National Historic Landmark

Boston Common

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Listed
February 27, 1987
Type
District
Period
Listed
Ref No.
87000760

About this property

The Boston Common is a public park in downtown Boston, Massachusetts. It is the oldest city park in the United States. Boston Common covers 50 acres (20 ha) bounded by five major Boston streets: Tremont Street, Park Street, Beacon Street, Charles Street, and Boylston Street. The Common is part of the Emerald Necklace of parks and parkways that extend south to Franklin Park in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Dorchester. Immediately to the west is Boston Public Garden. The visitor center for the city of Boston is located on the Tremont Street side of the park. The Central Burying Ground is on the Boylston Street side of Boston Common and contains the graves of artist Gilbert Stuart and composer William Billings. Also buried there are Samuel Sprague and his son, Charles Sprague, one of America's earliest poets. Samuel Sprague was a participant in the Boston Tea Party and fought in the Revolutionary War. The Common was designated as a Boston Landmark by the Boston Landmarks Commission in 1977. The Common is sometimes erroneously referred to as the "Boston Commons."

Location

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
42.35512, -71.06545

Categories

ENTERTAINMENT/RECREATION
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 Boston Common

This page lists Boston Common. 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

Boston Common and Public Garden
Listed
0.1 mi
Tremont Street Subway
Industrial
0.1 mi
West Street District
Listed
0.1 mi
Appleton, Nathan, Residence
Industrial
0.2 mi
Sears, David, House
Industrial
0.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston
1775Revolutionary War
0.5 mi

Questions about this property

When was Boston Common listed on the National Register?

Boston Common was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 27, 1987.

What type of historic resource is Boston Common?

Boston Common is classified as a district in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Boston Common a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Boston Common has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.

What is the period of significance for Boston Common?

The period of significance for Boston Common is recorded as the listed era.

Can I research the history near Boston Common?

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 Boston Common will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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