2022 Boston Guide to Preservation Month
May is National Preservation Month which gives us a perfect excuse to show off our beloved historic city. We pulled together a list of cool things to see, do, taste, learn, support, or think about throughout the month of May.
Before we dive in, the Boston Preservation Alliance is supported by you, our neighbors and community members. We have a Preservation Month goal to raise $25,000 in support of our work protecting, promoting, and preserving Boston’s architectural heritage. We bring people and organizations together to influence the future of Boston’s historic buildings, landscapes, and communities.
Any level of support is an immense help in our efforts to keep Boston a vibrant place to live, work, and visit. Together, we make Boston better.
Now, lace up those shoes and get ready for preservation adventures. Here are nine ways to honor, enjoy, and experience our vibrant city.
1. Explore Boston’s Green Spaces
This year marks Frederick Law Olmsted’s 200th birthday. He is known as the Father of Landscape Architecture and Boston is lucky to be home to a number of his parks. We have Olmsted to thank for the concept of the Emerald Necklace and several of Boston’s parks. (Note: He created the concept of the Emerald Necklace, but did not design all the parks. For example, the Public Garden was designed by George Meachum.) His parks range from unexpected mini oases like Charlesgate Park to grand landscapes such as Franklin Park and the fragrant Arboretum.
List of Olmsted Parks:
1. Franklin Park
2. The Arnold Arboretum
3. The Fens, Arborway, and Riverway
4. The Emerald Necklace
5. Dorchester Park (designed by Olmsted, Olmsted & Eliot, a firm led by Frederick Law Olmsted’s sons.
2. Celebrate Boston’s 200th Birthday as a City
May 9: Boston at 200 with the Massachusetts Historical Society. Free to attend.
The Massachusetts Historical Society is hosting an event, both in-person and online, that examines Boston as a city.
The Boston Preservation Alliance is serving on the newly-formed Commemoration Commission that will not only celebrate upcoming historical anniversaries but will also reexamine and update our preservation toolkit.
It’s been 200 years since Boston was incorporated in 1822. An excellent panel will discuss Boston’s past, present, and future. What will Boston look like moving forward? How will the city face rising costs pushing out innovators and artists? What will climate change’s effects be on this coastal city? In 2122, will Boston remain the innovation hub of America?
3. Wake Up Your Garden with the Loring-Greenough House
May 7: Wake Up Your Garden 11 am — 1 pm.
May 14: Summer Kitchen Opening 1 pm — 3 pm.
To celebrate the advent of spring, the Loring-Greenough will host a plant sale on May 7 featuring clippings from their heritage and native plants. There will also be opportunities for soil testing, chats with Massachusetts Master Gardeners, a book swap, and children’s activities.
Keep the fun going and join the Summer Kitchen Opening on May 14. Come visit the last remaining example of an early 19th-century summer kitchen in Boston! Tours of the summer kitchen and drying space will be offered, plus fun activities such as butter making, rug beating, 19th-century games, and view items from the Loring-Greenough collections related to cooking and food preparation.
The Loring-Greenough is also one of Boston’s oldest buildings. (a hint for a future item)
4. Take a Walk.
May 14: Jamaica Plain Historical Society Walking Tour of Monument Square
May 15: Boston By Foot Tour, Reinventing Boston
May 21: Jamaica Plain Historical Society Walking Tour of Sumner Hill
May 28: Jamaica Plain Historical Society Walking Tour of Stony Brook
May 29: Boston By Foot Tour, Reinventing Boston
There are few better ways to see the city than by foot.
The Jamaica Plain Historical Society is hosting a series of walking tours around Monument Square, Sumner Hill, and Stony Brook. Stroll around Monument Square and see architecture that spans three centuries including the oldest community theater company in the United States, roam around the finest collections of Victorian houses in Sumner Hill, and sip your way through Boston’s beer history by exploring Stony Brook.
Boston By Foot is leading a tour titled, “Reinventing Boston” with two tour dates. A walk through Boston is a walk through time. On this guided walk through the Greenway and along the Waterfront, observe how Boston’s urban landscape has changed as you uncover the clues left behind.
From cobblestone streets to the first subway to the Big Dig, Boston has led the way in urban transformation. For hundreds of years, the city has changed to meet the demands of people, business, transportation, and public health.
Walk from the narrow streets of 17th-century Boston to the modern city, exploring a city re-engineered!
5. Be an Armchair Time Traveler with the Help of the Atlascope
Atlascope is a tool made by the Leventhal Map Center for exploring historic urban maps in metropolitan Boston and telling stories about how places have changed over time.
