To explore the beginnings of black history in Boston, the Black Heritage Trail was founded by the National Park Service under agreement with the Museum of Afro American History. Pick up a guide and map at the Information Kiosk on Tremont Street and cross the Common towards the State House. The tour begins with the Robert Gould Shaw and 54th Regiment Memorial just across the way from the gold dome.
It's ironic that this tour leads the visitor through some of the most expensive real estate in New England: Beacon Hill. However, there was a time before the beautiful brick houses existed, when immigrant populations crammed this neighborhood in wooden structures. Some of the noted sites on the trail are the original wood houses.
The tour winds for 1.6 miles up and down the hill, along the tidy streets, then through an alley or two, to end at the African Meeting House in Smith Court. Most of the buildings are now private homes with plaques that commemorate former residents. Except for the Meeting House and the Abigail Smith School, this is a street tour only, but don't let that put you off. Even from the outside, seeing the places where people took brave and notable actions is worth the effort. It's also an easy and fun way to learn the history.
Two places of note are the Lewis Hayden House and the African Meeting House. The Lewis Hayden House at 66 Phillips Street was the home of a former slave, Lewis Hayden, and his wife Harriet, both of whom worked diligently as abolitionists and made their home into a stop on the Underground Railroad. There's an interesting anecdote about the house - the Haydens kept gunpowder under their front stoop. They greeted bounty hunters (who were legal under the Fugitive Slave Act) with a lit candle, threatening to blow the house up rather than surrender their guests.
Tucked into Smith Court is the African Meeting House, much as it was in 1805 at its founding. It is the oldest black church structure still in existence in the U.S., although it no longer functions as such. Inside, Park Rangers are available to answer questions about the church and the neighborhood. The sanctuary is open to the public. In the corner stands a copy of a broadsheet published in 1851, warning the black population of Boston to be careful who they spoke to. The Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 had just changed all the rules. Smith's Court itself holds several of the old wood houses that once belonged to black residents.
The National Park Service offers guided tours of the Trail for groups.
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