Home of the gilded-dome Massachusetts State House, Beacon Hill is also one of the most historic, most photographed, and most desirable neighborhoods in Boston. Strolling the cobblestoned streets illuminated by gaslit lanterns, one feels transported back to the day when the elegant mansions and Federal and Greek Revival townhomes were resided in by the wealthiest New England families. The neighborhood’s historic integrity is preserved by the Beacon Hill Historic District and, in 1962, it was designated a National Historic Landmark.

 

Beacon Hill is bound by Storrow Drive and Cambridge, Bowdoin, Park, and Beacon Streets. Charles Street, with its charming antique shops, clothing boutiques, and variety of dining establishments, is the neighborhoods’ main commercial vein. Several lovely streets run up the hill from Charles, while the other side is known as the “Flat of the Hill.” Boston Common (circa 1634), steeped in history, is the oldest public park in the country.

 

The land area was, at one time, three hills: Beacon Hill (on the top of which was a beacon to warn residents of approaching enemy), Pemberton Hill, and Mount Vernon. In the early 1800s, Pemberton and Mount Vernon were leveled in order to create flat land for residential development.