Boston Photo Gallery - Beacon Hill

When the first Europeans arrived in Boston in the early 17th century, the Beacon Hill area had 3 hills. A wooden beacon was built as a warning sign of invasion to the countryside, hence the district name. In the 19th century, Charles Bulfinch turned Beacon Hill's southern slope into an upper class residential area for the rich and powerful thanks to nearby State House and Boston Common. Meanwhile, the northern and western slopes were more modest, home to the working classes, including freed African Americans. Today, we can still see how the fashionable classes lived and the best way to explore is to walk around the narrow streets stacked with red-bricked townhouses. Despite a move to the newly-developed Back Bay starting in the 1850s, this area was still able to retain its character. Acorn Street is Boston's narrowest street. Paved with cobblestones and lined with majestic brick houses, this is a photographic hotspot and feels more European than American. In 2021, USA Today named it as one of the 10 most beautiful alleys in the world. The best way to enjoy this area is to randomly walk around and enjoy the architecture. Louisburg Square is one of the most prestigious addresses in Beacon Hill with a fenced-off park surrounded by elegant townhouses. Prices have skyrocketed from around $100,000 in 1970 to over $1 million by 1984. In 2019, the media reported the 6-level #17 was listed for $20.5 million.