westerly on Cam- 
 bridge and West Cambridge : northerly by 
 Woburn : northeasterly by the town of Med- 
 ford and Mystic river ; southeasterly by Bos- 
 ton harbor ; and southerly by Charles river 
 and East Cambridge. 
 
 The peninsula is somewhat of an oval form 
 and is about half as large as the peninsula of 
 Boston. It has, like Boston, three principal 
 hills, namely. Bunker's hill. Breed's hill, and 
 the West, or Town hill, as it is latterly named. 
 Bunker's hill is on the northeast part : it is 
 113 feet high, and is the largest of the three 
 hills. Breed's hill commences near the 
 southerly portion of Bunker's, and extends 
 towards the south and west ; its height is 87 
 feet. Town hill is in the southwest part of 
 the peninsula ; its western base reached to the 
 shore of Charles river ; it was never so high 
 as Breed's hill, but its height has been some- 
 what reduced from what it was originally. 
 
 Charlestown is divided into wards for mili- 
 tary purposes, and the peninsula is laid out 
 regularly into streets. Main street divides it 
 lengthwise from Charles river bridge to the 
 neck, in a direction nearly north and south. 
 About one third of the town hes on the west 
 of Main street, and two thirds on the east. 
 Bunker hill street runs on the westerly edge 
 11* 
 
132 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON* 
 
 of Bunker hill from Main street, near the necfc^ 
 to the south-east extremity of the town. High 
 street passes on the west side of Breed's hilL 
 parallel to Bunker hill street. These are in- 
 tersected by numerous cross streets running 
 in an easterly and westerly direction. 
 
 The avenues from Charles river bridge and 
 Warren bridge meet in Charlestown square^ 
 which is an open space of about three acres, 
 regularly laid out soon after the opening of 
 the town, in 1776, for the purposes of a 
 market place. Between these two avenues, 
 stands the Middlesex Hotel, which is a brick 
 building distinguished by a cupola. 
 
 Opposite this hotel, on the east opens Wa- 
 ter street, leading across a draw bridge to the 
 United States JVavy Yard. This establish- 
 ment was commenced here in the year 1800. 
 It occupies about sixty acres of ground on the 
 south-east corner of the peninsula. It ex- 
 tends on the water side, from Chelsea bridge 
 about half way to Charles river bridge, and is 
 limhed on the west by Wapping street, and 
 on the north by Turnpike street. Within 
 this enclosure, there is collected all the vari- 
 ety of materials and apparatus necessary for 
 the construction, repair, and equipment of 
 ships of war. Several have already been 
 launched, and several are now in progress, 
 ready to be finished at short notice. The 
 
CHARLESTOWN. 133 
 
 Dry Vock is a work of great Ingenuity and 
 extensive utility. 
 
 Most of the buildings around the Square 
 are occupied as places of business. At the 
 south-west corner stands the Town House. 
 This is a handsome brick building of three 
 stories with a cupola. The lower story is 
 appropriated for a market and stores ; above 
 which is a hall for the public meetings of the 
 citizens, with apartments for town officers and 
 other purposes. On the opposite side of the 
 square is Bunker Hill Bank, the only bank 
 in the town, and the News-room. 
 
 The Town house stands on the corner of 
 Town hill street, which passes by its west 
 side over Town hill to Main street. From 
 the opposite corner of Town hill street, Bow 
 street extends in a circular direction around 
 the west side of the hill to the same part of 
 Main street. Arrow street crosses Bow 
 street about its centre, extending from Town 
 hill street, at the top of the hill, westward to- 
 wards the river. 
 
 The First Church, which was formed in 
 1632, of thirty-five members, stands on Town 
 hill, at the head of Arrow street. Their first 
 minister was Rev Thomas James. Previous- 
 ly to this, the people of Boston and Charles- 
 town had been united together as one church. 
 It is said the spot where the present meeting 
 
134 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 house stands, was the first burial place during 
 the sickness which prevailed in 1630. For- 
 ever hallowed be the spot where repose the 
 remains of such self-devoted martyrs to the 
 cause of truth and gospel liberty. The for- 
 mer house having been destroyed in the gen- 
 eral conflagration of Bunker hill battle, this 
 house was erected in 1783 : it had a lofty 
 steeple, which has been taken down within a 
 few years, and a cupola substituted in its 
 stead. The eastern door of the church faces 
 an avenue leading to Main street, nearly op- 
 posite Henley street. 
 
 Henley street runs eastward until it strikes 
 the Salem Turnpike ; which under the name 
 of Turnpike street, extends to Chelsea bridge, 
 by the north side of the navy yard wall. 
 Thus a communication is made, almost direct, 
 across the widest part of the peninsula, from 
 Chelsea bridge to the river, or bay, through 
 Turnpike, Henley, and Arrow streets. From 
 the point where Bow street intersects Arrow 
 street, Washington street leads northerly to 
 Prison point bridge, from whence Austin 
 street takes an easterly direction, towards 
 Main street. Richmond street runs parallel 
 to Washington, from Bow to Austin street. 
 
