National Register of Historic Places

Pierce House

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Listed
April 25, 1974
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
74000917

About this property

The Pierce House is a rare 17th-century (First Period) house at 24 Oakton Avenue in the Dorchester neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts. Built c. 1683, It documents period building practices, and the tastes and housing needs of one family, the Pierces, over more than three centuries. At different times, family members expanded and adapted their dwelling to meet new demands for space, function, comfort, privacy, and cleanliness. The history of the Pierce family, ten generations of whom lived in the Pierce House, highlights important aspects of social history, community history, and New England history. On the most direct level it tells the story of a New England family over the course of three hundred and fifty years. The Pierces, like other families of their class, worked hard to provide for themselves and their children and to preserve their legacy; to do so they continually had to adapt to changing circumstances. They took part in both local and national events; during the American Revolution, for example, Colonel Samuel Pierce (1736–1815), participated in the fortification of Dorchester Heights. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The house is now owned by Historic New England, which operates it as a historic house museum, with school and youth programs.

Location

24 Oakton Ave.
Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
42.28700, -71.05314

Categories

ARCHITECTURESOCIAL 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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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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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
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Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Nearby Historic Sites

All Saints' Church
Industrial
0.5 mi
Peabody, The
Industrial
0.6 mi
Dorchester Pottery Works
Industrial
0.7 mi
Dorchester Park
Industrial
0.8 mi
Walton and Roslin Halls
Industrial
0.9 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston — Dorchester Heights
1776Revolutionary War
3.2 mi
Siege of Boston – Roxbury Lines
1775Revolutionary War
3.9 mi

Questions about this property

When was Pierce House listed on the National Register?

Pierce House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 25, 1974.

What type of historic resource is Pierce House?

Pierce House is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Pierce House?

The period of significance for Pierce House is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Pierce House?

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