West Boston – The West End Museum

African Meeting House, from the 1843 Boston Almanac (Museum of African American History).

Building the African Meeting House

The African Meeting House, believed to be the oldest standing Black church in America, was incorporated in 1805 and built in 1806. The building, now restored to its 1855 appearance, stands as a testament to the dedication and perseverance of the Black community on the north slope of Beacon Hill (which was at the time part of the West End). The African Baptist Church purchased the land for, fundraised for, and constructed the Meeting House in less than two years. Through this, they created a vital space for the Black community’s religious, political, and social gatherings.

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Abolition African Americans West Boston Women

Harriet Bell Hayden

Harriet Hayden was born enslaved, fought for her freedom, and aided hundreds of southern escapees by housing, feeding, and protecting them. She did this all while raising a family, running a boarding house, learning to read and write, and becoming an activist and community leader. Without her efforts, the many accomplishments of her husband, Lewis Hayden, would not have been possible.

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Abolition African Americans Immigration West Boston

Smith Court on the North Slope, home to the Abiel Smith School and the African Meeting House (c.1885)(Historic New England).

Black Boston in the 1830s

The 1830s was a transformative decade for Boston’s Black community, characterized by the intersecting forces of burgeoning abolitionist activism and escalating urban segregation. This resulted in the growth and consolidation of the Black population in the West End on the North Slope of Beacon Hill.

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African Americans Sports West Boston

Frenchy Johnson: From Slavery to Sporting Champion

When professional rowing was the biggest sport going, Frenchy Johnson burst out of the West End to become the fastest oarsman in Boston, and among the first African-American athletes to achieve national recognition. And rowing wasn’t even his best sport.

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Abolition African Americans Politics & Law West Boston

Robert Salmon's view of Long and Central Wharves, Boston, 1833 (Boston Public Library).

The Edloe Sixty-Six

In 1847, sixty-six former slaves arrived at Boston’s Long Wharf. One of the group’s members, Peter Randolph, was instrumental in securing the former slaves’ freedom and the compensation promised to them. Randolph and others from the sixty-six became active members of the West End community.

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Business Neighborhood Life Transportation & Industry West Boston Yankees & Brahmins

Photograph of a city block featuring the front of two joined brick, multi-story buildings lined with windows. The structure to the right has a front portico with four columns and the words "Revere House" attached above. Horse drawn buggies can be seen in the street.

The Revere House: The West End’s Grand Hotel

From before the Civil War into the early 19th century, the Revere House was considered Boston’s most prestigious hotel, catering to the city’s elite and discerning guests from around the world.

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Politics & Law West Boston Yankees & Brahmins

The Beehive Riot and The Hill

In August 1823, Mayor Josiah Quincy organized a group of law-abiding volunteers to raid the West End’s notorious center of vice, called The Hill. Two years later, North End residents formed their own posse to tear down houses of ill repute in the neighborhood, leading to what became known as The Beehive Riot.

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Abolition African Americans West Boston Women

Image of a document titled H.R. 613, of the U.S. Senate, dated June 11, 1866.

The Freedmen’s Bureau

As emancipated men, women, and children migrated north after the Civil War, the need for Black boarding houses increased greatly. In the West End a large concentration of Black, women-operated boarding houses became home for many of these newly-freed people.

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Harriet Bell Hayden

Black Boston in the 1830s

Frenchy Johnson: From Slavery to Sporting Champion

The Edloe Sixty-Six

The Revere House: The West End’s Grand Hotel

The Beehive Riot and The Hill

The Freedmen’s Bureau

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