 The Baptist Church in Austin street is the 
 second of the Charlestown churches. It was 
 formed in 1801, and publicly recognized on 
 
CHARLESTOWN. 135 
 
 the 12th of May. On the same day the house 
 in which they first worshipped, was dedicated. 
 It was the building wiiich is now occupied by 
 the Methodist Society. The present house 
 was erected in 1810. There is another 
 Baptist church in Gorham street. 
 
 The Universalist Church stands in a court 
 on the easterly side of Back street, between 
 Cordis and Green streets. It is a commodi- 
 ous and handsomely finished brick building, 
 62 feet square, and was erected in 1810. 
 
 The Unitarian Church is situated on the 
 Main street, nearly opposite Austin street, at 
 the corner of Green street. It is a brick edi- 
 fice with a very handsome steeple. This so- 
 ciety also occupied for a short time the house 
 which had been vacated by the Baptist 
 church. Their present building was erected 
 in the year 1818. 
 
 The Methodist Society occupies the house 
 on High street, at the head of Salem street, 
 of which we have spoken, as the first Baptist 
 meeting house. It is a wooden building, 65 
 feet by 50. Standing on high ground, it is 
 distinguished by its cupola in the view of the 
 town from a distance. 
 
 The Roman Catholic Church was com- 
 menced in October, 1828. It stands on the 
 west side of Richmond street, near the mid- 
 dle of Austin street. The building is of brick. 
 
136 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 and somewhat different in structure from any 
 of the churches in this vicinity. It accommo- 
 dates the people at East Cambridge also. 
 
 Washington Hall is a brick building three 
 stories high, standing on Main street, not far 
 from the First church. It was built in 1813, 
 by the Washington Hall Association, and de- 
 signed for the accommodation of a Reading 
 Society, and as a place for public meetings. 
 
 The Schools of Charlestown are under good 
 management, and furnish all desirable opj)or- 
 tunities for the attentive scholar to obtain a 
 thorough common education. The primary 
 schools for children under 7 years of age, 
 were established as early as 1814. Great at- 
 tention is also paid to the Sabbath school sys- 
 tem here as well as in Boston. The benefits 
 which result to the community from this sys- 
 tem, have immortalized the name of its found- 
 er, Mr Robert Raikes. 
 
 The Poor House of Charlestown stands on 
 Bunker hill. It is a large brick edifice, pe- 
 culiarly well adapted to its object. It is so 
 managed as to be attended with comparative- 
 ly little expense to the town. The able bo- 
 died inmates are kept constantly employed, in 
 the garden or on the high roads, or within the 
 building, as best suits their strength and capa- 
 cities. At the same time, the sick, the infirm 
 and the as-ed are furnished with the comforts 
 
CHARLESTOWN. 137 
 
 needful to soothe their passage through Hfe. 
 It is not considered degrading or disgraceful 
 here, or at the Boston House of Industry, to 
 be poor, unless the poverty has been a conse- 
 quence of vice. A good character ensures to 
 its possessor a kind reception in either of these 
 establishments. 
 
 There is a public Burial Ground not far 
 from the premises of the Poor House, which 
 is of modern date. The Old Burial Ground 
 lies on the south west side of the peninsula, a 
 short distance north from the State pi'ison. 
 There are remaining here several very old 
 grave stones, but the object of greatest attrac- 
 tion now, is the monument erected to the 
 memory of Rev John Harvard. It is a single 
 granite shaft, 15 feet high. On its eastern 
 face, it bears the name of Harvard, with the 
 circumstances of his death in the English lan- 
 guage. On the west side there is a Latin in- 
 scription, commemorative of his piety and lib- 
 erality to Cambridge College. 
 
 The State Prison occupies a point of land 
 on the west side of the peninsula, surrounded 
 on three sides by the water. The premises 
 cover a space of 500 feet by 400, enclosed 
 by a wall 15 feet high. The old prison 
 building was built in 1805; it is 200 feet 
 long, 44 feet wide, and 38 feet high. The 
 new building erected in 1828, has four stories, 
 
138 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 about 200 feet long, and 40 wide. It is 
 divided into numerous cells designed each for 
 a single person only. Besides these buildings, 
 there are the keeper's house, and several 
 workshops in the yard. 
 