Urban atlases offer some of the most important sources of information about the historical geography of cities in the United States, with extraordinary detail about buildings, owners, and city infrastructure. Until now, browsing these atlases has involved looking through volumes and pages for a specific area of interest. The Atlascope project brings nearly 100 atlases of Boston and its surroundings into a seamless digital interface.
Visit the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center to see the current exhibit, “More or Less in Common: Environment and Justice in the Human Landscape.” Or attend an online event in conversation with Dudley Square Neighborhood Initiative on community land trusts, sustainable development, and community resilience in Roxbury.
6. Track Down Boston’s Oldest Buildings.
Boston City Archaeologist, Joseph Bagley, tracked down Boston’s 50 oldest buildings and organized them in a book called, “Boston’s Oldest Buildings and Where to Find Them.” It is a great guide to the city and reveals unexpected histories hidden within wood and brick. The book won a 2021 Preservation Award. One building from the book has sadly been demolished, but the others remain. See if you can find them all and share them with us via Instagram. Of the top five, three are in Dorchester, and two are in the North End.
The AIA Guide to Boston App is another great resource as you roam the city. The app includes the history of thousands of buildings at your fingertips and is available for free.
DOWNLOAD FOR IPHONE Download for Android
7. Dive into the History of Your Own Home.
There are several local organizations and resources to help you discover the history of your own home. Most are based on the neighborhood you live in.
If you live in…
- Back Bay: Then you should explore the award-winning www.Backbayhouses.org, an extensive list of house and neighborhood history. Be warned, this is a proper rabbit hole of information.
- Charlestown: Then the Charlestown Preservation Society is for you. They have a great house research guide complete with Charlestown Resources.
- Dorchester or Mattapan: Look to the Dorchester Historical Society. For just $75, a researcher at the Dorchester Historical Society will help you unravel the stories of your home.
8. Dine Out at One of Boston’s Legacy Businesses
Legacy Businesses – mom and pop shops – make Boston unique and our neighborhoods vibrant. They are so unique that no other city in the world has places quite like them.
The character of a place rests in more than the physical architecture. People make memories, not buildings, and Boston’s Legacy Businesses are the retainers of neighborhood identity and generation’s worth of memories.
See our list of Boston’s Legacy Businesses.
Some suggestions:
- Classic candlepin bowling at Central Park Lanes, Ron’s, South Boston Candlepin.
- Jazz at Slades, Darry’s, and Wally’s.
- Tour the world through food with stops at Cafe Polonia, Merengue, Singhs Roti Shop, Tawakal Halal Cafe, and Hei La Moon (now in a new location).
9. Subscribe to our Newsletter for More Preservation Updates and Adventures.
Our Preservation field guides are sent out every two weeks and are sure to make you fall in love with Boston. They are full of advocacy updates and neighborhood preservation news.
Happy Preservation Month!
Help the Boston Preservation Alliance raise $25,000 this Preservation Month. Every amount helps and every gift of $20 or more automatically makes you a member of the Boston Preservation Alliance.
Recent
In partnership with the Dorchester Historical Society and Comfort Kitchen.
When: Sunday, October 20, 2024
Time: 2:30pm - 6:00pm
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Boston Preservation Alliance Presents their 36th Annual Achievement Award Recipients
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Welcome to the second Alison About Boston blog post! I am the Executive Director of the Boston Preservation Alliance, which means that I wear many hats including leading our advocacy…
When: May 9
Time: 4:30-6:00pm
Meeting Point: The Grain Exchange Building, 177 Milk Street
Register by emailing mdickey@bostonpreservation.org.
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May is National Preservation Month, giving us a perfect excuse to show off our beloved historic city.
Several new Landmarks have been designated in Boston. Even more are pending approval and awaiting community feedback and support.
“Love is showing the important things that they matter.” A Landmark Love quote from the Frederick Middle School.
Update: February 29, 2024
The Boston Preservation Alliance has submitted a letter to the Wu Administration.
Each year the Boston Preservation Alliance presents the Preservation Achievement Awards to recognize a group of exemplary historic preservation projects or activities in Boston.
A Visual Guide to “Barbitecture” and Real-life Doll Houses
Written by: Sara Brown
Alliance Executive Director Alison Frazee received a call last night from Mike Firestone, the City’s Chief of Policy, informing her that the Landmarks Commission has been…
May is National Preservation Month which gives us a perfect excuse to show off our beloved historic city.
May is National Preservation Month which gives us a perfect excuse to show off our beloved historic city.
On behalf of the Boston Preservation Alliance and Boston’s preservation community, we would like to thank Councilor Kenzie Bok for her dedication to our city’s historic resources.
