Boston African American National Historic Site - Boston, MA - Civil War Discovery Trail Sites on Waymarking.com

In Boston, on Beacon Hill, is the Boston African American National Site.

The site is actually in several areas. The Welcome Center at 14 Beacon Street, across the street from the Massachusetts State House and at the intersection with Bowdoin Street is the place to start and get oriented - though it is not required. The site is maintained by the National Park Service as a National Historic Park, but a major portion is operated by the Museum of African-American History.

From the NPS web site:

"Freedom is a Constant Struggle

Centered on the north slope of Beacon Hill, the free African American community of 19th century Boston led the city and the nation in the fight against slavery and injustice. These remarkable men and women, together with their white allies, were leaders in Abolition Movement, the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, and the early struggle for equal rights and education."

The web site lists 10 specific places to visit, all on the north slope or summit of Beacon Hill. The ten sites are:
-Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial
-George Middleton House
-Phillips School
-John J.Smith House
-Charles Street Meeting House
-Lewis and Harriet Hayden House
-John Coburn House
-Smith Court Residences
-Abiel Smith School
-African Meeting House

These are all tied together with the Black Heritage Trail, a self-guided or guided trail that is like the Freedom Trail that is only a couple miles walk on the hill. The Welcome Center has a map of the trail and the NPS web site has a pdf you can download and print.

The centerpiece for the site is the cluster of buildings on Smith Court, off Joy Street. This includes the African Meeting House, Abiel Smith School, and Smith Court Residences. You first enter the school building and, after paying a modest fee of $5 (2014), you are escorted by a ranger to the meeting house where the ranger relates several topics related to the free and fugitive African-American community that was centered here.

Source:

National Park Service (boaf):
(visit link)

Type of site: Museum Address: 14 Beacon Street Boston, MA United States of America 02108 Phone Number: 617-742-5415 Admission Charged: $5 or less Website: [Web Link] Driving Directions: The Welcome Center is located across the Massachusetts State House, at the intersection with Bowdoin Street. The African Meeting House Museum is located on Smith Court, about midway up the hill on Joy Street. Parking is difficult anywhere.

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Date Logged Log User Rating   06/29/2010 Metro2 visited it