Topic: Social & Religious Institutions
Settlement houses, churches, almshouses, women’s shelters, synagogues, priests, social workers

New FieldsSocial & Religious Institutions Eighteenth-century engraving of a man in his 40s, wearing a minister's uniform.

Jonathan Mayhew

Jonathan Mayhew (1720-1766) was a minister and influential theologian who was a foundational figure in the philosophy that spurred revolutionary sentiment in the colonies. He preached at Old West Church from 1747 to 1766, where he would deliver sermons on politics and share his unorthodox theology.

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African AmericansSocial & Religious InstitutionsWest Boston 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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Immigrant NeighborhoodNeighborhood LifeSocial & Religious Institutions Image of a newspaper article with the headline "Reunion of the West Enders", and three photographs of a woman and two men below.

After the First Mass: West Enders at St. Joseph’s Church

St. Joseph’s Church was established in 1862 on Chambers Street in the West End, near the site of the first public Catholic mass in Boston. In the early 1900s, the St. Joseph’s Association, an organization of parishioners, hosted an annual party at the church which also held many notable funerals, marriages, and worship services. Decades after urban renewal, West Enders reunited at annual masses at St. Joseph’s to honor deceased fellow residents.

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