The Codman Award for lifetime achievement, named for John Codman who established Boston’s first historic district (Beacon Hill) in 1955, recognizes outstanding and career-long…
Thank you for helping us redefine preservation. Architecture is the surface of a city, but our history is deeper than a facade. It is the people, residents, and visitors that make Boston…
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Written and researched by Dan Bailey.
All photos by Dan Bailey and Matthew Dickey.
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Photos by Peter Vanderwarker.
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Valentine’s Day is approaching and that means only one thing—it’s time to dust off those markers and share some love (Heart Bombs) for old buildings! What are heart bombs?
In a little triangle just south of Andrew Station, Polish and American flags fly in pairs. The air wafts with the smell of freshly fried dough.
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The Alliance relies on generous supporters like you to continue our work in promoting, preserving,…
The Alliance has been utilizing every opportunity to further our goals of historic preservation advocacy and telling the fuller story of Boston’s past. Below are a few of our 2021…
Thursday, December 2, 10:00-11:00 am.
The Boston Preservation Alliance is Boston’s primary, non-profit advocacy organization that protects and promotes the use of historic buildings and landscapes in all of Boston’s…
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Written by Ava Yokanovich
Photos by Ava Yokanovich
Interview with Angela Ward Hyatt
Photos courtesy of Angela Ward Hyatt
Before and after photos below!
Memories from former South End residents Judith Nee and Isabel O’Hara
Images from Neil Kadey and Judith Nee
Written by Judith Nee and Ava Yokanovich
Written by Mackenzie Barrall and Corinne Muller. Photos by Matthew Dickey.
Originally published July 2020. Updated July 2021.
The Alliance works closely with the Boston Landmarks Commission (BLC), which resides within the Environment Department at the City, to further preservation efforts in Boston.
Written by Mackenzie Barrall
Photos by Ava Yokanovich
Written by Ava Yokanovich
Images taken by Ava Yokanovich along the Southwest Corridor Path near Titus Sparrow Park
Since 1988, the National Trust has used its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places…
Since 1988, the National Trust has used its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places…
Since 1988, the National Trust has used its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places…
Written by Jeanne Pelletier, Preservation Advisor to the Campaign for the Ayer Mansion, Inc.
There are untold stories in Boston being lost and we need your help to save them.
Save-The-Date
When: March 25
Time: 6 pm via Zoom
Featuring: Brent Leggs
This event is generously supported by the Nolan-Miller Fund
Corita Kent (1918–1986)
Artist, Educator, Advocate for Social Justice
Written by: Vicki Adjami
When: March 4
Time: 10 AM
Where: On Zoom
How: Register below to receive a zoom link
The Boston Preservation Alliance and the Young Advisors present:
Preservation Chatter 2020
Thursday, November 19
6 — 7 PM
David Rodrigues is the Manager of Facilities and Preservation at
Preservation takes many forms and requires many hands.
Boston Preservation Alliance stands united with the voices decrying the murder of George Floyd and the long-standing history of racism this tragedy demonstrates.
The Boston Preservation Alliance offers internships to graduate and undergraduate students to help train the next generation of preservationists by providing hands-on experience in…
Let’s come together to create a wave of generosity for the organizations that help Boston thrive.
Have a preservation question? Want to hear updates about any of the preservation projects we’re monitoring?
An Environment Notification Form (ENF) has been filed with the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office.
May is National Preservation Month which gives us a perfect excuse to show off our beloved historic city.
Written by Alison Frazee, Assistant Director, Boston Preservation Alliance.
…Join us for our Annual Meeting of Members
When: Postponed. New date is TBD
In light of concerns with COVID-19, we have postponed several of our upcoming events.
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By Isabella Labbe
August 6, 2019. Updated March 2023.
The Boston Preservation Alliance Board of Young Advisors presents:
Libations for Preservation
When:
Wednesday, July 24, 2019…
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Roger Webb was the founder of the Architectural Heritage Foundation and…
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The City of Boston invites you to a Community Meeting on the Northern Ave Bridge
Monday, June 3, 2019
Neighborhoods are living things. They evolve to the changing needs of their inhabitants. Rural farms become streetcar suburbs. Carriage lanes become roads. Thriving businesses fade.
In partnership with Massachusetts Historical Society and Fenway Alliance.
The state gets a $98M cut of GE’s sale of its property in Fort Point. Where should that money go?
May is National Preservation Month which gives us a perfect excuse to show off our beloved historic city.
Advocacy needed to OPPOSE a rule change to undercut the National Register of Historic Places
Please join us for our Annual Meeting | Registration is closed, but walk-ins welcome!