 Convicts are sent to this prison from all 
 parts of the commonwealth, and are here kept 
 at hard labor or in solitary confinement, during 
 the terms of their punishment. The greatest 
 disgrace is attached to all that commit the 
 crimes for which people are condemned to 
 this gloomy place. The punishments are as 
 severe as is consistent with the preservation of 
 life : no communication is permitted to take 
 place between the convicts, and whoever en- 
 ters here as a convicted felon, has before him 
 only the prospect of one continued round of 
 labor, from which he can derive no profit to 
 himself by day, and of the unceasing goadings 
 of conscience to embitter his hours by night. 
 Happy indeed for him, if it results in his re- 
 formation : happy for the community, if the 
 example of his disgrace and sufferings shall 
 deter others from entering the same pathsc. 
 Truly the way of the transgressor is bard — 
 and what is done in secret shall be proclaimed 
 upon the house-top. 
 
 From the prison, the western shore winds 
 northerly and easterly towards the neck, where 
 we find a large mill pond, into which the Mid- 
 
CHARLESTOWN. 139 
 
 dlesex Canal enters, after crossing the neck. 
 This canal affords inland navigation for boats 
 for the distance of 27 miles into the country : 
 It is 30 feet wide, and 4 feet deep, and con- 
 nects the waters of Boston harbor with those 
 of the Merrimack river. It commences at a 
 point in that river, between the towns of 
 Chelmsford and Dracut, and passes through 
 Chelmsford, Billerica, Wilmington, Woburn, 
 Medford and Charlestown, following a circui- 
 tous route mostly in a southeast direction. 
 This canal was completed in 1804. 
 
 The territory of Charlestown without the 
 neck is represented as valuable for its fertility 
 and its nearness to the large markets of Bos- 
 ton and the neighboring towns. There are 
 several hills on which are discernible some 
 vestiges of the fortifications erected by the 
 American troops, during the siege of 1775. 
 The Magazine, on Quarry hill, is a strong 
 stone edifice, of a conical form, and of some 
 years standing. 
 
 The Maclean Jlsylum, or hospital for the 
 insane, occupies a point of land and rising 
 grounds, known by the name of Barrell's 
 Farm, on the west side of Charles river bay, 
 opposite to the State Prison. The nearest 
 road to it from Boston is over Craigie's 
 Bridge. This establishment was commenced 
 in 1818. It has several buildings adapted for 
 12 
 
140 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 the accommodation of the unfortunate beings, 
 whose lot it is to inhabit them. It is a great 
 mercy to them and to their friends, that such 
 a place has been provided. Many more per- 
 sons are found to labor under mental disease, 
 than there is room for here, and therefore the 
 commonwealth has commenced another es- 
 tablishment of the kind at Worcester. The 
 expenses of supporting a friend at the Mac- 
 lean Asylum, are limited to as moderate a 
 price as the funds of the institution will per- 
 mit. 
 
 Northwest of the neck, about 2 1-2 miles 
 from Boston, is the Roman Catholic Seminary 
 of Mount Benedict. Here is established a 
 school for young ladies and misses, under the 
 care of ladies of that religious persuasion, 
 who bear the name of the Ursuline Commu- 
 nity. 
 
 The history of Charlestown embraces many 
 interesting events, for which we must refer 
 to other books, and only notice here the Battle 
 of Bunker Hill. . Under this name all the 
 world knows the glorious contest of the 17th 
 of June, 1775. It was preceded by the fight 
 at Lexington and Concord, in April of the 
 same year, when the British troops from Bos- 
 ton attempted to destroy a collection of pow- 
 der and ball, that the Massachusetts people 
 had got together. They partially effected 
 their object, but were driven back into town 
 
CHARLESTOWN. 141 
 
 with great loss of killed, wounded and miss- 
 ing. 
 
 This fight was the signal for open war. In 
 the course of two months the Americans had 
 collected near 15,000 militia men, and the 
 British had received strong reinforcements. 
 The American army completely besieged Bos- 
 ton, so that the British and their adherents, 
 who remained in town, could have no commu- 
 nication wuth the country. 
 
 On the night of the 16th of June, a detach- 
 ment of the American army was ordered to 
 erect a fortification on Bunker's Hill ; but by 
 some cause they were led to Breed's Hill, 
 where they threw up a redoubt before morn- 
 ing. Soon as day dawned, it was discovered 
 by the British, and a firing immediately com- 
 menced from the ships of war which lay be- 
 tween Boston and Charlestown, and from can- 
 non on Copp's Hill. The militia-men, how- 
 ever, maintained their ground, and constructed 
 a line of defence from the top of the hill to- 
 wards the Mystic river. 
 
