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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AbolitionAfrican AmericansWest BostonWomen Photograph of Harriet Hayden.

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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City PlanningNew BostonPolitics & LawUrban Renewal "A Guide to Slum Clearance and Urban Development," which outlines Housing Act of 1949

The Creation of the US Federal Urban Renewal Program

While the demolition of the West End began in 1958, the momentum for its destruction and for the federal urban renewal program itself began 20 years earlier, in the aftermath of the Great Depression. The Housing Act of 1949 would later mark the official birth of the federal Urban Renewal Program. Although it aimed to revitalize struggling inner cities, it often did so at the expense of established communities and displaced residents.

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HistoryImmigrant NeighborhoodImmigrationNeighborhood LifeSchools & Education Photograph of a group of men and women posing on the steps of a brick and glass building.

The Settlement Movement

The settlement movement was an attempt by scholars and social reformers on both sides of the Atlantic to address the problems caused by industrialization, urbanization, and, in America’s case, the mass immigration of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Settlement Houses were important institutions in Boston’s West End, assisting families with a wide range of educational and social services.

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