Boston Design Week Event
Boston Design Week March 27-April 7 2019
The Alliance’s Young Advisor’s Board is seeking new board members for 2019!
The Boston Preservation Alliance is now accepting nominations for our 2019 Preservation Achievement Awards!
The closing of Durgin Park (1827) following upon Jacob Wirth (1868) last year reminds us that Boston’s unique character comes from more than just architecture.
“An icon of the Boston skyline was very nearly protected against the city’s current rapacious development culture- but then the mayor stepped in.”
“An icon of the Boston skyline was very nearly protected against the city’s current rapacious development culture- but then the mayor stepped in.”
Mayor Walsh, Citgo, Related Beal (the developer of the site), and Boston University release a statement:
Mayor Walsh, Citgo, Related Beal (the developer of the site), and Boston University release a statement:
The City of Boston invites you to a
Community Meeting on the Northern Ave Bridge
The Young Advisors is a board of developing professionals whose role is to expand and amplify the Alliance’s mission of protecting places, promoting vibrancy, and preserving character.
On Monday, October 22, the Boston Preservation Alliance hosted the 2018…
Opening Remarks: Chris Scoville, Board Chair
Preservation Achievement Awards and 40 30 10 Celebration
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The debate over the future of the Citgo sign is still quietly grinding on.
The debate over the future of the Citgo sign is still quietly grinding on.
Boston has an estimated $20 million in annual funds to support capital projects in historic preservation, affordable housing, and parks and green spaces.
Developer Related Beal on Tuesday went before the Boston Civic Design Commission to submit its updated plans to redevelop buildings on Commonwealth Avenue near Deerfield Street.
Developer Related Beal on Tuesday went before the Boston Civic Design Commission to submit its updated plans to redevelop buildings on Commonwealth Avenue near Deerfield Street.
Developer Related Beal on Tuesday went before the Boston Civic Design Commission to submit its updated plans to redevelop buildings on Commonwealth Avenue near Deerfield Street.
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The Boston Preservation Alliance was included in a 2018 national report regarding best practices for public outreach and education to build a knowledgeable, engaged, and activated…
As neighborhoods change over generations, it’s important that touchpoints to their past both remain in place and sensitively evolve to maintain their relevance.
As neighborhoods change over generations, it’s important that touchpoints to their past both remain in place and sensitively evolve to maintain their relevance.
As neighborhoods change over generations, it’s important that touchpoints to their past both remain in place and sensitively evolve to maintain their relevance.
As neighborhoods change over generations, it’s important that touchpoints to their past both remain in place and sensitively evolve to maintain their relevance.
As neighborhoods change over generations, it’s important that touchpoints to their past both remain in place and sensitively evolve to maintain their relevance.
As neighborhoods change over generations, it’s important that touchpoints to their past both remain in place and sensitively evolve to maintain their relevance.
Boston was once home to 31 breweries, enough to bestow this storied city with the title of “most breweries per capita.” A majority of the city’s breweries are clustered around…
The Boston Preservation Alliance offers internships to graduate and undergraduate students to help train the next generation of preservationists by providing hands-on experience in the…
Boston City Council voted on Thursday, June 21, to approve the first batch of Boston Community Preservation funding requests.
Boston City Council voted on Thursday, June 21, to approve the first batch of Boston Community Preservation funding requests.
You’re invited to a special preview for Alliance and Boston By Foot members. The Ladder Blocks Walking Tour will take place on Sunday, May 20, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Boston has a wonderful mix of historic buildings and sites, from stately row houses to 3-deckers, churches to commercial blocks.
The Young Advisors of the Boston Preservation Alliance are hosting a PechaKucha night on Tuesday, May 15 at The Algonquin Club of Boston.
The Alliance had an impressive showing at Preservation Massachusetts’s 30th Annual Paul & Niki Tsongas Awards Dinner held on May 9 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston.
May is Preservation Month. To mark the occasion, Boston Architecture Diary tapped Greg Galer to share recommendations for preservation events happening around the city.
Alliance Executive Director Greg Galer was a moderator for “Preserving Affordability, Affording Preservation,” an April 27th conference hosted by Historic New England.
The Boston Preservation Alliance is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Scoville as a new Board Chairman and the election of Sean Geary to the Board of Directors.
The Boston Preservation Alliance is hosting its Annual Meeting on Wednesday, March 21 at historic Old South Church at Copley Square.
From old fire departments to post offices that succumbed to the demise of snail mail, buildings across the country have fallen prey to shifting markets and the rise of technology.