 About noon, of the 17th, the British troops 
 were ready to embark on board their boats, 
 and proceeded to dislodge the rebels, as they 
 called the Americans. They landed at Mor- 
 ton's Point, where the Navy Yard now is, and 
 soon advanced to the attack, under a blazing 
 sun. The Americans were ordered to wait 
 
143 
 
 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 till they could see the white of their eyes, and 
 then to fire. They did so, and such terrible 
 havoc was produced among the officers and 
 men, that they instantly retreated. On re- 
 turning to the conflict they met a similar re- 
 ception, and the Americans could not be com- 
 pelled to quit the ground, until their ammunition 
 was expended and their redoubt almost sur- 
 rounded by the enemy's troops. The British 
 loss in the battle so far exceeded that of the 
 Americans, and their number was so much 
 greater, that the latter maintained the honor of 
 the victory, though the former got possession 
 of the field. 
 
 To commemorate this great event is the ob- 
 ject of the Bunker Hill Monument, the cor- 
 ner stone of which was laid by Lafayette, 
 on the 17th of June, 1775, precisely 50 years 
 after the battle. It is designed to be 220 feet 
 in height, and standing on 
 ground that is 62 feet high, 
 it will have an elevation 
 above any other accessible 
 point in the vicinity. The 
 cut in the margin shows 
 the monument as it will 
 appear when completed. 
 
 The following sketch 
 exhibits a view of it in its 
 present state, and also a part of the ingenious 
 
CHARLESTOWN. 
 
 143 
 
 apparatus contrived for the purpose of hoisting 
 the stone. Those who ought to finish this 
 work can command the means. 
 
 While the battle was in progress, the town 
 of Charlestown was set on fire, and almost all 
 the houses on the peninsula, about 400 in 
 number besides out houses, were burnt to the 
 ground. Thus was the whole population, rich 
 and poor, rendered houseless and without a 
 home. When the siege of Boston terminated, 
 they returned and commenced rebuilding ac- 
 cording as they were able. The principal 
 streets were widened, straightened and im- 
 proved, and the square was regularly laid out. 
 In ten years time, 1785, the number of inhab- 
 itants amounted to a thousand ; or 550 within 
 12* 
 
144 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON 
 
 and 450 without the neck. The present pop- 
 ulation is 8783. 
 
 The various departments of municipal gov- 
 ernment in Charlestown are conducted on sim- 
 ilar principles to those of Boston, without the 
 form of a city government. The early town 
 records are complete, and contain the most 
 ancient account of the first settlement of 
 Charlestown and Boston. For judicial pur- 
 poses Charlestown is attached to the County 
 of Middlesex. 
 
 CAMBRIDGE. 
 
 Cambridge is bounded by Charlestown on 
 the east, by Charles river on the south, west 
 by Brighton and Watertown, and north by 
 West Cambridge. 
 
 The settlement of Cambridge began in 1630, 
 under the name of New Town. Those who 
 commenced it, anticipated that it would be 
 the future capital of the colony, and laid it out 
 regularly into streets and squares. The ex- 
 tent of their township is thought to have been 
 at first very limited, but before a great while 
 it was enlarged so as to embrace the present 
 
CAMBRIDGE. 
 
 145 
 
 towns of Brighton, Newton, West Cambridge, 
 and Lexington. Newton was incorporated 
 in 1691; 1 «exington in 1712; Brighton and 
 West Cambridge in 1807. In its present ex- 
 tent Cambridge is about 4 miles long, and 
 from I mile, to 1 mile and 1-4 in width. 
 
 Harvard University stands near the centre 
 of the town. It was from the circumstance 
 of the College being located here, that the 
 general court altered the name of the town 
 from New Town to that of Cambridge. 
 
 ERSITY HALL. 
 
 The College was commenced in the year 
 1636, and took the name of Harvard from its 
 great benefactor, Rev John Harvard of 
 Charlestown. For many years it was the 
 only college in British America, and most 
 of the learned men received their education 
 here. It has now a large number students in 
 the various stages of classical and professional 
 studies. The college buildings stand on a 
 
146 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 plain at the distance of 3 1-4 miles from Bos- 
 ton. They are large and commodious edifi- 
 ces which have been erected at different peri- 
 ods, as the accommodation of the officers and 
 students required. Most of them are of brick ; 
 the most modern are of granite ; they bear the 
 names of various patrons of the Institution. 
 The library of the college is the largest in the 
 United States. 
 
 The Botanical Gardens, attached to the 
 University, are about a mile north from the 
 colleges. They are open to visitors at suita- 
 ble hours, who pay a small sum for admission. 
 They contain specimens of an extensive varie- 
 ty of fruits and flowers, foreign and native. 
 
 Fresh Fond, a place of much resort for 
 parties of pleasure, a mile and a half north 
 west from the colleges, lies partly In each of 
 the three towns of Cambridge, West Cam- 
 bridge and Watertown. 
 
 The settlement around the colleges forms 
 one of the three principal villages into which 
 Cambridge is divided. That which is situated 
 near West Boston Bridge is called Cambridge- 
 port, and the other at Lechmere's Point, near 
 Craigie's Bridge, is called East Cambridge. 
 
