National Register of Historic Places

Blake, James, House

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Listed
April 30, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74002350

About this property

The James Blake House is the oldest surviving house in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The house was built in 1661 and the date was confirmed by dendrochronology in 2007. It is located at 735 Columbia Road, in Edward Everett Square in Dorchester, Boston, just a block from Massachusetts Avenue. The Dorchester Historical Society now owns the building and tours are given on the third Sunday of the month. The house was built in a Western English style of post–medieval architecture by James Blake, an immigrant from England. The Blake family owned the house until 1825 when it was acquired by the Williams family. In 1891, the City of Boston acquired the house. In order to save the house from demolition in 1896, the Dorchester Historical Society acquired the property from the city and moved the house less than 500 feet from its original location by Massachusetts Avenue to its current location. In 1978, the interior and exterior of the house were designated as a Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission. The immediate area, as well as the house, have been undergoing an extensive renovation and preservation. The house was completely re-shingled and the grounds improved. National Register of Historic Places listings in southern Boston, Massachusetts City of Boston, Boston Landmarks CommissionJames Blake House Study Report

Location

735 Columbia Rd.
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
42.31976, -71.05979

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
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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Nearby Historic Sites

Clapp Houses
Industrial
0.2 mi
Dorchester North Burying Ground
Listed
0.3 mi
Upham's Corner Market
Industrial
0.3 mi
St. Mary's Episcopal Church
Industrial
0.3 mi
Pilgrim Congregational Church
Industrial
0.3 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston — Dorchester Heights
1776Revolutionary War
1.3 mi
Siege of Boston – Roxbury Lines
1775Revolutionary War
2.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Blake, James, House listed on the National Register?

Blake, James, House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 30, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Blake, James, House?

Blake, James, House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Blake, James, House?

The period of significance for Blake, James, House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Blake, James, House?

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