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 Blackstone Block Historic District - Boston, MA Posted by:  NorStar
N 42° 21.711 W 071° 03.402
19T E 330633 N 4692001
This block of brick buildings harken back to colonial times, including a house owned by John Hancock but occupied by his brother Ebenezer, a paint mill stone in a building, and commercial stores that once had the longest continuously run shoe shop.
Waymark Code: WMD6MB
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 11/27/2011
Views: 14
In a section of Boston near Haymarket Square is a series of buildings bound by Union, Hanover, Blackstone, and North Streets. This area is known as the Blackstone Block Historic District, and it has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973.
This group of buildings date back to Boston's colonial times, and provide an idea of the look and feel of Boston when it was still under British rule, crowded on a small, hilly peninsula. Within the area described, the buildings are close together, and the roads, like Marshall Street, are little more than alleyways. One building has a rounded stone embedded in it, with the words "Boston Stone 1737" embossed in the stone, below. Another building has a plaque that states that it was the John & Ebeneezer Hancock house. Though the sign states that this building is also on the National Register of Historic Landmarks, I was unable to find it on the database. According to a historical marker also on the building, the bottom floor once had the longest continuously operating shoe shop until 1963. Also within the block are the Bell in Hand and Union Oyster House establishments. The Union Oyster House is on the NRHP list.
The roads bounding and within the block are among the earliest laid streets in the city. The bounding streets - Hanover, Blackstone, and North Streets are modern asphalt ways. The streets inside the block are still cobblestone, and are barely wide enough for a car to drive through. One site states that Blackstone Street follows the old flow of Mill Creek. The area used to be the only connection between the North End and the southern part of the peninsula, until the Mill Pond and shorelines were filled in.
Today, the block is no longer a main throughway between the North End and the rest of Boston. It can be overlooked as people walk around the Faneuil Hall and Quincy Markeplaces not far away. However, if you are in the area, you should walk through this block to get a full flavor of what 'old' Boston used to be.
Street address:
Blackstone, Hanover, Union, and North Streets
Boston, MA United States of America
02108
County / Borough / Parish: Suffolk
Year listed: 1973
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event
Periods of significance: 1875-1899, 1850-1874, 1825-1849, 1800-1824, 1750-1799, 1700-1749, 1650-1699
Historic function: Commerce/Trade, Domestic
Current function: Commerce/Trade
Privately owned?: yes
Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2011 To: 12/31/2011
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Hours of operation: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.
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