 In the college neighborhood there are 
 three churches. That of the First Parish 
 was built in the year 1757. The exercises 
 of commencement, which takes place on the 
 
CAMBRIDGE. 147 
 
 last Wednesday of August, annually, are at- 
 tended in this bouse. 
 
 Tiie Episcopal Church was first opened for 
 divine service in October, 1761, and Rev 
 Dr Aptborp and Rev Mr Sargeant officiated 
 in it regularly till the American revolution. 
 Since that time the services had not been so con- 
 stant, until within a few years, wben efforts w^ere 
 made with success to re-establish the church. 
 It is a mode] of architecture rarely surpassed. 
 
 The foundation of the meetinghouse for the 
 ' First Church and Shephard Society'' was laid 
 in 1830. It bears up the name of the first 
 minister of Cambridge, whose exemplary piety 
 and talents induced the General Court to es- 
 tablish the college where the students could 
 .enjoy his ministry. 
 
 The village of Camhridge-port has grown 
 ijp mostly since the erection of West Boston 
 bridge. Here is a large number of stores in 
 which much business is transacted. 
 
 In this vicinity there are four churches. 
 That which is nearest to the bridge is the 
 Universalist church. On the right as we pro- 
 ceed toward the colleges from the bridge is 
 the Rev Mr Gannet's church. A litde far- 
 thfir on the left, is the Baptist church which 
 was formed in 1817. Its meetinghouse stands 
 an the road to Brighton. The Evangelical 
 church is the most recent of the four ; its pres- 
 ent pastor was ordained in 1829. 
 
148 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 East Cambridge, or the village at Lech- 
 mere Point, has come into notice since the 
 erection of Craigie's bridge in 1810. There 
 are now many very extensive and valuable 
 manufactories and establishments for business, 
 which have drawn together a large number of 
 inhabitants. 
 
 A County Court House and Jail are located 
 in this village ; Cambridge being one of the 
 two shire towns of the County of Middlesex : 
 the other shire town is Concord, 17 1-2 miles 
 from Boston. 
 
 Here are three churches. The Methodist 
 church was the first established in the village. 
 It had the advantage of the donation of a lot 
 of land intended for the first religious society 
 that should be formed at the point. The 
 Unitarian church commenced in 1827. The 
 Baptist meeting house was also erected in 
 1827. The corner stone was laid May 21st. 
 of that year. 
 
 The population of Cambridge in 1810, was 
 2323. By the census of 1830, it is 6071. 
 The greater part of the increase has been at 
 the villages of Cambridge-port and East-Cam- 
 bridge. 
 
BRIGHTON. 
 
 BRIGHTON. 
 
 149 
 
 Brighton was formerly known by the name 
 of Little Cambridge. It was incorporated in 
 1807, and belongs to the county of Middlesex. 
 It lies between Cambridge on the east, Brook- 
 line on the south, Newton on the west, and 
 Watertown on the north. A direct road from 
 the Western Avenue to Watertown strikes the 
 road to Brighton meeting house at 4 miles 
 from Boston. There are also two roads from 
 Cambridge, one passing by the Baptist meet- 
 ing house, and the other opening near the 
 colleges. 
 
 Brighton has long been celebrated as the 
 seat of the Cattle fair. Every week, on Mon- 
 days, large droves of various kinds of cattle 
 for slaughter are collected here, and sold for the 
 Boston market. There is also annually a 
 show of cattle and agricultural productions, 
 for the best of which premiums are awarded 
 to the owners. The place of the Fair is 
 about 5 miles from the city. 
 
160 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 BROOKLINE. 
 
 Brookline belongs to the county of Norfolk ; 
 it is separated from Cambridge on the north 
 by Charles river ; northeasterly from Boston 
 by Charles river bay ; southeast it is bound- 
 ed by Roxbury : soudivvest by Newton ; 
 northwest by Newton and Brighton. It was 
 at first called Muddy river, and was included 
 within the bounds of Boston. It became in- 
 corporated as a distinct town under its present 
 name, in 1705. The name comes from the 
 circumstance of its being included between 
 Smelt brook on the north, and another brook 
 which separates it from Roxbury. 
 
 Brookline is about four miles and a half in 
 length, and from one to two miles in width, 
 covering about 4400 acres of ground ; of 
 which about 180 acres are salt marsh. Its 
 population is 1084. Many families from 
 Boston have their summer residences in this 
 town. 
 
 The Turnpike to Worcester commences 
 near the line of Brookline and Roxbury, and 
 runs obliquely about 3 miles through the 
 town. The distance of the village from City 
 Hall is about 4 miles and a half. 
 
