National Historic Landmark

Tremont Street Subway

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Listed
October 14, 1966
Type
Structure
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
66000788

About this property

The Tremont Street subway in Boston's MBTA subway system is the oldest subway tunnel in North America and the third-oldest still in use worldwide to exclusively use electric traction (after the City and South London Railway in 1890, and the Budapest Metro's Line 1 in 1896), opening on September 1, 1897. It was originally built, under the supervision of Howard A. Carson as chief engineer, to get streetcar lines off the traffic-clogged streets, instead of as a true rapid transit line. It now forms the central part of the Green Line, connecting Boylston Street to Park Street and Government Center stations.

Location

Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts
42.35512, -71.06360

Categories

TRANSPORTATION
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 Tremont Street Subway

This page lists Tremont Street Subway. 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

West Street District
Listed
0 mi
Stearns, R. H., House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Locke-Ober Restaurant
Industrial
0.1 mi
St. Paul's Church
Industrial
0.1 mi
Temple Place Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Siege of Boston
1775Revolutionary War
0.4 mi

Questions about this property

When was Tremont Street Subway listed on the National Register?

Tremont Street Subway was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 14, 1966.

What type of historic resource is Tremont Street Subway?

Tremont Street Subway is classified as a structure in the National Register of Historic Places.

Is Tremont Street Subway a National Historic Landmark?

Yes. Tremont Street Subway 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 Tremont Street Subway?

The period of significance for Tremont Street Subway is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Tremont Street Subway?

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 Tremont Street Subway will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.

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