Back Bay Historic District
National Register of Historic Places

Back Bay Historic District

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Listed
August 13, 1973
Type
District
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
73001948

About this property

Back Bay is an officially recognized historic neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, built on reclaimed land in the Charles River basin. Construction began in 1859, as the demand for luxury housing exceeded the availability in the city at the time, and the area was fully built by around 1900. It is most famous for its rows of Victorian brownstone homes—considered one of the best preserved examples of 19th-century urban design in the United States—as well as numerous architecturally significant individual buildings, and cultural institutions such as the Boston Public Library, and Boston Architectural College. Initially conceived as a residential-only area, commercial buildings were permitted from around 1890, and Back Bay now features many office buildings, including the John Hancock Tower, Boston's tallest skyscraper. It is also considered a fashionable shopping destination (especially Newbury and Boylston Streets, and the adjacent Prudential Center and Copley Place malls) and home to several major hotels. The Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay considers the neighborhood's bounds to be "Charles River on the North; Arlington Street to Park Square on the East; Columbus Avenue to the New York New Haven and Hartford right-of-way (South of Stuart Street and Copley Place), Huntington Avenue, Dalton Street, and the Massachusetts Turnpike on the South; Charlesgate East on the West."

Location

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
42.35205, -71.07131

Categories

PREHISTORICCOMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTLANDSCAPE ARCHITECTUREARTENGINEERINGARCHITECTURERELIGIONSOCIAL HISTORY
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Everything a full report reveals about Back Bay Historic District

This page lists Back Bay Historic District. A full Aubrey report for an address near it pulls together this listing alongside battlefield records, land patents, and every other historical record within a chosen radius:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with historic sites, battles and Native heritage plotted, and its full story era by era.
The Land
The historic sites and place names around the location, and how this land was settled and used.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Points of Interest
The most significant historic sites and landmarks near the location, and why they matter.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from first peoples to the present day.
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Nearby Historic Sites

Paine Furniture Building
Industrial
0.1 mi
Central Congregational Church
Civil War
0.1 mi
Armory of the First Corps of Cadets
Industrial
0.2 mi
Boston Public Garden
Listed
0.2 mi
Trinity Rectory
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston
1775Revolutionary War
0.8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Back Bay Historic District listed on the National Register?

Back Bay Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 13, 1973.

What type of historic resource is Back Bay Historic District?

Back Bay Historic District is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Back Bay Historic District?

The period of significance for Back Bay Historic District is recorded as the early_republic era, specifically around 1859.

Can I research the history near Back Bay Historic District?

Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Back Bay Historic District will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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