 The Brookline meeting house stands near 
 the centre of the length of the town, and not 
 
ROXBURY. 151 
 
 tar from the Roxbury line on the east. It 
 was commenced in the year 1805, and dedi- 
 cated June 11th, 1806. It is distinguished 
 by a steeple, the spire of which is 137 feet 
 high from the foundation- The old house 
 had stood 95 years. 
 
 In 1827, a Baptist church was formed in 
 Brookline, and built a house of worship. 
 
 The hills and woodlands of Brookline form 
 a good part of the scenery in view from the 
 west of Boston Common. The country seats 
 are many of them highly ornamental to the 
 town. Several of the revolutionary forts may 
 be traced here by some slight remains ; and 
 the site of one of the ancient Indian forts, 
 built by the natives before the settlement by 
 the EngUsh, is yet discernible, on what is 
 called Sewall's farm. The erection of the 
 Mill Dam has opened a direct communication 
 /rom the city, and increased the value of es- 
 tates in Brookline. 
 
 ROXBURY. 
 
 Roxbury is bounded on the north by Bos- 
 ton ; south-east by Dorchester ; south by 
 13 
 
152 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 Dedham ; north-west by Newton and Brook- 
 line. It is somewhat more than seven miles 
 in length, and about 1 3-4 of a mile broad. 
 It is one of the oldest towns in the state, and 
 has the largest population of any town in the 
 county of Norfolk. By the census of 1830, 
 the number amounted to 5166. 
 
 The part of Roxbury nearest to Boston is 
 thickly settled. The principal street is a 
 continuation of Washington street. It soon 
 however branches off into roads, which lead 
 on the east to Dorchester, southerly to Ded- 
 ham, and westerly to Brookline. The Ded- 
 ham turnpike, which passes through the town, 
 forms a part of the turnpike road to Provi- 
 dence. The old road to Dedham, passes a 
 little west of the turnpike. 
 
 A great part of this town is rocky land ; 
 and from hence came its name of Rocks^bury, 
 The soil is however rich, and productive un- 
 der cultivation. In the southwest quarter, 
 there is an extensive level called Jamaica 
 Plains ; the road to which lies a little west- 
 ward of the old road to Dedham. 
 
 Jamaica Pond, on this plain, is remarkable 
 as the source from which the Boston Aque- 
 duct is supplied. It is 4 1-2 miles from Bos- 
 ton, and the w ater is conducted from it in logs 
 and pipes, the whole distance, and conveyed 
 to such houses in the city as may desire the 
 improvement of it, at a reasonable price. 
 
ROXBURY. 153 
 
 A brook which rises in a smaller pond near 
 the south-west extremity of the town, divides 
 Roxbury into two nearly equal parts, and 
 joining another brook from Jamaica pond, 
 empties into Muddy river a short distance 
 from its mouth. 
 
 The centre of business in Roxbury is about 
 2 3-4 miles from City Hall. Here is the 
 JYorfolk Bank, and the JVorfolk Hotel, both 
 of which are situated on rising ground, and 
 are well constructed edifices. The Town 
 House stands in the same vicinity. 
 
 The oldest congregational church is in this 
 neighborhood. Their first pastor was the fa- 
 mous Rev John Eliot, the apostle to the In- 
 dians. The meeting house is distinguished 
 by a steeple. Within half a mile eastwai'd 
 from this, are the Universalist and the Bap- 
 tist churches. In the southwest part of the 
 town are two other Congregational churches, 
 one at the distance of 5 miles from Boston, 
 on Jamaica plains, the other 7 1-2 miles, on 
 the old road to Dedham. 
 
154 GEOGRAPHY OP BOSTO.VV 
 
 DORCHESTER. 
 
 Dorchester in the coutity of Norfolk is' 
 bounded easterly by Dorchester bay ; south- 
 earterly by Quincy, Milton and Dedhani, from 
 which it is separated by Neponset river and 
 Mother brook ; southwesterly by Dedham ; 
 northwesterly by Roxbury ; and northeasterly 
 by South Boston. A small stream, called 
 Roxbury brook, foi'ms the noitherly portion of 
 the bounds between Dorchester and Roxbury. 
 
 This town i& about 7 miles long. In some 
 parts it is over two miles in width, and in other 
 not more than three quarters. Thompson's 
 Island and the Moon Islands are included in 
 the town of Dorchester. 
 
 The old roads are very crooked and very 
 numerous, but very good. The Turnpike 
 from South Boston bridge to Neponset river 
 passes in a straight line through Dorchester, a 
 length of about 5 miles. 
 
 There are four congregational churches in 
 the town. The first, or Rev Dr Harris's, is 
 situated on rising ground 3 1-2 miles from 
 Boston ; the Old South, or Rev Dr Codman's, 
 is near 4 3-4 miles ; the third, or Rev Dr 
 Richmond's, is about 6 miles ; they are all 
 located west of the turnpike. The fourth, or 
 Village church was constituted in 1829 an(^ 
 has a small commodious house of worship. 
 
