15 Oldest Buildings in Boston

Skyline of Boston. Photo By Nelson48 –Wikimedia Commons

15 Oldest Buildings in Boston

Boston is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, one of the 50 states in America. It is located on the northeastern side of the U.S. and is well known for its rich history.

The city has some of the oldest facilities in the country such as the Boston Common Park (1634), and the Tremont Street Subway (1897). It is also the location of the first American lighthouse and the first college in North America.

Centuries before Boston became the present-day economic hub, it was the center of the New England Region. Commercial and residential areas were put up, some of which remain intact today.

Click here to learn more astonishing facts about Boston city!

Listed below are the fifteen oldest building in Boston city:

17^th Century

1. James Blake House, 735 Columbia Road

James Blake House, Dorchester, Massachusetts. Photo By Daderot – Wikimedia Commons

Year Constructed: 1661

The Blake residence is the oldest building in Boston. It is registered as a historical place and was named a national landmark in 1978.

 Blake House is made of wood and has two stories with a chimney at its center. It was put up in the late 1600s to serve as the residential home for a religious leader, Deacon James Blake.

The house was part of the Blake family throughout the 17^th and 18^th centuries. In 1825, it was sold to a family known as the Williams. Since then, it has been repurchased thrice and is currently owned by the Dorchester Historical Society.

2. Paul Revere House, 19 North Square

Year Constructed: 1680

The Paul Revere House is a three-story timber building found in downtown Boston. The first owner of the house was local merchant John Jeff, who occupied the residence from 1680 to 1770.

 The historic house was bought by Paul Revere who later sold it in 1800. His grandson bought the house and then sold it to city officials in 1906. It was restored a year later and in 1908, Paul Revere House was opened for public viewing.

The residence was named a historic landmark in 1961.

3. Thomas Mayo House, 2549 Centre Street

Year Constructed: 1680

The Thomas Mayo House is a tavern on 2549 Centre Street, Boston. The building was initially a farmhouse belonging to Thomas Mayo, the son of the landowner.

The premise, which was passed down the family lineage thrice, is now privately owned. It was first converted into a bar and restaurant in 1733 and continues to operate as so.

Although it was constructed in 1680, the house was remodeled to mimic the 19th-century Greek Revival architectural style. It is unknown what part of the existing building can be dated to its original structure.

4. Robert Pierce House, 24 Oakton Avenue

East and north (rear) elevations – Robert Pierce House. Photo By Hubbard, Cortlandt V-Wikimedia Commons

Year Constructed: 1683

The Robert Pierce House is a historic house museum located on Oakton Avenue. It was built in the late 1600s and was a generation inheritance of the Pierce family.

The gable-roof structure has two stories on its front and one at the back. It is made of timber from the black oak tree, probably why it has retained its form to date.

A second door and chimney were added on to its original structure in the 1800s. The residential building was registered as a historic place in 1974.

18^th Century

5. Major John Pitcairn House, 130 Price Street

Year Constructed: 1700

The Pitcairn House was the official residence of Major John Pitcairn, a Revolutionary War Captain. It was occupied by the Marine Service Officer until his demise in 1775.

Since its construction, the building has been renovated multiple times. Another floor was added, windows were replaced, and its rear was demolished. The structure’s timber was replaced by bricks and granite slabs.

In 1890, one out of the four floors was rented as a local store. Due to the alterations made, only the core of the structure was retained from the original residential house.

6. Lemuel Clap House, 199 Boston Street

Captain Lemuel Clap House, Dorchester Massachusetts. Photo By John Phelan – Wikimedia Commons

Year Constructed: 1710

The Lemuel Clap House is one of the many Federal styled houses in Boston. It was acquired by the Dorchester Historical Society making it one of the two Boston Clapp houses owned by the organization.

The Clap House was once believed to have been built by an original settler in 1630. However, evidence from the Historical Society proved that the residence was constructed in the early 1700s.

In 1767, Lemuel Clap extended the property which retained its structure until today. The house was moved from its initial location to Boston Street in 1945. It now functions as a historical house museum and opens once a month for public viewing.  

Find out the best museums to visit on your trip to Boston city on the Discover Walks website.

7. Moses Pierce- Nathaniel Hichborn House, 29 North Square

Year Constructed: 1711

The Pierce-Hichborn House is located on North Square Street, northern end of Boston city. The three-story house is made of brick walls, timber frames, and decorative belt courses. 

The residential house is an example of Georgian architecture, a British architectural style of the 1700s. It was built in 1711 by Moses Pierce and was later sold to Nathaniel Hichborn in 1780.

In 1850, part of the building was rented out by the Hichborns for commercial purposes. It was later bought by New England Antiquities, a society that aimed at preserving the historical structure.

