City and State: Boston, Massachusetts
Listed: 1974
Type of district: National Register historic district, Massachusetts State historic district
Main Intersection: Old Granary Burying Ground
Park Street National Register Historic District Report
Park Street National Register Historic District Map
The Park Street Historic District, adjacent to Beacon Hill, is comprised of the Granary Burying Ground and the structures on the block surrounding it. The Burying Ground and the street pattern around it date from the Colonial period, with the cemetery having been established in 1660. In 1804 architect Charles Bulfinch redesigned Park Street in order to connect his new State House and the Boston Common with a more elegant avenue. It was originally lined with Federal houses, although only one house and the Park Street Church (1809) remain from the original period.
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, larger commercial buildings were constructed along Park and Beacon streets, replacing the Bulfinch-era buildings, but they respected the older 18th century structures that remained. They were constructed of high quality materials, either brick or stone, and repeated the setbacks and scale of the older structures.