HINGHAM AND HULL. 155 
 
 The Methodist Chapel' stands by the Milton 
 road, 5 1-2 miles from the city. 
 
 Savin Hill, about 4 miles from Boston, 
 stands between two considerable inlets from 
 the Bay and forms a pleasant place of resi- 
 dence in the smumer months. Commercial 
 Point is a place of some note a little south 
 from Savin hill. 
 
 The lands bordering on the Neponset are 
 valuable as sites for mills and factories for va- 
 rious purposes. 
 
 The Indian name of Dorchester was Mat- 
 tapan. 
 
 HINGHAM AND HULL. 
 
 The outer bound of Boston bay or harbor, 
 on the northeast, is Nahant point in Lynn, 
 and on the southeast, Point Alderton in the 
 town of Hull. Between these two points lie 
 the Graves Rocks, and the Brewster Islands, 
 on one of which stands Boston Light. 
 
 Hingham and Hull, including those islands 
 and some others, belong to Plymouth county, 
 having been set off from Suffolk in 1 803. 
 13* 
 
156 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 Hull is a town of very small population, 
 being not far from 200. It is surrounded by- 
 water, and forms a sort of elbow projecting 
 from Cohasset, first north and then northwest, 
 between 4 and 5 miles. The principal set- 
 tlement is oil Nantasket head which lies S. 
 E. from Boston 9 1-2 miles by water; it is 
 about 24 miles by land. The town is formed 
 of five small hills, connected together by very 
 narrow necks. 
 
 Hingham is a much larger town and has 
 3375 inhabitants. The village is about 15 
 miles from Boston, by land ; most of the com- 
 munication however is by water, and the dis- 
 tance is about equal. Hingham is a place of 
 considerable manufactures, particularly of 
 buckets and other wooden wares. There are 
 six churches in the town, and one academy,, 
 besides the town schools. It is bounded on 
 the north by the bay, on which it has a good 
 harbor ; on the east by Cohasset ; south by 
 Scituate and Abington ; and west by Wey- 
 mouth. 
 
 WEYMOUTH, 
 
 Weymouth lies next westerly of Hingham, 
 from which it is separated by a large creek ; 
 
BRAINTREE. 157 
 
 has Town river bay on the north ; Abington 
 on the south; Randolph and Braintree on 
 the west ; from which last it is separated by 
 Manatticut river, for two miles before it emp- 
 ties into Town river bay. It belongs to Nor- 
 folk county. 
 
 Weymouth began to be settled soon after 
 Plymouth, but the settlement was broken up, 
 and the town was not incorporated till 1635. 
 It now contains 2839 inhabitants. It has a 
 good landing place for vessels of light bur- 
 then, and considerable trade is carried on 
 there. The distance from Boston to the 
 Weymouth Bridge is 13 miles ; to the tavern 
 on the road to Plymouth, 12 mi\e^, 
 
 BRAINTREE AND QUINCY. 
 
 These two towns were formerly one, under 
 the name of Braintree. From 1630 to 1640, 
 they were a plantation under the jurisdiction 
 of Boston, which was known by the name of 
 Mount Wolaston. In 1640, Braintree was 
 set off from Boston, and in 1792, Quincy was 
 set off from Braintree. 
 
 Braintree has 1752 inhabitants.^ and is a 
 place of some trade. It has the town of 
 
158 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTON. 
 
 Quincy on the north, and is separated from 
 Weymouth on the east by Manatticut river, 
 by which it has access to the sea. 
 
 Quincy derives its name from the family of 
 Mr Edmund Quincy, who was one of the 
 early inhabitants of Boston. It is rendered 
 illustrious from having been the birth-place of 
 two Presidents of the United States, John and 
 John Quincy Adams. 
 
 This town is about 8 1-4 miles in its great- 
 est length from south-west to north-east, and 
 of very irregular breadth. It contains 2192 
 inhabitants ; the most settled part of it is 9 
 miles from Boston, where there is a consid- 
 erable village, containing two churches, one 
 Episcopal and one Congregational. The lat- 
 ter is an elegant edifice, erected since the 
 decease of the elder President Adams, with 
 funds, of which he bequeathed the principal 
 part. 
 
 The south-west part of this town forms, 
 with little exception, a complete body of 
 granite rock, rising to the height of 610 feet 
 above the level of the sea. Here are inex- 
 haustible quarries of stone, which furnish a 
 beautiful material for building. 
 
 From two of the quarries a Railway has 
 been constructed to the navigable waters of 
 the Neponset, a distance of 3 miles. The 
 first is called the Railway quarry, and is about 
 2 miles from the river : the other is the Bun- 
 
QtJiNClf. 
 