The house was restored once in 1949. It was reopened as a house museum and was made a historical landmark in 1968. The residential space is adjacent to the second oldest building in Boston, the Paul Revere House.

Interesting Fact: John Jeff, the first owner of the Paul Revere House, was the grandfather to Moses Pierce and a cousin to Nathaniel Hichborn!

8. Ebenezer Clough House, 21 Unity Street

Year Constructed: around 1711 and 1715

The Ebenezer Clough House is a multipurpose three-story building on Unity Street, Boston. It was built by a mason named Ebenezer Clough between 1711 and 1715.

The Clough House was a two-story house up until 1806 when an additional floor was constructed. The house was divided into smaller units that were rented for commercial purposes.

In 1933, the premise was renovated by the Old North Church and named a historical site by the History American Building Survey. 

Interesting Fact: More than 150 European immigrants have occupied the residence since the early 1800s!

9. Old State House, 206 Washington Street

Old State House, Washington and State Sts. Downtown. Photo Elisa.rolle – Wikimedia Commons

Year Constructed: 1712

The Old State House is a public building on Washington street, downtown Boston. It is a history museum and one of the city’s great landmarks.

 The house served as an official residence, general court, and city hall from 1713 to 1841. It was repurposed for commercial use until 1881 when it was marked for demolition.

Fortunately, the Boston Society took a stand and stopped the teardown. It was then named a National Historic Landmark in 1960.

Aside from its ancient architecture, the Old State House is remembered as the location of the deadliest riots in American history, the Boston Massacre (1770).

To learn more about U.S history, read the 30 must-know historical events that happened in America. 

10. Union Oyster House, 41 Union Street

Old oyster house (Union Oyster House). Photo By Edmund L. Mitchell – Wikimedia Commons

Year Constructed: 1716

Union Oyster House is the oldest restaurant in Boston city. The three-story structure was initially built for commercial use but was later repurposed as a silk shop, print center, and an exile residence for Louis Philippe of France.

The building first became a restaurant in 1826. It is said that one of the most influential statesmen of the 1800s, Daniel Webster, was a frequently ate at the restaurant.

Union Oyster House officially acquired its current name in 1913.

Interesting Fact: In the late 1700s, the building housed a print shop for America’s longest-running newspaper, The Massachusetts Spy!

See the top ranked restaurants in Boston city here. 

11. Ebenezer Smith House, 15-17 Peaceable Street

Year Constructed: 1716

Ebenezer Smith House is a two-story house in the quiet Allston-Brighton neighborhood. Although its foundation is made of bricks, the main building material is wood.

The residence was originally a farmhouse built by Ebenezer Smith, the initial owner of the land it sits on. In 1774, it was occupied by the Winships, founders of several industries in Brighton.

12. Kimball Cheever House, Unity Street

Year Constructed: 1716

Kimball Cheever House was built by Ebenezer Kimball, a prominent bricklayer. It is located on Unity Street, Boston.

The building shares a common street with Ebenezer Clough House, one of the oldest buildings in Boston. It was initially part of Clough’s undeveloped property which he sold in 1716.

13. Old Corner Bookstore, Washington Streets

Year Constructed: 1718

The Old Corner Bookstore was built in 1718 after a fire burnt down the original structure. The house belonged to the Hutchinson family who, due to their blasphemous practices, were banished from the neighborhood.

Thomas Crease became the building’s new owner in 1708. In 1711, the house was completely destroyed by an inferno that also took down the nearby Town House.

In 1718, Thomas reconstructed the house using bricks, mimicking the Gregorian architecture style. The building has retained its form to date.

14. Old North Church, 193 Salem Street

Year Constructed: 1723

The Old North Church is the oldest functioning church in Boston, Massachusetts. It was named a National Historic Landmark in 1961 and registered as a historic place in 1966.

The church’s design is similar to those of Christopher Wren, the greatest British architect of his time. Wren was also the designer of over fifty churches in London.

The Old North Church was reconstructed in 1912. The renovation of the pulpit, staircase, flooring, and interior woodwork was inspired by the Puritan design and the early churches in Massachusetts.

15. Daniels Goldsmith House, Roxbury

Year Constructed: 1725

The Goldsmith House was constructed in 1725 as the Chamberlain family residence. It is located in the heart of Black Culture, Roxbury neighborhood.

Before its expansion, the Goldsmith House was designed as a half-cape building. Its asymmetrical design had the entryway and chimney on one end of the building while the windows were on the other.

The structure was later expanded to form what is seen today.

Other buildings in Boston constructed in the early 1700s include Andrew Cunningham House (1728), Old South Meeting House (1729), and the Grant House (1734).