 159 
 
 ker Hill quarry, so called, from the circum- 
 stance that the stone for the Bunker Hill 
 Monument is taken from it. 
 
 The (luincy Railway was the first con- 
 structed in America. It was built in 1826, 
 and the facilities which it affords for the trans- 
 portation of heavy stone, make it a most valu- 
 able work. One horse on such a road can 
 perform the labor which on common roads 
 would require four or six, 
 
 Quincy is bounded southeasterly on Brain- 
 tree, about five miles ; southerly on Randolph 
 about two miles ; westerly and nordi-westerly 
 on Milton, about 6 miles ; on Dorchester, 
 about 2 miles ; and has Quincy bay on the 
 north-east. This bay is an inlet from Boston 
 bay and is included within two promentories, 
 of which the north-western one is called by 
 the name of Squan'um. This is 99 feet 
 high 5 the other is 94 feet. Squantum is 
 
160 GEOGRAPHy OF BOSTON. 
 
 about a mile and a half from Neponset 
 Bridge, or about 8 miles from Boston. 
 
 LYNN. 
 
 The village of Lynn, in the county of Es- 
 sex, is 9 1-4 miles from Boston, on the Salem 
 Turnpike. The town extends along the sea 
 shore from Saugiis river on the west, to the 
 mouth of a small creek where the line begins 
 which separates it from Marblehead, Salem and 
 Danvers, on the east and northeast. It bounds 
 northerly on Lynnfield about half a mile, and 
 westerly on Saugus about 3 miles, till the line 
 strikes Saugus river about 2 miles from its 
 mouth. 
 
 Lynn contains 6130 inhabitants. The 
 principal business of the place is the prepara- 
 tion of leather and the manufacture of shoes. 
 Some of the people follow the seas, and there 
 is a small and convenient harbor for the ac- 
 commodation of light vessels, the entrance tf 
 which is between tho Point of Pines and Lynn 
 beach. 
 
 Lynn Beach is a beautiful neck of land 
 which extends from the town between Lynn 
 harbor on the v/est and Nahant Bay on the 
 
LYNN. I6l 
 
 east. It is 1 mile and 3-4 in length and 
 forms a smooth and solid road of sand, ter- 
 minating with the peninsula of Nahant. 
 
 JVahant is about 2 miles in length from 
 west to east, but of irregular width, owing to 
 the numerous indentations in its shores. Some 
 parts of it are hilly, rising to the height of 70 feet, 
 and others are level almost with the ocean. 
 The shore presents in almost every point a 
 ledge of rugged rocks, worn into fantastic 
 shapes ; and when the sea is raging, the roar 
 and foam of the waters render the spectacle 
 one of the most interesting in nature. From 
 its numerous attractions, this place has always 
 been a favorite resort. There are several 
 hotels for the accommodation of visitors, and 
 in the season for water excursions, a steam- 
 boat plies several times a day between Boston 
 and Nahant. 
 
 The distance from Boston to Nahant in a 
 direct Hne is E. N. E. 8 1-2 miles; by land 
 carriage it is 14 miles, and the passage by 
 water is 10 miles through the most convenient 
 channels. 
 
 Nahant point forms the northeastern limit 
 of Boston Bay or the outer harbor. The 
 Graves, rocks which are to be avoided on 
 entering Broad Sound from the eastward, lie 
 about half way between Nahant and Point 
 Alderton, a little east of north from the outer 
 Brewster island. 
 
162 GEOGRAPHY OF BOSTOI«'. 
 
 The environs, which we have thus describ- 
 ed, are embraced in the Map of Boston and 
 adjacent Towns. They are remarkable for 
 the great variety and beauty of the prospect 
 which they afford. The distant swelling ac^ 
 clivities with country seats and ornamented 
 grounds ; the serpentine rivers and their trib- 
 utary streams; the level tracts of marsh 5 
 the majestic harbors, bays and inlets, bespang- 
 led with islands and thronged with busy ships ;. 
 all these combine to render the scene both 
 beautiful and picturesque. The roads and 
 avenues, for three miles round, direct and cir- 
 cuitous, are lined with thriving villages and 
 fruitful gardens. Advancing farther mto tht 
 country, we find the proportion of improved 
 lands to lessen gradually ; the second parallel 
 ring of three miles being about thi-ee quarters, 
 the third parallel about two thirds, and the 
 fourth about one half under cultivation. Thf- 
 wants of the city create a demand for the vh. 
 rious productions of the country, and occasio- 
 a constant intercourse from which there results 
 a community of feelings and interests, that n- 
 discord has ever interrupted, and which \ 
 trust will long continue to increase. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 W 107 89 (^ 
 

 
 
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